Nassau County minority leader will not seek re-election

The Nassau County Legislature’s minority leader, Kevan Abrahams, of Freeport, will not seeking re-election after more than two decades in Mineola. His current two-year term will come to a close on Dec. 31.

“After 22 years of serving the First Legislative District and the residents of Nassau County, I have decided to not seek re-election,” Abrahams said in a statement released on April 14. “It has been a great privilege and an honor to serve my constituency and advocate for change. I am grateful to all my colleagues for their support throughout the years, and to my constituents for allowing me to continue to represent them for over two decades.”

Abrahams stated that his main focus during his tenure was making government more responsive to the community, which he achieved through hosting over 300 community meetings and ensuring that people didn’t have to leave their communities to be represented. 

He will maintain his full-time job as director of strategic planning and regulatory process at Northwell Health, a position he has held for 23 years.

Among Abrahams’ accomplishments has been overseeing numerous road projects in the county, aiming to improve traffic flow and making roads safer for drivers, cyclists, and pedestrians. Also notable are significant investments in parks and nature preserves in the district, and improving and expanding public recreational spaces, including the building of Martin Luther King Park Jr. Park in Freeport. 

“I mean, in terms of accomplishments, the road projects have made Nassau roads safer,” Abrahams said. “Opening up access to some of our parks and preserves and protecting our environment is also great. We were able to build a Martin Luther King Park, which, to me, is my most significant aid, because of the things that Martin Luther King did for this country.” 

In terms of public safety, Abrahams was instrumental in implementing the ShotSpotter program in several municipalities in his district, including Hempstead. ShotSpotter is gunshot detection technology that uses acoustic sensors to pinpoint the exact location of gunfire, allowing law enforcement to respond more quickly and accurately to incidents.

Abrahams had a long list of legislative and community projects that he could proudly present as accomplishments, but he couldn’t single out one as his main achievement. He chose not to seek re-election due to several factors, including changes in the Legislature and a strong desire to spend more time with his family.

“I think ultimately, my kids were a big factor in my decision not to run for reelection,” Abrahams said. “Both of my kids are approaching their teenage years, and I realized over the past few summers that I had been missing out on a lot of their activities. Now that they are teenagers, I feel like I am missing out even more. So, the combination of wanting to spend more time with my family and the changes happening at the legislature resulted in my decision not to run for reelection.”

The only project that he wished he could have seen through was the renovation of Centennial Park in Roosevelt, which would have cost around $3 million.

“We’re going to revamp the park from a predominantly concrete space into something more lively and family-oriented,” Abrahams said. “This project has been in the works for four years, and if I had more time, say six months to a year, I would have loved to see it through to completion. That’s the one thing I could think of that I’m not going to get a chance to be able to accomplish. In terms of my legislative accomplishments, I believe we’ve made great progress and have achieved a lot.”

Abrahams acknowledged that serving as a minority leader for longer than the average legislator serves in office was no easy feat. He said his colleague made his job easier. 

He said working with his colleagues, regardless of political party, to resolve issues and figure out solutions together was a very fulfilling part of his job. 

What advice would Abrahams offer his successor? Put the needs of their constituents before any special interests; strike a balance between their work and family life; and surround themselves with a supportive family, he said

“The best thing I can say to one, keep a strong balance of your family as well as the job at hand,” Abrahams said. “I think most importantly, as it pertains to the job, if you focus on your constituents first and foremost, I know there’s going to be a lot of special interests that pull you in different directions. And I think the utmost of your attention should be focused on making sure you’re serving those people that elected you to office to your fullest capacity and to the expectations that they would see or what they want to have in their member of the county legislature.”