Janison: Nassau, Suffolk steal convention show

Bruce Blakeman was well into his speech accepting the state Republican Committee's endorsement as its preferred candidate for the Senate seat held by appointed Democrat Kirsten Gillibrand.

Blakeman had been evoking the accustomed patriotism and recalling those who gave their lives for the United States. He hailed Medal of Honor recipient Lt. Michael Murphy, who was a Navy Seal from Patchogue.

"By the way," Blakeman went on. "Thank you, Suffolk County - better late than never."

The remark from Blakeman, regarded as a Nassau favorite son, gave a glimpse of the continual clash between Long Island's county organizations that helped color his party's three-day nominating convention.

Both counties carry substantial clout at these conventions. Suffolk had 7.2 percent of the weighted vote and Nassau 7.8 percent.

Blakeman had been receiving little love from Suffolk, where county chairman John Jay LaValle has been on opposite sides in the GOP wars from Nassau leader Joseph Mondello.

The first roll-call vote put Blakeman, with 42 percent, and David Malpass, with 40 percent, on the September primary ballot.

Joseph DioGuardi, who's the Conservative Party choice, fell short with 18 percent.

On the second round, however, Suffolk under LaValle helped Blakeman reach 51 percent. That won the former presiding officer of the Nassau legislature the convention's designation as preferred candidate in the primary, whatever it proves to be worth.

Afterward, LaValle explained that a day earlier, Nassau had done the same on a second vote for Suffolk favorite son Gary Berntsen for New York's other Senate seat, held by two-term Democrat Charles Schumer.

Berntsen's 62 percent on that second vote got him the preferred designation in his primary against Jay Townsend, who has the Conservative Party line. Berntsen had drawn only 44 percent in the first round.

But this exchange of support was limited and came late in the game.

Less than a day earlier, Mondello's well-known alienation from Ed Cox, the man who replaced him as state chairman, was put on display - with big impact.

As final tallies showed, Nassau made all the difference in denying Suffolk Executive Steve Levy - backed by Cox and LaValle for governor - a chance to compete against Rick Lazio in a primary.

If you added Nassau's 7.8 percent to the 42.6 percent Levy garnered, he would have exceeded the 50 percent to run in a party primary.

Instead, Mondello stood during the vote on Wednesday and boomed, "Nassau: No primary!"

And that sentiment ended up carrying the most dramatic vote of the convention - with consequences that might be felt all the way to November.