By Doug Miller
Two years ago, the Long Beach Democrats faced floor fights at their nominating convention for both council seats and the nomination for the Nassau Legislature.
This year, there was no such drama, as the party, as predicted, cross-endorsed erstwhile Republican Legislator Denise Ford, and nominated for the City Council incumbent Robert Tepper, former Councilwoman Gina Guma and first-time candidate Larry Benowitz.
Guma works in the development office of Long Beach Medical Center. Tepper, who is completing a two-year term, is an attorney for Nassau County. Benowtiz is a retired businessman who is a long-time political activist in Long Beach.
The Democrats will face a Republican slate that almost exactly mirrors its own. Both slates include one incumbent, since the GOP re-nominated Councilman Tom Sofield; one former Councilwoman: for the GOP, Mona Goodman; and one first-timer: John McLaughlin, a retired FDNY lieutenant.
Ford and Legislator Roger Corbin were the party's two featured speakers at Wednesday nights nominating convention, held at the Cradle of Aviation Museum in Uniondale. Ford called the Democrats' decision to cross-endorse her "humbling," while the crowd held aloft signs reading "Welcome Home, Denise!" and "Denise Ford: A Real Democrat!"
Corbin, a Hempstead-based Democrat who spent most of the year fighting with the party's leadership, struck a deal the day before the convention to stay on the party's line, and in his remarks he welcomed Ford to the fold. "She's tough and smart," he said. "The Republicans better keep nominating her because they can't beat her."
Wednesday night's nominating convention was a decidedly more serene occasion than two years ago, when the committee was faced with some tough choices. Then-Councilman Denis Kelly sought but did not receive his party's re-nomination in 2005 because he had endorsed the Republican slate of Sofield, Goodman and Jim Hennessy; a move that helped swing the election to the GOP. Kelly received only a handful of votes from the committeemembers, many of whom still maintain they haven't forgiven him for his disloyalty. The party also chose Robert Solomon over Warren Vegh for the party's line for legislature, although Vegh forced a primary anyway. Solomon won the primary in September but was defeated by Ford in November.
