Saturday, October 3, 2026
Olena Nicks was elected to represent the 2nd Nassau County legislative district on Feb. 25. Nicks, a democrat, defeated Republican candidate Karin Campbell 1,974 to 294.
A special election was held to decide who would succeed Siela Bynoe after her ascent to the state senate. The 2nd district includes Carle Place, New Cassel, Westbury, as well as sections of Hempstead, Uniondale, Hicksville and Jericho.
Nicks has already taken her oath of office and will be officially sworn in on March 10.
“I think that this is a great opportunity for the residents of district two,” she said. “My predecessor was a very fearless fighter, and with me coming in, I have the tenacity to really stand up for what I believe in and what the district needs.”
Nicks’ immediate priorities will be to examine responses to homelessness in the district and to work with the legislature to issue refunds for overpriced red light tickets.
“Public safety is everything,” Nicks said. “Everyone wants to be safe. Everyone wants to be able to have a roof over their head and food on the table. And those are the issues that I’m going to be most focused on.”
As Nicks steps into office, she is resigning from her role in the Uniondale Public Library as a trustee and reducing her role at the Uniondale Fire Department, where she has served for 14 years.
Deborah Mabry, president of the board of the Uniondale Public Library, worked closely with Nicks.
“She’s a very community oriented, committed individual,” Mabry said. “She had a really good following with voters. A majority of people know of her and of her work and of her commitment to the community, which is why I think so many people came out to vote for her.”
“I think that the community will be well represented,” she added. “She will fight for those issues that are truly important. I have no fear that she’s the right person for the job.”
Nicks, a lifelong Uniondale resident and community member, developed an interest in politics several years ago when she noticed that Uniondale and nearby neighborhoods were underserved for their size and population.
“I saw a deficit in representation, and also a lack of responsiveness when it came to the Uniondale community.”
Nicks previously attempted to run for town clerk in 2021 and town supervisor in 2023. Now, her long term goals include pushing for larger investments in youth programs, small businesses and public safety.
“Nassau County has got a fighter within me,” Nicks said. “I’m going to make sure that the current Blakeman administration is held accountable, that we are doing things by the books, and most importantly, that we are putting the people first.”
