Carrie Solages won't face Dem primary in Nassau's 3rd Legislative District

Nassau Legis. Carrié Solages (D-Elmont) will not face a Democratic primary, after his challenger failed to qualify for the ballot last week.

Nassau Board of Elections officials on Wednesday said Elmont resident Kleev Simon collected 713 signatures, but after some of his signatures were contested by Solages, he fell short of the 500 signatures required to appear on the ballot.

Aides for Democratic Board of Elections Commissioner David Gugerty said a bipartisan panel of commissioners determined last Tuesday that 350 of the signatures were invalid.

"I'm all for the Democratic process, but there are qualifications to run," Solages told Newsday in a phone interview. ". . . I look forward to serving as legislator for [the 3rd Legislative] district for another two years and not just working with Democrats but everyone."

Reached by phone, Simon, who works as a dean at a high school in Queens and as a clerk in the Village of Valley Stream's tax department, said it was "unfortunate" that he failed to qualify and is still "weighing" his options for a future run.