Republicans take four of five state seats representing Malverne and West Hempstead

Republicans won four of the five state Legislature seats in the districts encompassing Lakeview, Malverne and West Hempstead on Tuesday night. Two of those seats were taken by newcomers running in for open Assembly seats.

State Senate Minority Leader Dean Skelos (R-Rockville Centre) won his 9th Senate District seat with 66 percent of the vote against Democratic challenger George Sava, of Woodmere. Unofficial results from the Nassau County Board of Elections at press time had Skelos receiving 56,329 votes to Sava's 29,420.

Sen. Kemp Hannon (R-Garden City) won another term in the 6th Senatorial District with 58 percent of the vote (43,880), while his opponent, Francesca Carlow, a Democrat from Plainview, tallied 28,736 votes.

“It’s an indication that what we perceive that taxes, jobs and the economy being foremost on people’s minds was on people’s minds,” Hannon said, “and we had to address it. Success will be my persuading my counterparts in the Assembly, who look like they’ll be Democrats, to go along with what we want to do for cutting and spending.”

Assemblywoman Earlene Hooper (D-Hempstead) defeated Republican challenger Derek Partee, of Hempstead, with 83 percent of the vote. According to the election board's unofficial results, Hooper received 19,674 votes and Partee tallied 3,953. Hooper was elected to her seat representing the 18th Assembly District in 1988. She has been serving as deputy speaker since 2008 and is the highest-ranking woman in the state Legislature.

Republicans Brian Curran, of Lynbrook, and Ed Ra, of Franklin Square defeated their Democrat challengers in the 14th and 21st Assembly Districts, respectively. Both seats opened up earlier this year when Assemblymen Bob Barra, in the 14th A.D., and Tom Alfano, in the 21st A.D., announced they would not be seeking re-election. Curran crushed Valley Stream resident Dermond Thomas with 60 percent of the vote, while Ra narrowly topped Elmont native Pat Nicolosi, receiving 17,899 votes to Nicolosi's 14,625. The Nassau County Democratic Party did not support Nicolosi in this race.