By KEITH GRANT
Seated among a roomful of Long Beach Democratic leaders, DiNapoli said the day was a pivotal one in the race to secure the party's nomination, a nomination he feels confident he will land.
"This campaign has been gaining steam and momentum," he said. "This is the winning campaign. This is the campaign to unify the party, and we will be victorious."
Long Beach Democratic leader Eugene Cammarato said that although Suozzi could be a good candidate, he believes DiNapoli will ultimately make an excellent county executive.
"He has dedicated his life to bringing people together," Cammarato said of DiNapoli. "He practices the politics of inclusion, not division. His distinguished record of public service demonstrates that he puts people above politics."
Cammarato added that, most inportant, DiNapoli is "a person of character and integrity. A person with a vision to restore our county to greatness." The party boss praised what he called DiNapoli's ability to run a positive campaign, saying the assemblyman has often said that how he wins is as important as if he wins.
Assemblyman Harvey Weisenberg (D-Long Beach) suggested that his Albany colleague can bring dignity back to the county government, and would do so with bipartisan support.
"It's going to be amazing to see how many Republicans vote for Tom" in November, Weisenberg said.
Before any Republican has that chance, DiNapoli must secure the party nomination. The backing of Long Beach Democrats, he acknowledged, can go a long way toward achieving that.
"This is the most effective political organization we have," he said. "It's a very significant voting block."
