By Angela Marshall
Nominate candidates in effort to KO Republicans
The Nassau County Democrats are looking to go all the way this year, strengthening their control of the Legislature and picking up key county seats like clerk, comptroller and district attorney. They announced their plan to keep the Republican political machine crippled to a crowd of roughly 400 eager supporters during the May 24 nominating convention in Hempstead.
Touting a long list of Democrat initiatives, including the recently-passed human rights legislation and the restriction on county cars, Majority Leader Judy Jacobs said legislators have given voters a chance to see how well the Democrats can lead.
She said one of the biggest battles the Democrats will face is GOP leaders trying to make it seem that outgoing County Executive Thomas Gulotta created Nassau's fiscal mess on his own. "Tom Gulotta might have been the captain of the ship, but the crew is still on board," Jacobs warned.
The Democrats have 10 legislative incumbents up for reelection, thanks to the historical election of 1999, which ended more than a century of Republican control. Those battling to keep their positions in addition to Jacobs are Patrick Williams, First District; Deputy Majority Leader Roger Corbin, Second District; Michael Zapson, Fourth District; Joseph Scannell, Fifth District; Jeffrey Toback, Seventh District; Lisanne Altmann, 10th District; Craig Johnson, 11th District; Brian Muellers, 18th District; and David Denenberg, 19th District.
Now they want more.
Nine enthusiastic candidates from all walks of life were selected to try to wrest the remainder of Legislature seats from the GOP. And they made no mistake about their determination to win. "On behalf of the nominees for county legislative seats currently held by clubhouse legislators who refuse to step up and govern, I thank Presiding Officer Judy Jacobs; we look forward to working with you soon," said Dave Mejias, who is running against Salvatore Pontillo in the 14th District and is the first Hispanic to be nominated for the Legislature.
Other Democrat challengers are Cathy Clary, Third District; Dale Camhi, Sixth District; Robert McDonald, Eighth District; Dolores Sedacca, Ninth District; Joseph Tartaglia, 12th District; Rita Eilenberg, 13th District; Teresa Butler, 15th District, and Frank Goban, 17th District.
Unmistakable at the convention was the division within the party over who should represent it as the candidate for county executive.
Although Assemblyman Thomas DiNapoli walked away with the party nod two weeks ago, Glen Cove Mayor Thomas Suozzi has refused to end his own quest for the position.
Competing campaign tables greeted party members entering the convention, and many pins, stickers and signs supporting one or the other were visible all evening. Some nominees even voiced their support at the podium.
The party's desire to gain other county seats was also stressed. Jacobs praised comptroller candidate Howard Weitzman for his financial advice over the last two years and said he has been a key player in the Democrats' strategy to bring fiscal stability.
Weitzman is the former mayor of Great Neck Estates. He will face longtime incumbent Fred Parola.
Charles Ferzola will take on District Attorney Denis Dillon of Rockville Centre in November. Ferzola is a former Nassau County assistant district attorney and now is in private practice.
For clerk, the party chose Sharon Commissiong, senior deputy counsel to the Democratic legislative majority.
SH: Hempstead Town Council
The Democrats' only Town of Hempstead incumbent, Dorothy Goosby, led the call for gaining a stronghold there. Because the First District received only one year in the lottery to decide term lengths last year, Goosby must wage a campaign for the third year in a row.
She and other Democrat leaders mourned the seats lost last year in districts Three and Five, but vowed to take new seats.
Oceanside's Jerry Lamonica will once again challenge Anthony Santino for the Fourth District. Lamonica said that the results of last November's election have showed him a clear battle plan for this year. Lamonica received more votes than Santino in unincorporated areas like Baldwin, Oceanside and Hewlett. He said that is because they are unhappy with town services. They are the ones, he said, who did not have their snow plowed correctly for days last winter.
Lamonica lost in incorporated villages like Rockville Centre and East Rockaway. Residents in these areas only pay the town general tax and do not rely on its services, he said.
Pat Maher of East Meadow will take on Gary Hudes in the Sixth District. An independent computer trainer, Maher said there are two main issues she feels need to be addressed in the town
