County, town seats up for grabs

The 2012 presidential election may be making most of the headlines, but it’s still more than a year away. This November, voters will choose their local leaders at the town and county levels.

All 19 Nassau County Legislature seats are up for election this year. After several months of court challenges and partisan fighting over proposed new legislative districts, there will be no changes for this year’s election. Most Nassau County residents, with the exception of those in the 18th District on the North Shore, will see familiar names on the ballot.

In what is turning out to be a hotly contest race, incumbent Legislator Denise Ford is being challenged in the 4th District. Two years ago, Ford, a Republican from Long Beach, ran unopposed. This year, however, she is facing a challenge from Democrat Darlene Tangney.

Tangney, a 35-year Long Beach resident, is a member of the Board of Education there. She is critical of Republican leaders in the Legislature, saying they failed to close the budget deficit after promising financial responsibility. Ford has represented the 4th District, which also includes Lido Beach, Point Lookout, Atlantic Beach, East Atlantic Beach, Barnum Island and parts of Oceanside, since 2003.

There are a pair of rematches in the race for Legislature seats. In the 5th District, Republican Christian Browne is challenging Democrat incumbent Joseph Scannell in the third straight election. In 2009, Scannell defeated Browne by about 400 votes. The 5th District includes parts of Baldwin, Rockville Centre, Freeport and Lakeview.

Democratic Legislator David Denenberg, who represents the 19th District, is again being challenged by Dr. Fred Jones, a Republican who is a chiropractor in Merrick. Denenberg was first elected in 1999. His seat was threatened earlier this year when the Republican majority proposed the new legislative map. The 19th District would have shifted to the western end of the county, and Denenberg would have been moved into Scannell’s district.

The 19th District includes Merrick, Bellmore and parts of North Bellmore and Freeport.