In 7th district, Martins battles Johnson

Republican Jack Martins, mayor of the Village of Mineola since 2003, has set his sights on Albany. To get there, he must unseat the first Democrat elected to represent the 7th Senate District in a century: Sen. Craig Johnson of Port Washington.

Both candidates agree that the race between Martins, the son of Portuguese immigrants, and Johnson, whose late mother was a member of the North Hempstead town board and Nassau County Legislature, revolves largely around taxes and jobs. 

Issues: Taxes, jobs

On a recent rainy afternoon, Martins, 43, breezed into a diner near the Mineola Long Island Rail Road station, greeting customers and employees as he made his way to a back table. Smiling and relaxed, he dug into Johnson's record.

Martins, who also is running on the Conservative and Independence lines, said his opponent voted to stop STAR rebate checks. "A lot of people relied on that," he said. Martins also questioned Johnson's loyalty to the suburbs because of his votes for the MTA payroll tax and to change the school funding formula to benefit New York City schools.

Another term for Johnson

Johnson, serving his second term, voted to fund the MTA but left things such as roads and bridges unfunded, Martins claimed. "What is typically a city issue has been funded . . . But what's a suburban issue - roads - has not," Martins said.

Johnson, standing outside a Port Washington bakery waiting to pick up a cake for his daughter's first birthday, brushed off Martins' jabs. "As a member of the Democratic majority, we've had to face very difficult times in New York State," Johnson, 39, said. "We had to make tough decisions in order to balance that budget."

As for the MTA payroll tax, Johnson said, commuting is very much a suburban issue. And bailing out the MTA was a product of decisions by past legislators, he said.

"I have yet to hear how Mr. Martins would have made the MTA solvent at the time," Johnson said.

Johnson said his commitment to Long Island education is evident by his helping to secure federal Race-to-the-Top funds for schools.

He also had some digs against his opponent's record of leading Mineola. "He raised property taxes seven years in a row," Johnson said. "And he took a 61 percent pay raise."

The average increase over the eight years has been 3.5 to 4 percent, Martins said. "He's right . . . He's confirming that we're doing a great job," Martins responded. "We've been able to turn around the village and keep the average tax increase under 4 percent."

Touting Mineola's success

Martins acknowledged that stipends went up - from $9,000 to $14,000 for trustee and $18,000 to $28,000 for mayor. "If he did for the state what we've done for Mineola, I'm sure people would approve of an increase for him," Martins said.

Martins boasted that when he took over as mayor, there was a $250,000 budget shortfall and $33 million in debt. This year, the debt is down to $20 million, he said.

Martins said he's especially proud of his efforts to revitalize downtown Mineola, which he focused on "before it was cool to do so."

But Johnson said Martins shouldn't brag about Mineola's future: "His claims of revitalizing Mineola haven't really come to fruition."

Johnson said his accomplishments include passing a bill for New York State insurance to cover autism and helping expedite liquor licenses for small businesses.

Both candidates are attorneys, products of St. John's University School of Law. Johnson is a bankruptcy and commercial litigation lawyer for the firm, Jaspan Schlesinger. Martins left his private practice in 2007 to join his brothers in running their father's Bohemia-based construction company, J & A Contracting.

In touch with communities

Martins and Johnson are longtime residents of Mineola and Port Washington, respectively, and the fathers of young children.

As of the state's most recent state report - which details spending and contributions through early October - Johnson had $477,036.72 in his campaign war chest and Martins had $163,794.45.

Most recent data from the state Board of Elections show there are 80,805 registered Democrats in the district, 64,876 Republican voters, 6,319 Independence voters and 1,926 Conservative voters. There are 46,260 unaffiliated voters.

The 7th District includes the Town of North Hempstead, New Hyde Park, Floral Park, South Floral Park, Stewart Manor, Elmont, Bellerose Village, Bellerose Terrace and parts of Franklin Square and Hicksville.