Muscarella to represent Nassau’s 8th Legislative District
![Vincent T. Muscarella, Republican candidate for Nassau County's 8th Legislative...](/_next/image?url=https%3A%2F%2Fcdn.newsday.com%2Fimage-service%2Fversion%2Fc%3ANWZmOWU0NTEtYjk3ZC00%3ANTEtYjk3ZC00NjVlNGE0%2Fvpncleg8_web.jpg%3Ff%3DLandscape%2B16%253A9%26w%3D770%26q%3D1&w=1920&q=80)
Vincent T. Muscarella, Republican candidate for Nassau County's 8th Legislative District in 2017. Credit: James Escher
This race is a second-time matchup between Nassau corrections officer and community activist Carl Gerrato and Vincent Muscarella, an original county legislator who’s been serving since 1996. Gerrato, 50, a Democrat from Franklin Square, would put must-be-addressed problems at the county jail on the agenda. However, Muscarella is a pragmatic, effective and engaged incumbent who can stand on his record.
Muscarella, 63, a Republican from West Hempstead, articulates nuanced positions on important relationships that require experience to understand, such as with the Nassau Interim Finance Authority. He favors crafting a compromise over installing a county ethics watchdog.
Muscarella also defends his support for video lottery terminals at Belmont Park, a strategy that netted Nassau millions when the machines went to Aqueduct Racetrack instead.
Newsday endorses Muscarella.