By:Jeff Lipton and Andrew Coen
McCarthy (D-Mineola), the nurse-turned-politician, outlasted Garner, the longtime mayor of the Village of Hempstead.
As of 1 a.m. Wednesday, the unofficial tally showed McCarthy with a healthy lead, collecting 63 percent of the vote to 37 percent for Garner, in the race for a two-year term in the 4th Congressional District, which encompasses all of Valley Stream and several other South Shore communities.
"It's been my pleasure to serve this district for eight years," McCarthy said in her victory speech, made at 10:40 p.m. Tuesday at the Mirage, a nightclub in Westbury, where the Democrats gathered.
She thanked the unions for supporting her. "That's what we're all about," she said. "We're Democrats. We fight for the working people."
McCarthy attributed her victory to her constituents' getting to know her better over the last eight years. "There's a lot of legislation I've passed," she said. "I don't brag about it, but I get it done."
"I have nothing to feel ashamed about," Garner said. "We ran a well-organized campaign."
Garner reiterated campaign rhetoric, saying, "I still think she's a one issue candidate. She's a candidate that doesn't have the access to power. She has to focus on getting more money to the district."
The battle cry of "Fix Albany," directed by challengers at local state incumbents, apparently was not heard by voters, who overwhelmingly cast their ballots for Skelos, Barra, Alfano and Weisenberg.
Skelos (R-Rockville Centre) held off a challenge from Democratic candidate Josh Ketover, a personal-injury lawyer from Long Beach. As of 1 a.m. Wednesday, Skelos had amassed 65 percent of the vote to Ketover's 35 percent. The victory earned Skelos his 11th two-year term in the 9th Senatorial District. "We're just so happy that we won," Skelos said on election night. "We've had overwhelming victories because we represent our community well. If anything needs fixing in Nassau County, we will do it."
Barra (R-Lynbrook), who was first elected to serve the 14th Assembly District in 2000, garnered 60.8 percent of the votes as of 1 a.m. Wednesday, compared with the 39.2 percent by Democratic challenger Dan Torres, an engineer from Baldwin Harbor. Barra heads back to Albany for a third term.
Alfano (R-North Valley Stream) scored a decisive victory over his Democratic opponent, George Bassias, a private-practice attorney. As of 1 a.m. Wednesday, Alfano had accumulated 63.8 percent of the vote to Bassias's 36.2 percent. Alfano, who has held his 21st Assembly District seat since winning a special election in 1996, begins his sixth term in January.
Weisenberg (D-Long Beach), who has held his 20th Assembly District seat since 1989, cruised to victory over his Republican opponent, Gary Spitz, a deputy county attorney from Long Beach. As of early Wednesday morning, Weisenberg had collected 67.5 percent of the vote, and Spitz 32.5 percent.
"I represent the people, and it's a privilege and an honor to serve my neighbors and constituents in Albany," Weisenberg said as the vote count was winding down. He urged all political parties to work together. "You only have progress when everyone works together," the assemblyman said.
U.S. Sen. Charles Schumer, a Democrat, easily won a second six-year term by trouncing Republican Howard Mills, the deputy minority leader of the state Assembly, who represents the Hudson Valley's Orange County, and Conservative Party candidate Dr. Marilyn O'Grady, an ophthalmologist from Garden City. As of 1 a.m., the unofficial tally showed Schumer with 66.3 percent of the vote, Mills with 27.8 percent and O'Grady with 5.2 percent.
Nassau County's proposed open-space referendum, which was written by county Legislator David Denenberg, a Democrat from Merrick, passed with 76.6 percent of the vote as of 1 a.m. Wednesday. It will provide the county with $50 million in bond money to buy and preserve open space.
Of the six candidates vying for three positions in the at-large election for County Court judge, the only incumbent returned to the court was Judge Daniel Palmieri, a Republican, according to unofficial results. Democrat Tammy Robbins, an attorney from Locust Valley, garnered the most votes, taking in 21.2 percent, followed by Democrat John Kase, an attorney from Great Neck, who accumulated 20.8 percent, and Palmieri, who had 19.6 percent. The three were elected to 10-year terms. Judges Donald Belfi, Steven Jaeger and Daniel Cotter amassed 19.5, 19.4 and 18.9 percent of the vote, respectively.
In the at-large election among six candidates competing for three judgeships in District Court, second district, incumbent judges Christopher Quinn, a Republican, and Norman St. George, a Democrat, were returned to the court for six-year terms. Democrat Bonnie Chaikin, an attorney from Oceanside, rounded out the top three vote-getters. Judge Norman Janowitz, Gary Knobel, a law secretary from Oceanside, and Joseph DeFelice, an attorney from Malverne, garnered 16.4, 16.2 and 14.8 percent of the vote, respectively.
Democrat Hope Zimmerman, a law secretary from Westbury, won election to Family Court with 54 percent of the vote, compared with Republican Salvatore Pontillo's 46 percent, according to early Wednesday morning numbers.
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