Kristen Slevin, an independent candidate running for Smithtown Town Supervisor, has only days left to gather her total of 1,500 signatures to be on the ballot. Slevin would be the fourth candidate to enter the race, after incumbent Supervisor Patrick Vecchio, Bill Holst and Councilman Ed Wehrheim.
Slevin is working daily on getting the remaining signatures needed, which now sits just above 500, but according to Slevin’s campaign. Slevin says that she is fighting against the stigma around local government and politics which don’t usually turn people out to vote.
“We have a crisis in Smithtown with residents who get turned off by the mere mention of local government,” she said. “Maybe one too many family holiday dinners destroyed over political debates.”
Slevin’s group is small, she said, but they are dedicated to a “grassroots” movement to improve Smithtown.
“We started as just a small group of a dozen volunteers who want to be involved in our local government,” she said.
Slevin’s campaign is based out of her business, Yottabyte, at 9 Singer Lane in Smithtown, where she is collecting signatures until 10 p.m. tonight. She’s done no fundraising and requires three times the signatures as party candidates.
Slevin says she isn’t giving up and that she’s hopeful.
“We just fear we haven’t been able to make our voice loud enough to connect with all the people in Smithtown who may want to help us make the ballot,” she said.