Five-term New York State Sen. Phil Boyle (R-Bay Shore) announced Monday that he won’t seek a sixth term, shaking up the local political landscape two months before voters decide the primary elections.
A half hour after the senator announced his plans on Twitter, state Sen. Alexis Weik (R-Sayville) issued a statement saying that she will switch districts to run for Boyle’s seat. It was not immediately clear who Republicans will run for Weik’s seat. Both senators represent parts of South Shore western Suffolk County.
“It was a very difficult decision, but after 26 years in Albany, I have decided to not seek re-election to the New York State Senate,” tweeted Boyle, a former Assemblyman who made an unsuccessful run for Suffolk County sheriff. “I intend to continue my career in public service, just closer to home. I will miss my wonderful colleagues and friends, on both sides of the aisle.”
Boyle’s announcement came shortly after the deadline for political candidates to file nominating petitions, the legal paperwork required for those seeking elected office to appear on ballots in the June primaries and the general election in November.
Weik’s decision to jump from her current seat in New York’s 4th State Senate District to Boyle’s 3rd State Senate District comes after the Democratic-led state Legislature redrew the state senatorial district lines as a part of the decennial redistricting process that GOP advocates are challenging in court.
“Today, I proudly accepted the Republican and Conservative Party nominations to run in New York’s 4th State Senate District,” Weik said. “It is an honor and privilege to follow in the footsteps of Senator Phil Boyle, who represented this area for decades and who has served as a trusted friend and mentor to me during my first term in the Senate. I will campaign hard for the privilege of representing the South Shore communities from Bayport to Massapequa and, while I have represented large areas of the district during my current term and while serving as an elected official in the Town of Islip prior to that, I look forward to meeting and listening to those residents in areas that will be new to me due to redistricting.”
Former state Sen. Monica Martinez (D-Brentwood), who Weik had unseated after one term in 2020, previously announced a rematch bid. The Suffolk GOP could not be reached late Monday to determine who will replace Weik on the Republican line in that race. Suffolk County Democratic Chairman Rich Schaffer told the Press that Weik will face Mike Yoshua in the race for Boyle’s seat.
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