James Hodge and Liz Treston earned a new endorsement for Long Beach City Council

With four candidates running for Long Beach City Council this time around —incumbents Liz Treston, Tina Posterli and Karen McInnis and challenger James Hodge — one will not win one of the three seats.

Early voting took place for the Democratic primary late last month, and the Nassau County Board of Elections reported Hodge led all candidates in votes with 816. He was followed by Treston with 807, Posterli with 749 and then McInnis with 732.

James Hodge and Liz Treston received more news recently, as the New York Working Families Party announced their general election endorsements of them for Long Beach City Council last Wednesday. Hodge and Treston join Tina Posterli, who was endorsed by the membership earlier this cycle.

“James Hodge, Liz Treston, and Tina Posterli are trusted community leaders who we can count on to prioritize the needs of working people through deep public investments in housing, climate, and youth programs,” said Joe Sackman, Nassau County Chapter of the New York Working Families Party. “We look forward to working with them to make sure Long Beach is affordable and accessible for all people.”

If elected, Hodge, a former chairman of the MLK Center, would be the first Black member of the council since Anissa Moore was elected in 2015. Moore is now a deputy Nassau County executive. Hodge is a frequent speaker at council meetings and a fiery orator. He led marches in the city after George Floyd’s murder in Minneapolis in 2020, and the police killing of Breonna Taylor in Kentucky that year.

“I am deeply honored to have received the endorsement of the Working Families Party,” Hodge said. “Their support is a testament to our shared commitment to progressive values and fighting for working families. With the WFP by our side, we will continue to champion economic justice, social equality, and a better future for all.”

James Hodge and Tina Posterli will be running on both the Working Families Party and Democratic Party lines. Liz Treston will only be on the Democratic Party line.

“I’m honored to be endorsed by the Working Families Party,” Treston said. “It’s important to me to do what I can do to ensure that the hardworking people of Long Beach that support their community can continue to live, work and play in Long Beach.”

McInnis and Treston were elected to four-year terms in 2019, and Posterli, council President John Bendo and Roy Lester were elected in 2021.