Edward A. Flood | General Election - Nov. 7, 2017

Flood blamed county mismanagement and a lack of legislative oversight on spending for the county’s poor fiscal situation. “If we keep on going with reckless spending, our county will become more unaffordable,” he said, pointing to rising fees and taxes. As a Suffolk lawmaker, he would provide more aggressive oversight of county spending, including management hires in County Executive Steve Bellone’s office and contracts for solar panels in parking lots and red light cameras. He said the county comptroller’s office could use more auditors to root out fraud and waste. With his contacts in state government, Flood said he also would work to relieve state mandates. Flood supports the effort to bring a drag racing strip to Long Island, which he said would generate sales tax revenue.

Flood, 35, of Setauket, is running on the Republican and Conservative party lines. He is chief of staff to Assemb. Dean Murray and has a general law practice in Port Jefferson. He grew up in Port Jefferson, graduated from St. Joseph’s College in 2007 with a bachelor’s degree in political science and received a law degree from Western New England University School of Law in 2010. He worked for a Manhattan corporate law firm before opening his private practice in 2012. A member of the Port Jefferson Chamber of Commerce, he is married and has four children.