Assemb. Earlene Hooper confirms write-in campaign
Deputy Assembly Speaker Earlene Hooper during a school board meeting at Hempstead High School on Aug. 13. Credit: Jessica Rotkiewicz
Deputy Assembly Speaker Earlene Hooper, who lost a September Democratic primary, has launched a “serious write-in campaign” to keep her seat, her campaign announced Thursday, five days before the general election.
Glossy mailers had circulated in the 18th Assembly District in recent weeks urging residents to pencil-in Hooper’s name. Hooper, a Democrat, lost to Taylor Raynor, a 34-year-old psychologist from Hempstead Village, by a margin of 53-47 percent in the primary.
Hooper first was elected to the Assembly in March 1988, when she won a special election.
According to a news release issued by campaign spokesman Lance Clarke: “The Hon. Earlene Hooper, Deputy Speaker of the New York Assembly, has mounted a serious Write-In campaign to retain her seat as the incumbent … The campaign has rapidly gained momentum and is moving forward toward victory in the November 6th General Election because many members of the Community realize what the loss of Hooper’s seniority will mean to them if she is not returned to the 18th Assembly District seat.”
Addressing Hooper, Raynor said in an interview: “You had 30 years to improve this community, and I don’t know what his does to your legacy. You lost the primary, the community has chosen new representation because they were ready for a change, and you still are not listening to the community.”
Raynor accused Hooper of “forcing your title and the level of importance you have on the community, and that’s not fair to them.”
Raynor is running against Republican James Lamarre, 42, of Lakeview, owns a commercial cleaning firm.
A mailer sent by "Friends of Earlene" tells residents to "write-in" the name of Earlene Hooper, the deputy Assembly speaker, to represent the 18th Assembly District in Nassau County.
The 18th District has nearly 53,000 active registered Democratic voters, compared with more than 12,000 Republicans. More than 17,000 voters are unregistered or affiliated with minor parties.
Scott Eidler is a deputy editor for the towns department at Newsday. Scott has worked at Newsday since 2012 and previously covered municipal government and education.
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