Transcript: Tom Suozzi's concession speech
Photo credit: Howard Schnapp | Thomas Suozzi, pictured discussing the vote count and his future Monday in Mineola, announced Tuesday he has conceded the Nassau County Executive's race to challenger Edward Mangano. (Nov. 30, 2009)
Thomas Suozzi through the years
Edward Mangano
2009 Long Island elections
Nassau County Executive Thomas Suozzi conceded electoral defeat to his Republican challenger Legis. Edward Mangano Tuesday afternoon in a televised news conference from the ceremonial chamber of the Theodore Roosevelt Executive and Legislative Building in Mineola.
This is the text of this speech as provided by his office:
I called Ed Mangano and congratulated him on his victory as the next County Executive in Nassau County. I offered him every assistance of not only myself but my team to help in a smooth transition. We have agreed to meet tomorrow to begin the transition.
I want to thank everyone for their tremendous help – particularly the people who have done such a great job with the county government, and all of my supporters over the many years.
I spoke with my lawyers last night and there are some people who are very well intentioned in the democratic party who want us to keep on fighting and to look at some irregularities and questionable items that we saw in some of the ballots. And there are others talking about a total re-vote. We are not going to pursue anything of the above.
I do not think it would be fair to the people of Nassau County and I do not think it would be fair to Mr. Mangano, who would not have the time for a smooth transition. I also think it would be unfair to my friends and supporters and the people who work here in the county who have really been unsettled for such a long period of time.
I congratulate Mr. Mangano again.
I went into public service because I wanted the opportunity to try and serve people, to try and solve problems, and to try and help people with the problems they face in their lives. And over the past 16 years, not only as County Executive but as Mayor of the City of Glen Cove, I've had the great privilege and great opportunity and I'm very grateful to the people of Nassau County and to everyone who has given me the opportunity to do the things I've always dreamed of doing – to build things, to create things, to solve problems, to try and make people's lives better. It has been a great blessing and a great opportunity for me to have had this experience in my life. And again, I am very grateful to everyone who has made it possible.
I am disappointed the turnout was so low. I am disappointed in myself that I didn't help have a better turnout in this election. But as far as the government goes, I have no regrets whatsoever. I am very proud of this government and what has been accomplished over the past eight years.
I have done it many times before, but again, I want to thank all the members of my government team that have done such a fantastic job over these years in creating a metamorphosis in the Nassau County government. We've said it many times before but remember, Nassau County had been rated the worst-run county in America. The Theodore Roosevelt Executive & Legislative Building was the symbol of the decline of Nassau County.
Our finances were a wreck during the great boom years in the late 1990s and early 2000 when the economy was booming and Nassau County was on the brink of bankruptcy. A state control board was put in place and we were one step above junk bond status.
T>> PHOTOS: Tom Suozzi through the years | Ed Mangano
>> MORE: What does the Nassau County Executive do, exactly?
>> COMPLETE COVERAGE: Nassau County vote count
