By Dan Israeli
The political swing is especially noteworthy because when the Republicans took power in 2003, it was just the second time in the city's history that the party gained a council majority. Now, the Republicans have done it twice in the span of three elections.
Leading the way was the ticket's incumbent candidate, Tom Sofield Jr., a registered Democrat, who had 3,380 votes in early, unofficial tallies. He was followed by former Councilwoman Mona Goodman, part of the winning coalition in 2003, who finished with 3,133 votes. First-time candidate John McLaughlin, also a registered Democrat, rounded out the Republican sweep with 3,067 votes. As the two top vote getters, Sofield and Goodman secured four-year terms, while McLaughlin will serve a two-year term.
As for the Democratic ticket, incumbent Council Vice President Robert Tepper fell just short with 2,965 votes, although there is still an outside chance he could edge McLaughlin when 242 absentee ballots are counted. Former Councilwoman Gina Guma received 2,741 votes, while first-time candidate Larry Benowitz had 2,540.
The results were tallied shortly before 10 p.m., as both parties were stationed at their headquarters, less than a mile apart on East Park Avenue. At Republican headquarters, the candidates and their supporters were joyous in victory. Sofield, who will now embark on his second four-year term, said he was excited to come out on top in what he thought was a hard-fought victory.
"I look forward to working alongside my running mates, and additionally, the other members remaining on the council," Sofield said, referencing Democratic holdovers Leonard Remo, the sitting council president, and Denise Tangney.
Goodman, who was on the losing end of the 2005 council election, said she was cautiously optimistic leading up to the vote count. After the results were announced, Goodman said she was overwhelmed and thrilled with the opportunity to return to the council. "Now we have the opportunity to finish what we started when we were in the majority, and make things better for every Long Beach citizen," she said. "There is still a tremendous amount of work to be done."
As for McLaughlin, the new kid on the block, he said he felt satisfied with the result, and that it was indicative of how residents felt. A registered Democrat, McLaughlin noted that he was tired of what he referred to as the "Democratic machine" in Long Beach. "When I was a kid, Bobby Kennedy came to Long Beach, and six years later I registered as a Democrat," McLaughlin said. "Looking back, that was the last time the true Democratic Party existed in Long Beach. It is now a political machine bent on power."
McLaughlin, a retired New York City firefighter, promised that city government would be "a different game" for him, but that he wasn't worried about what ultimately lies ahead. "My goal is to do whatever is best for Long Beach, whatever is best for the community as a whole," he said. "I have no political aspirations whatsoever."
It was a more solemn scene at Democratic headquarters, where campaign supporters stood in shock as vote counts in the 24 districts were tallied. Campaign chairman Steve Kohut went as far as to say that the Democratic Party in Long Beach no longer exists - due to the low voter turnout - despite the fact that the city is made up mostly of registered Democrats.
"I don't know where this organization will be four years from now, but you have all effectively seen this organization fall apart tonight," Kohut said to the crowd of supporters. "I really believe that the Democratic organization in this community has reached a turning point, of whether we will go forward or fold our tents."
Guma, who described vote counts as abnormal, was not ready to give up on the Democratic Party in Long Beach. "I don't believe we have died," she said. "Tonight has been a wakeup call for all of us. My concern now is with what the people on the council will do, and whether they will be responsible. We will all be watching very carefully."
Benowitz, a retired business executive who has long been vocal at council meetings, said he was upset with the lack of early campaign support from the city's Democratic Party. "I didn't enter this race to lose. I entered it to gain majority on the City Council," Benowitz said. [Steve Kohut] is a workhorse, who put his whole soul into this organization and the Democrats of Long Beach let him down."
As for Tepper, the council's sitting vice president, there was still a mathematical chance that he could receive enough votes to pass McLaughlin for the third seat. Nonetheless, the incumbent was candid in defeat. "We got our butts kicked," Tepper said. "The test of one's character is not how you handle victory, but how you handle defeat. We have to pull together and carry on. We didn't do well this time, but it's now time to think about what we are going to do tomorrow."
The election drew a fairly low turnout, according to Republican Chairman Jim Moriarty, who added that the trend was common across the county. "This is what is often referred to as an off-off election year," he said, noting that this year's ballot didn't include a high-profile office, such as president, governor or county executive.
Moriarty said he is a firm believer in a viable two-party system with checks and balances. "People want and expect bipartisan cooperation on the council," he said. "Our ticket is a team of people who will keep their word."
Comments about this story? DIsraeli@liherald.com or call (516) 569 -4000 ext. 214
Photos By Dan Israeli/Herald
