Napolitano challenging Gonsalves in 13th L.D.

Residents will decide between newcomer and 18-year representative

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Residents of Nassau County’s 13th Legislative District will choose between longtime Legislator Norma Gonzales and newcomer Eileen Napolitano, both of East Meadow, in the November election.

Napolitano, 53, an optician and the mother of two, kicked off her campaign with a fundraising meet-and-greet at the Nest Bar & Lounge in East Meadow on Aug. 27. The Democratic candidate said she felt inspired to run because of deep concerns she has for her local community, including the high cost of living, a growing drug problem and vandalism.

Gonsalves, 81, a Republican, has represented the district since 1997. She has been re-elected eight times, and was appointed the presiding officer of the County Legislature in 2012. She points to her longstanding record of constituent service, her work with local community groups to solve problems and, more recently, the county’s five-year hold on property taxes as some of the highlights of her political career.

The 13th District encompasses East Meadow, North Merrick, North Bellmore, North Wantagh and a portion of Seaford.

This is the first political bid for Napolitano, who has had leadership roles in Girl Scouts, the East Meadow Baseball Softball Association and East Meadow Parent Teacher Associations. Her son, Anthony, graduated from East Meadow High in the spring and is beginning his freshman year at SUNY Albany. Her daughter, Krista, is a junior at East Meadow High.

What would make her an effective representative, she said, is her passion for helping others. “People that know me and know me well I hope would describe me this way: When Eileen sees something wrong, or someone not being spoken to in a nice manner, she stands up for people,” Napolitano said. “And it really is who I am.”

For her part, Gonsalves emphasized that her political career stemmed from her work in local community groups, mostly in East Meadow. She is a founder and former president of the Coalition of East Meadow Community Organizations, a founder of the community’s neighborhood crime watch, and a member of the Kiwanis Club and the Chamber of Commerce. “I am a true grass-roots candidate,” she said. “I didn’t come up through the ranks of politics. I came up through the ranks of community service.”

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