By:Jeff Lipton and Andrew Coen
King topped rival Blair Mathies, 131,619 votes to 75,928, in preliminary returns. Carolyn McCarthy, the four-term congresswoman who represents the western third of Long Beach's barrier island, also skated to victory, topping Republican Hempstead Mayor James Garner, 154,830 to 91,736, in early returns.
The battle cry of "Fix Albany," directed by challengers at local state incumbents, apparently was not heeded by voters, who overwhelmingly cast their ballots for Skelos and Weisenberg. Both of their districts take in Long Beach and the barrier island.
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 61.2 percent of the vote to Ketover's 38.8 percent. The victory earned Skelos his 11th two-year term in the 9th Senatorial District.
Weisenberg (D-Long Beach), who has held his 20th Assembly District seat since 1989, celebrated a victory over his Republican opponent, Gary Spitz, a deputy county attorney from Long Beach. Weisenberg collected 65.2 percent of the vote to his opponent's 34.7 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.
Weisenberg was criticized by members of his own party for endorsing Skelos over Ketover. A leaflet distributed on Election Day blasted Weisenberg and urged Democrats to rally together to support Ketover. The effort fell short.
Weisenberg 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 Hudson Valley's Orange County, and Conservative Party candidate Dr. Marilyn O'Grady, an ophthalmologist from Garden City. The unofficial tally showed Schumer with 70 percent of the vote, Mills with 25 percent and O'Grady with 3 percent.
Nassau County's open-space referendum, which was written by county Legislator David Denenberg, a Democrat from Merrick, passed with 76 percent of the vote. It will provide the county with $50 million in bond money to buy and preserve open space.
Turnout was extremely heavy at the polls, as is usually the case during a presidential election, with residents waiting on long lines to cast their ballots. Record numbers were seen at the polls throughout Long Island, spurred by the tense national election and hearty voter registration campaigns.
Woodmere resident Steve Bernstein said he voted for all Democrats, except for Ketover, opting to go for Skelos instead. "I think he's done a decent job," Bernstein said of Skelos after pulling the lever in the voting booth at the Number Six School.
Woodmere residents Jules and Estelle Gladstone, who also voted at the Number Six School, went for the Democrats as well, with the exception of Ketover.
"All politics is local, and he definitely delivers for this area," Woodmere resident Mel Fodiman said of Skelos.
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