Blakeman crosses party lines, endorses Gillen for town supervisor

For the first time in Bruce Blakeman’s career as a Republican, the Town of Hempstead councilman crossed party lines by endorsing a Democrat — Laura Gillen — for town supervisor. Blakeman explained why he made his decision on Oct. 26 in front of the Nassau County Supreme Court.

“I am confident in her,” Blakeman said of Gillen. “I think she has the right balance of confidence, yet she has humility.”

Furthermore, Blakeman said that he could not bring himself to support Anthony Santino, the Republican incumbent running for supervisor, adding that he made his decision without consulting Joseph Mondello, the chairman of the Nassau County Republican Committee.

“I’m sure Chairman Mondello is not happy and I’m not happy,” Blakeman said. “Unfortunately, Tony Santino has morphed into somebody [who] basically I don’t know anymore.”

In a statement responding to the endorsement, Mondello called Blakeman’s decision a “betrayal” and said, “I am disappointed in any elected official from our party who would let personal feelings take priority over Republican principles.”

However, Blakeman accused Santino of being secretive, favoring certain council members, imposing unfair taxes on certain districts and running the town board with “immaturity,” “insecurity” and “a lack of leadership.”

"It is not surprising that Bruce Blakeman, who as presiding officer of the county legislature raised taxes and led the county to the brink of bankruptcy, is endorsing Laura Gillen,” Santino said in a statement, referring to the $300 million shortfall in the county’s budget during Blakeman’s time in office in the late 1990s. He also accused Gillen of not paying her bills and for violating New York City's rent control laws.

Santino added, “Just as Blakeman was rejected by the voters on four separate occasions – for county legislature, state comptroller, U.S. Senate and U.S. Congress – I am confident that his petty, personal, and groundless attacks on me will be similarly rejected."

Much of Blakeman’s discord began when Santino passed an ethics reform package with a slim majority of the town board, which Blakeman and council member Erin King Sweeney, also a Republican, called “a farce,” during a heated, nine-hour meeting. Since then, Blakeman has been interrupted at the close of numerous town meetings, with multiple council members walking out as he shouted over them.

Gillen embraced Blakeman’s endorsement and said that, if elected, she would, alongside Blakeman, bring bipartisan reform to Hempstead “… and put an end to the corruption, cronyism and nepotism that has thrived under Supervisor Santino.”

Blakeman concluded by saying that he would not endorse Gillen if he did not have faith in her ability to run the town. “On a local level, we think the same way,” he added. “We have the same views on how the government should operate.”