By:Elizabeth Sagarin
Lamonica renews race for town council after Dems promise more aid
Less than a month after accepting the Democratic Party nomination to again challenge Republican Councilman Anthony Santino in the Town of Hempstead's Fourth District, Jerry Lamonica rejected the offer, citing his party's lack of financial support as the governing reason.
But after a promise came from Peter Ruffner, chairman of the town Democratic Committee, to spend "considerably" more money on his campaign and have a "synergy" between Lamonica's race and other party members running for election, the 50-year-old Lamonica said on Friday that he was back in.
"We're cognizant of how he did last year. ... I'm convinced he's the best candidate for the job," Ruffner said during a phone interview following the discussion he had with Lamonica.
Santino, however, isn't fazed by Lamonica's decision to re-enter the race. "It's immaterial who I run against," the councilman said. "I'm producing real results and continue to get a very, very good reception from people."
In last year's race to represent Baldwin, Island Park, Oceanside, Rockville Centre, East Rockaway, and portions of Lynbrook and the Five Towns, Lamonica walked away winning each of the three unincorporated areas in the district.
However, his ability to generate support from areas most-dependent on town services wasn't enough to take down his opponent, a seven-year board member. Santino took home 26,150 votes.
Santino captured 26,150 votes, while Lamonica took home 23,625 votes and a belief that residents were as disgusted as he with the way his hometown of Oceanside looks.
For years, Lamonica has criticized the services the town provides, often making lists and videos documenting sites throughout Oceanside he believes to be in violation and neglected by town officials.
Such issues are once again going to be a major part of the Democrat's campaign, he said. But in order to get voters from incorporated villages on his side, Lamonica says he will need more money to get his campaign message out to the public, specifically residents of incorporated villages.
These voters, he believes, aren't privy to what he considers to be the incompetence of the current town administration and wouldn't have reason to vote for him. "What does your town councilman do for you in a village like Rockville Centre?" Lamonica plans to ask voters.
The answer is, not much, Lamonica believes, and that's what he intends to tell voters.
