What once was a fully unified Republican Huntington town board has devolved into a fractured governing body and a GOP primary for town supervisor.

Incumbent Supervisor Ed Smyth is facing a challenge from GOP Town Councilwoman Brooke Lupinacci.

Smyth is encouraging voters to stay the course. He tells News 12 that his focus remains on the issues that impact the daily lives of residents, and he’s proud of keeping taxes below the tax cap throughout his tenure in office.

“The big shining star is the fiscal responsibility that we've demonstrated,” Smyth said.

“We've stayed focused on keeping taxes as low as possible, public safety. On an operational basis, its parks, beaches, roads and garbage.”

But it’s not taxes or garbage pickup that prompted Lupinacci to run for the town’s top spot.

“Ed Smyth sold us out. He pushed through the largest apartment re-zone in the history of Huntington, and he did so after there were reports of bribes and kickbacks, community outrage, school district objections,” Lupinacci said.

“I'm tired of local politicians selling out to developers for high density apartment construction, and the municipal corruption that comes with it.”

Lupinacci, a former prosecutor, says she’s made a referral to law enforcement about the town board’s handling of the Melville Town Center, a proposed development along the 110 corridor in Melville. The town board voted to create an overlay district that allows landowners in the area to submit designs for redevelopment. Lupinacci was the lone vote against the measure.

“Right now this race is about ending the municipal corruption and stopping future development,” Lupinacci said.

But Smyth insists the overlay district is not a zoning change, and that checks and balances remain in place to ensure that Huntington maintains its suburban way of life, while also expanding its tax base and creating a new, walkable draw for residents.

“All that the property owners can do in Melville is submit an application. If the town board doesn't like it, the town board won't vote,” Smyth said. “We have vacant office buildings, lots of them, there's a blighted office park with acres and acres of asphalt. When you're in the very south side of Huntington, there's not a cultural center to gather in.”

Smyth also pushed backed against Lupinacci’s claims of corruption.

“The allegations that are coming out against me, of course, they're totally false, but I put it back on my opponents to say ‘ok, what exactly are you talking about? Show what you’re talking about.’ Its total nonsense,” Smyth said.

“They’re putting anything they can up to smear me, to slander me, and it is slander. There's no question that's what it is.”

Both Smyth and Lupinacci are joined on their respective ballot lines by town board candidates who are also competing in a GOP primary. Smyth is facing another challenge from Dom Spada on the Conservative line.

Early voting is now underway. Primary election day is Tuesday, June 24.