Hudes seeks re-election, challenged by Hynes

Hempstead Town Councilman Gary Hudes, a Republican from Levittown, is seeking re-election to a third four-year term. He is being challenged by Democrat Matthew Hynes, who is also from Levittown.

The Town of Hempstead’s 6th Councilmatic district encompasses East Meadow, Levittown, Salisbury and portions of Bethpage, Plainedge, North Bellmore, North Merrick, Seaford and Wantagh.

Gary Hudes

When Hudes heads to the store to buy milk and eggs, his wife, Sheree, has learned not to worry if he returns two hours later. But the first time it happened, she nearly reported him missing.

Hudes, 54, says he frequently interacts with residents, whether it be in a supermarket, at the bank or in the post office. When constituents raise questions or concerns, he often responds personally, sometimes with a phone call or letter. He may even appear at their front door.

“Being hands-on and visiting with people works for me,” Hudes said. “There isn’t much of a difference between running a business and running the town as a business.” During his decade-long tenure on the town board, he has built a reputation for being accessible and concerned about quality-of-life issues residents face.

Before he got involved in politics, Hudes was a business leader in Bellmore, serving as Chamber of Commerce president. He confronted what he said was big-box stores’ growing threat to downtown businesses, and led a downtown revitalization project in Bellmore that served as a model for other areas of Nassau County.

“I was a community guy,” said Hudes, who has also served as president of the Nassau Council of Chambers of Commerce. “I didn’t have a start in politics. I wasn’t involved in political clubs. I was involved in the community.”

He has preached the importance of beautifying business districts. With Town Supervisor Kate Murray, Hudes helped establish Litter Patrol, a group of sanitation workers who discretely clean up trash along main thoroughfares like Hempstead Turnpike and East Meadow Avenue.