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Mr. Romaine was elected Suffolk County Executive in 2023. Before his election, he served as Brookhaven Town Supervisor for 12 years. During that time, he achieved and maintained the town’s AAA credit rating from Standard & Poor’s. He complied with New York State’s property tax cap, achieving properly balanced budgets while delivering four straight years of surpluses and reducing $31.1 million in pipeline capital debt.

Before entering local government, Mr. Romaine taught history in the Hauppauge School District for 10 years. In 1980, he entered public service as Brookhaven’s first Commissioner of Housing and Community Development and was later appointed Director of Economic Development. From 1986 to 1989, he was a member of the Suffolk County Legislature before being elected County Clerk. His use of technology and ways to improve access to official records led him to be chosen as “New York State County Clerk of the Year” in 2001.

In 2005, he was again elected to the Suffolk County Legislature, representing the First Legislative District and re-elected in 2007, 2009 and 2011. As a County Legislator, he preserved countless acres of open space across eastern Brookhaven, the North Fork and Shelter Island. He sponsored numerous pieces of landmark legislation, including “Michael’s Law,” which banned explosive fuel gels; the state’s first local law to regulate helicopter traffic; and established the LIPA Oversight Commission. He also reduced the tax burden on residents by promoting smart government initiatives and real tax reform.

Mr. Romaine earned a B.A. in History from Adelphi University and a Master’s in History from Long Island University.