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Overcast GOP takes control
Second time’s a charm for Kopel, who swings Legislature into GOP hands; Suozzi, Mangano in virtual dead heat for county executive
The 7th District Nassau County Legislature race was one of several that was closely watched and ultimately helped shift the Republicans into the majority in the Legislature Tuesday night.
In one of the most hotly contested races for the Legislature, Howard Kopel, the Republican and Conservative party candidate from Lawrence, unseated five-term Democratic incumbent Jeff Toback in the 7th District, which encompasses Bay Park, Cedarhurst, Harbor Isle, Hewlett, Hewlett Bay Park, Hewlett Harbor, Hewlett Neck, Inwood, Lawrence, Mill Brook, Woodmere, North Woodmere, Woodsburgh and parts of Oceanside, Island Park, East Rockaway and Lynbrook, on Tuesday.
With 64 of 64 election districts counted at press time, Kopel had garnered 6,654 votes (54.5 percent) compared with Toback’s count of 5,544 (45.5 percent).
“I was here two years ago, but this time is much more fun,” Kopel said in his victory speech at Republican headquarters in Westbury. “We will fulfill our promise — we will lower taxes and spending.”
Speaking about his loss, along with those of other county Democrats, Toback said, “It seems that people have bought, for now, the argument that the Republicans have the answer with regard to high taxes, and time will tell whether or not they can keep their promises. Howard made a lot of promises. It will be interesting to see how he plans on keeping them.”
Toback reminisced about his decade of service to 7th District residents. “I had a great time during my tenure in office,” he said. “We brought change to Nassau County; being able to help people is really the best part of the job. And the most important thing was the friends I’ve made over the last 10 years, the people I got to meet throughout the district. I think that’s the best part of the 10 years.”
As the Herald went to press after midnight Tuesday, County Executive Thomas Suozzi had a razor-thin margin over Republican challenger Ed Mangano, 116,894 votes to 116,603, and County Comptroller Howard Weitzman trailed his Republican challenger, George Maragos, by less than 1,000 votes.
Victorious incumbents included District Attorney Kathleen Rice, County Clerk Maureen O’Connell and 4th District Legislator Denise Ford. In Town of Hempstead races, Kate Murray, Mark Bonilla and Anthony Santino earned new terms as supervisor, clerk and councilman, respectively.
