15 candidates file petitions to run in primary elections

Fifteen candidates across Long Island filed petitions by Thursday's deadline to run in the Sept. 15 primary for congressional, State Senate and Assembly seats.

In the high-profile race in the 1st Congressional District, where Republicans did not designate a candidate, multimillionaire Randy Altschuler filed petitions with 6,550 signatures compared to the 3,646 filed by Christopher Cox, grandson of late president Richard Nixon and son of state GOP leader Edward Cox. Former Security and Exchange Commission lawyer George Demos filed petitions containing 3,100 signatures. Each wants to challenge Rep. Tim Bishop (D-Southampton) this fall.

In the GOP race in Nassau's 4th Congressional District, Frank Scaturro, a former congressional aide, has filed 3,305 signatures and tea party devotee Daniel P. Maloney of Baldwin, a finance manager for a health care business, filed about 1,600 signatures. Both are challenging Republican designee Francis X. Becker in a primary for the right to take on Rep. Carolyn McCarthy (D-Mineola).

Meanwhile, Democratic Assembs. Harvey Weisenberg of Long Beach, Earlene Hooper of Hempstead and Ginny Fields of Oakdale all face primaries. Weisenberg, under fire for taking both a state pension as well as his legislative salary, is being challenged by former Nassau Legis. Jeff Toback of Oceanside, who filed 1,981 signatures.

Challenging Hooper are Jack Prophet of Rockville Centre, retired from the county office of minority affairs, who got 840 signatures, and Van White of Baldwin, who works at the Nassau Board of Elections. White could not be reached for comment.

In Suffolk, Democrat Kenneth Mangan of Sayville filed 1,351 signatures to challenge Fields.

In the 21st Assembly District, Democrat Patrick Nicolsi is challenging party designee Mimi Pierre Johnson. Both are from Elmont. Conservative Patricia Friedman is challenging Republican designate Edward Ra in a Conservative primary. All are seeking to succeed GOP Assemb. Thomas Alfano, who decided not to seek re-election. Johnson and Friedman could not be reached.

In the State Senate, two Democrats, Plainview businesswoman Francesca Carlow, who filed 3,564 signatures, and lawyer Ethan Irwin of Levittown, who could not say how many signatures he filed, are challenging party designate David Mejias, a former Nassau legislator. The winner will take on GOP Sen. Kemp Hannon of Garden City.

With Reid Epstein