Nassau Legislature election: All 19 seats up for grabs
The Nassau County Legislature chambers at the Theodore Roosevelt Legislative Building in Mineola. Credit: Barry Sloan
All 19 seats on the Nassau County Legislature are up for grabs in the Nov. 7 election, with Republicans angling for a supermajority and Democrats seeking to hold key districts and pick up several more.
Fifteen of the 38 candidates are incumbents and there are more open seats available for the first time in more than 20 years. Nassau County legislators, who serve part-time, two-year terms, are paid $84,370 annually.
As a result of redistricting, this election will use a new legislative map adopted in February by the legislature, where Republicans hold a 12-7 majority. A lawsuit filed by the Nassau Democratic Committee and 21 plaintiffs seeks to void the map, but that will not change the districts in play for this election.
The leaders of each caucus and two other longtime legislators are not seeking reelection: Presiding Officer Legis. Rich Nicolello (R-New Hyde Park), Minority Leader Legis. Kevan Abrahams (D-Freeport), Legis. Denise Ford, a registered Long Beach Democrat who caucuses with the Republicans, and Legis. Laura Schaefer (R-Westbury).
Nicolello, an attorney, is the last original member of the legislature, having served since 1996. Republican Scott Strauss and Democrat Neeraj Kumar are vying to represent Nicolello's 9th District, which includes New Hyde Park, Garden City Park, Mineola, Williston Park, East Williston, Albertson, Roslyn Estates, Munsey Park and Plandome.
Strauss is vice president for cybersecurity at Northwell Health and is former mayor of Mineola. Kumar, of New Hyde Park, is a laboratory supervisor at NYC Health + Hospitals/Lincoln Medical Center in the Bronx.
Abrahams was first elected in 2002. For the last decade, the 1st District he represented included Freeport, Roosevelt, Uniondale and East Meadow. It underwent significant changes during the redistricting process and now includes mostly Rockville Centre and Hempstead. Democrat Scott Davis, an attorney, and Republican Michael Lucchesi, a financial adviser, both of Rockville Centre, are seeking the seat.
Among the most competitive races, party leaders have said, is the one to replace Ford, who has represented Nassau's 4th Legislative District since 2004. The race pits Democrat Alexis Pace, a Long Beach school board trustee who works in pharmaceutical sales, against Republican Patrick Mullaney, an FDNY lieutenant.
Schaefer's district has been almost entirely absorbed by neighboring districts under the new legislative map.
The races are:
- District 1: Democrat Scott Davis vs. Republican Michael Lucchesi
- District 2: Democrat Siela Bynoe vs. Republican Karin Campbell
- District 3: Democrat Carrié Solages vs. Republican Sheharyar Ali
- District 4: Democrat Alexis Pace vs. Republican Patrick Mullaney
- District 5: Democrat Seth Koslow vs. Republican Joseph Baker
- District 6: Democrat Debra Mulé vs. Republican Benjamin Jackson
- District 7: Democrat Tanvir Ahmad vs. Republican Howard Kopel
- District 8: Democrat Erica Rico vs. Republican John Giuffre
- District 9: Democrat Neeraj Kumar vs. Republican Scott Strauss
- District 10: Democrat Weihua Yan vs. Republican Mazi Melesa Pilip
- District 11: Democrat Delia DeRiggi Whitton vs. Republican John Stalzer
- District 12: Democrat Matthew Pasternak vs. Republican Michael Giangregorio
- District 13: Democrat Biju Chacko vs. Republican Thomas McKevitt
- District 14: Democrat Jake Scheiner vs. Republican C. William Gaylor
- District 15: Democrat Matthew Malin vs. Republican John Ferretti
- District 16: Democrat Arnold Drucker vs. Republican James Asmus
- District 17: Democrat Raja Singh vs. Republican Rose Marie Walker
- District 18: Democrat Joshua Lafazan vs. Republican Samantha Goetz
- District 19: Democrat Nicholas Passaro vs. Republican James Kennedy
Candice Ferrette covers Nassau County government and politics on Long Island. She has been a reporter at Newsday since 2011.
