by Mike Schnitzel
U.S. Representative Carolyn McCarthy, State Sen. Dean Skelos, State Assemblymen Robert Barra, Thomas Alfano, and Harvey Weisenberg were all returned to office last week. While Democrats swept the statewide offices in elections, Republicans did well in Nassau County, which has been a traditional stronghold for the party.
One local figure whose electoral fate still hangs in the balance is Valley Stream Village Justice Robert Bogle, who ran as a Republican for a seat on the Nassau County Family Court bench. Initially, the Board of Elections had Bogle beating his closest opponent, Democrat Stacey Fleisher Bennett, by 881 votes. Despite this, Bogle noted that absentee ballots had yet to be counted, and the raace was far from over.
"I'm not claiming victory until all of the absentee ballots are cunted," Bogle said. "It's a very close race."
By Monday, the Board of Elections was saying that after recanvassing some voting machines, Bennett was ahead by more than 1,100 votes. Election officials said some votes had been counted incorrectly. Democratic Election Commissioner William Biamonte noted that the key in the race was the absentee ballots yet to be counted ‹ between 16,000 and 18,000 votes which will decide the winner of the race.
Republican Election Commissioner John DeGrace called such errors in counting common during elections and said that they "are straightened out on reconciliation."
In the 14th Assembly District, incumbent Barra defeated Daniel Torres by 56 percent to 44 percent, according to Barra. "I don't have any official vote tallies, but that is the percent I was told," Barra said. Barra was campaigned on the need for real property tax reform and his easy accessibility to constituents and their concerns. "People are surprised when they call my office and I actually answer the phone," Barra said in a previous interview.
In the 21st Assembly District race, which incorporates North Valley Stream, incumbent Alfano defeated Judge Alfred Cooper. North Valley Stream voters pulled the lever for Alfano 1,601 times compared to 1,060 times for Cooper, according to Alfano's Chief of Staff Scott Cushing.
"[Alfano's] pro-education, pro-health care, and opened to the community," Cushing said. "North Valley Stream has turned into a very culturally diverse community with people from Carribbean and Central American countries as well as people who have lived there for several generations. They voted overwhelmingly for Spitzer and Cuomo and McCarthy but still managed to find Assemblyman Alfano at the end of the ballot along with Senator Skelos because they strive to represent people of the community no matter their background."
Senator Dean Skelos faired well in his 9th Senate District race in both Valley Stream and North Valley Stream. He outpolled his Democratic opponent Odelia Goldberg 5,080 to 2,917 votes in Valley Stream and 1,491 votes to 1,068 votes in North Valley Stream, according to his Chief of Staff Tom Dunham.
Dunham agreed with Cushing's assessment that changing demographics can be countered by hard work on the part of a legislator. "Senator Skelos works hard to be responsive to the community," Dunham said. "He supported the new train station, and he supports local community organizations and projects."
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