Southold's Kathryn Quigley Challenges Schaffer, Promises Candidate Training for Suffolk Democrats

Kathryn Casey Quigley, chairwoman of the Southold Town Democratic Committee, announced on Jan. 19 that she was running for chair of the Suffolk County Democratic Committee, setting up a contest with incumbent Rich Schaffer. Quigley framed her campaign around expanding candidate support and professionalizing party operations to make it easier for residents to seek local office.

Quigley, a Southold native, draws on years of community and education work on the East End. She co-founded the Peconic Community School in 2012 and began her political organizing as a field organizer for the 2008 Obama campaign. Those credentials inform her pitch to county committee members who will ultimately determine the next chair.

Her platform emphasizes candidate training and structural backing for campaigns. Quigley said she wants to provide training in digital strategy, data management, and communications, and to create consistent messaging so Democratic candidates run coordinated campaigns. The goal, she said, is to recruit and support more everyday residents for local offices, broadening the party bench across towns and hamlets.

Quigley criticized the current county chair, Rich Schaffer, pointing to concerns about his dual role as Town of Babylon supervisor and to actions she says have driven Democrats away. The contest for county chair will be decided by elected Democratic committee members from across Suffolk, with the vote likely to fall between Sept. 17 and Oct. 6.

For Suffolk voters, particularly on the North Fork and in small town centers such as Southold, Greenport, and Riverhead, Quigley’s campaign signals a push to shift party operations from ad hoc volunteer efforts toward more centralized support. That could change how local school board, town board, and county legislative candidates mount campaigns, and it may affect turnout and messaging in down-ballot races where personal connections and localized outreach matter most.

The procedural nature of the county committee vote means the immediate battle will be internal. Still, the stakes extend beyond party offices. If Quigley succeeds in implementing candidate training and consistent communications, residents could see a steadier pipeline of local candidates who are better equipped to run effective, issue-focused campaigns. For activists and volunteers, that means more opportunities for training in modern campaign tools and data practices.

As the primary season approaches and political organizations begin planning for 2026 and beyond, the county committee contest will shape how Suffolk Democrats recruit, train, and present candidates to voters. Residents interested in the direction of local Democratic organizing will want to follow the race as committee members prepare to cast their ballots between Sept. 17 and Oct. 6, and as both campaigns outline how they intend to support neighborhood-level candidacies.