Richard Schaffer

Babylon Town Supervisor and Suffolk Democratic Chair

Despite reports that he’s butted heads with his top-elected official, Suffolk County Executive Steve Bellone, the Babylon Town Supervisor remains a local kingmaker as head of the Suffolk Democratic Party. How does he juggle both demanding jobs? He tells his therapist even he’s not sure, Richard Schaffer joked in 2016 while testifying against the former Conservative Party leader who was convicted of payroll theft. The steady drum beat of public corruption investigations, indictments and convictions may have made political waves across Long Island, but Schaffer, ever the dealmaker, kept a Democrat in the district attorney’s seat last fall when Tim Sini replaced Tom Spota, who pleaded not guilty to allegedly helping cover up the beating of a handcuffed suspect. The Democrats local wins are likely thanks at least in part to backlash against the election of President Donald Trump, as local party leaders have said. Although the Suffolk Dems may have lost their county legislative supermajority when Republicans recently picked up a seat long held by a term-limited minor-party ally, Schaffer’s party is still very much the one in power on the county level. The biggest, most recent indicator of his sway? He got a Democrat elected Suffolk Sheriff by running a candidate who jumped in the race about a month before election day, after Schaffer’s preferred candidate lost a primary in that race. That’s a rare feat and not the type of power you see every day.