Long Beach Democrats expected to announce candidates next week

Party leaders working to avoid a Democratic Primary

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Nassau County Democratic Committee Chairman Jay Jacobs said the party would likely announce its slate of candidates for Long Beach City Council before its convention on May 31.

Local Democrats are now split between two camps — the Long Beach Democratic Committee and the Independent Democratic Club of Long Beach — and political insiders say that party leaders are trying to avoid a primary but have yet to agree on a slate.

“We are working hard to bring everybody together and I think we’ll get there,” Jacobs said on Monday. “We’re going to put forward a slate that we’re confident the voters in Long Beach will support. You have people on both sides who understand that united we win and divided we lose.”


The Long Beach Republican Committee announced its slate of candidates for City Council last week, in what is sure to be a heated race as Democrats attempt to put on a united front to retain three seats amid a rift between the local parties.

Leah Rosensweig Tozer, a Democrat, and Christopher Jones and William Haas, both Republicans, are looking in November to grab three seats that are now held by Democratic incumbents Len Torres, Scott Mandel and Chumi Diamond.

Tozer said she chose to run with the Republicans because the local Democrats are “dysfunctional.”

“We should have our candidates picked by week's end,” said Joe Brand, chairman of the Long Beach Democratic Committee, which is affiliated with the county committee. “The Democratic Committee has had some internal issues to seek our way through, but we are on schedule in terms of candidates and relatively satisfied with the process that brought us to this point.”

Independent Democratic Club President Darlene Tangney did not return calls for comment.

Diamond, who was appointed to a vacant seat in February and is serving the remainder of former Councilwoman Eileen Goggin's term, is the only Democratic candidate to announce her run.

“I’m honored to be running for Long Beach City Council this November, and I would welcome the support of all Democratic Party leaders,” Diamond said in a statement. “I look forward to working with my fellow Democrats on the City Council to do what is best for our residents and the city of Long Beach.”

Torres and Mandel are the only remaining council members who were elected in 2011 as part of a Democratic majority that wrested control of City Hall from a Republican-led coalition. They voted to appoint current City Manager Jack Schnirman, who is running for county comptroller this year — against Republican Steve Labriola — and has the backing of Jacobs and the county committee.

Mandel said he was “not at liberty to discuss any Democratic council slate.” “While the GOP has held its convention and picked their slate, the Democrats have yet to do that,” Mandel said.

Others who are said to be considering a run include Long Beach resident Joe Miccio, a retired New York City firefighter; former City Manager Ed Eaton; and residents Ronnie Myles and Mike Delury, among others. While the Independent Democratic Club is said to be supporting the incumbents, those with knowledge of the talks say that the local committee is expected to back Diamond but, as of Wednesday, were still considering other candidates, Mandel, Miccio and Delury among them. Jacobs, meanwhile, is pushing for Mandel and Diamond, sources said.

Some Democrats who have expressed frustration with the current administration are calling for change and said they would not support Mandel or Torres, incumbents who are associated with the Independent Democratic Club.

"They want people who are not part of the old regime," said one local Democrat who asked not to be identified. "Right now, I think there's going to be a primary."

For his part, Torres, the council's president, said he would not seek re-election without the support of Jacobs, especially if there is a primary.

“If he were to support me, I probably would run,” said Torres, who defended the council's and administration's record. “We have to begin the bulkheads [on the north side of the city], we started the re-engineering of the beach and there are other issues that we still have to contend with, and I would not like to leave with those things still up in the air. And if Jack leaves, we have to get another city manager who has the financial skill that he brought to the table.”