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Will they let him steer the ship or make him walk the plank?
The founder of the popular Pirate’s Booty snack proclaimed himself the victor of a quaint Long Island village’s mayoral election on Tuesday — just 30 minutes after the polls opened.
Robert Ehrlich’s wild declaration came a week after the 66-year-old political newcomer drew headlines for storming Sea Cliff’s village hall to announce he’s now in charge of the tiny, 5,000-person community.
“I am declaring myself the winner,” Ehrlich told The Post Tuesday afternoon well before the polls close at 9 p.m.
Ehrlich, who is not on the official ballot, entered the mayoral race last week as a write-in candidate.
He said he was out since 6 a.m. Tuesday morning collecting nearly 800 “votes” on homemade paper ballots, which prompted multiple visits by Nassau County police to his coffee shop over possible voter interference.
Ehrlich evaded arrest by successfully arguing his ballots were simply comparable to a poll, however, he also claimed the results are indisputable and outlines a clear win for himself against incumbent Mayor Elena Villafane.
Villafane was running unopposed in what was supposed to be a simple election — until Ehrlich’s village hall antics during which he also tried to fire everyone before being asked to leave.
The incumbent says that during her time in office, Ehrlich has never attended a meeting, joined a committee, or shown any kind of real interest in getting involved in local politics before last week and could’ve gotten himself on the ballot easily.
Ehrlich countered that he no longer tries to do things “the right way,” claiming the village doesn’t play by the rules.
The small town showdown appears to have inspired many Sea Cliff residents to exercise their civic duty.
“I probably wouldn’t have voted today if it wasn’t for all of the craziness,” Tim Wegner, a 29-year-old Sea Cliff resident, told The Post outside of the polling location.
Wegner said he and a lot of his friends, many of whom never voted in local elections before, felt their ballot weighed a little heavier this time around due to the frenzy caused by Ehrlich.
Aside from claiming victory in Tuesday’s election, Ehrlich maintains he’s already the mayor of the new village he created the day he walked into village hall, the so-called “Incorporated Village of Sea Cliff Residents.”
Ehrlich argued that through a little-known state law called the Citizen Empowerment Act, he created this new entity and plans on merging both communities — creating an entirely new village that adopts Sea Cliff’s current laws and budgets with him in charge.
The Village of Sea Cliff blasted Ehrlich’s claims as “invalid and unsupported by law.”
Ehrlich is now calling on Gov. Kathy Hochul to get involved and “set the record straight” for Sea Cliff.
He also anticipates a long battle ahead of him, saying he expects his fight for his status of mayor to be taken to court.
