Democrat Siela Bynoe wins seat in Nassau's 2nd District

Democrat Siela Bynoe, a housing advocate from Westbury, won a special election in Nassau County's vacant 2nd Legislative District Tuesday, easily defeating her Republican opponent, Pepitz Blanchard.

Bynoe, executive director of the Huntington Housing Authority, captured just under 80 percent of the vote, according to the county Board of Elections.

Turnout was exceedingly low, with less than 4 percent of the district's nearly 38,000 voters casting ballots. With all 54 precincts reporting Tuesday night, Bynoe had 1,154 votes to Blanchard's 244.

Bynoe, 46, who is on the Westbury school board and the board of commissioners for the North Hempstead Housing Authority, will replace Democrat Robert Troiano, who resigned last month to take a job with the Town of North Hempstead.

"I am elated to have the confidence of the community and am excited to begin serving and to get down to work," she said.

Bynoe said she would work to implement health programs for minorities, youths and seniors, and increase county revenue by putting properties that are not currently paying taxes onto the rolls.

Blanchard, 52, of Westbury, a respiratory therapist at Nassau University Medical Center, said he was "very disappointed" with the results.

"But the people had their voice heard, and we'll see what happens in the future," he said.

Nassau Democratic Party chairman Jay Jacobs said Bynoe's victory "proved what an outstanding candidate she was. Now she will prove what an outstanding public servant she will be."

The 2nd District includes Hempstead, West Hempstead, East Meadow, Westbury, New Cassel, Lakeview, Hicksville, Malverne, Rockville Centre, Uniondale and Garden City.

Democrats had an overwhelming voter registration advantage in the district, which has never elected a Republican.

There are 24,395 registered Democrats in the district, 6,031 registered Republicans and 5,976 voters unaffiliated with any party, according to the Board of Elections.

Republicans will continue to control the county legislature 11 to 8.