By Brian Zanzonico
The fact that the 7th Senate District covers the entire Town of North Hempstead - as well as Elmont and Franklin Square in the Town of Hempstead and a slice of the Town of Oyster Bay - didn't stop the Republican Party last week from choosing O'Connell to run for the seat vacated by longtime state Senator Michael Balboni, the surprise choice of Democratic Gov. Eliot Spitzer to be the state's homeland security czar.
The special election to fill the Senate seat, scheduled for Feb. 6, will determine whether the Republicans maintain their 33-28 majority. In the 7th Senate District, where registered Democrats outnumber registered Republicans, reportedly by about 78,000 to 72,000, the question is, will voters who live in North Hempstead support O'Connell, given her losing record?
She said that her campaigns for town supervisor are ancient history. "At that time, I ran against a popular incumbent [May Newburger], and that was more than 10 years ago," O'Connell said. "I have established myself as a state assemblywoman, and most of that district was in the 7th Senate District. Secondly, I was elected [Nassau County clerk in 2005] countywide in a year that was difficult for Republicans."
At a press conference in the rain in front of her East Williston home last week, O'Connell cited several times her work over the years with "very good friend" Balboni, who was elected to the state Senate in 1998 and was replaced in the state Assembly by O'Connell.
"Over the years, Mike and I worked together to solve problems for local families," said O'Connell, 56, who was deputy mayor of East Williston from 1991 to 1998 and, like Balboni, is a resident of East Williston. "I'm grateful for all the support he's given me."
Calls to Balboni's office were not returned.
O'Connell, whose announcement drew more than 100 supporters to her home, said she is running on a platform of reform. "Now we need a new voice to represent us in the state Senate who will fight for property tax relief, better schools and a more open and accountable government," she said.
O'Connell added that it was imperative that Spitzer quickly scheduled the special election, with state budget season right around the corner. "There's health care funding, education funding, trying to lower property taxes," she said.
A source told the Herald that the only other person given real consideration as a potential GOP candidate was county Legislator Richard Nicolello, but that O'Connell's experience at the state level and ties to the influential Balboni made her the logical choice. "She's a proven winner," the source said of O'Connell, who left the state Assembly to run for county clerk in 2005. "And it doesn't hurt that she's tight with Balboni."
As of press time, County Democrats were expected to name county Legislator Craig Johnson of Port Washington as their candidate. Johnson, 35, a rising star in the party, won a special election in 2000 to fill the seat in the county Legislature vacated by his mother, Barbara, who had died of breast cancer earlier that year.
Calls to Democrat headquarters were not returned.
O'Connell said that she would meet with community leaders in the coming weeks. "I want to do it as fast as I can, to find out individual needs," she said. "I've always worked that way."
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