Some gems from our endorsement interviews

Daily Point

The things we learned from our election candidate interviews

It's been a busy almost month and a half for the Newsday editorial board. Starting Sept. 9, we interviewed 107 candidates who are running for office in 63 contests. And we learned some fun — and interesting — facts about the individuals seeking local, state and federal office.

• Rep. Andrew Garbarino counts the partially restored state and local tax, or SALT, deduction as one of his big wins. He noted that he took advantage of it too, buying a new refrigerator with the extra money from his first deduction. Garbarino told us that his freezer had been leaking since he had bought his home — and the SALT fix allowed him to finally replace it. And he's already planning what he's going to buy with next year's windfall: a new air conditioner.
• One noticeable difference between two candidates running to be in charge of the state's pension system: The editorial board saw that Republican comptroller candidate Joseph Hernandez arrived at our Melville office in an impeccable Bentley sedan that his chauffeur moved off campus during the interview. Democrat Thomas DiNapoli, the incumbent, arrived in a utilitarian Chevy Tahoe. While state security protocols require a driver, DiNapoli sat in the front seat.
• Jonathan Estreich, the Democratic candidate for Suffolk County comptroller, was featured in Kidsday, a former Newsday feature for children — and has the entire spread on a wall in his office. The article quoting him was about "the stress of exams," Estreich told us, in addition to a piece about gift giving for the holiday season.
• The youngest candidate we interviewed was Great Neck Republican David Hassid, age 23, though county legislature candidate Olivia Pfeifer, who did not interview, is a year younger. The oldest is Assemblyman Chuck Lavine, who's now 79.
• But the largest difference in ages between opposing candidates comes in a different race, the open seat in the 14th Assembly District, where former State Sen. John Brooks, 76, is running against Seaford resident Shannon Fredericks, 29 — marking a 47-year age gap between the candidates, who will both have birthdays in December.
• DiNapoli told us his first Newsday endorsement interview was 44 years ago — noting he didn't get the endorsement for North Hempstead Town supervisor. That nod went to Republican John Kiernan. Also first meeting with the editorial board four decades ago was Pat Halpin, now the Democratic candidate in CD1. Newsday endorsed Halpin in 1983, the first time he ran for county executive. Halpin, 73, noted that if he wins he'd be the oldest freshman Congress has ever seen.
• If John Canning wins his bid for a Nassau County Legislature seat, this wouldn't be his first stint in Mineola. Canning was part of the original Nassau Legislature, which formed in 1996. Canning also is likely the only candidate to have appeared on Jimmy Kimmel's show, which featured him dancing during the Republican National Convention two years ago. Back in 2008, Canning was similarly featured on David Letterman's late night show.
• CD1 Democratic candidate Christopher Gallant is still a volunteer firefighter. During the recent nor'easter, he drove a high-water rescue truck, giving him a new perspective on the flooding and infrastructure needs of the district.
• Most candidates showed up to their endorsement interviews in traditional business garb. But James Hoyle, who is opposing incumbent Joseph Saladino in the race for Oyster Bay Town supervisor, wore a custom tie worth chatting about, as it featured every Oyster Bay hamlet.
• There were several only-on-LI connections the editorial board discovered in our conversations and research. State Sen. Anthony Palumbo went to high school with Long Island Rail Road President Rob Free. And Rory Lancman's uncle is the Ben in Ben's deli — and his mom waited tables at the deli when he was growing up.
• After a conversation about deer culling, we wondered whether anyone else wanted to weigh in. Nassau County Legis. Scott Davis had quite the best one-liner of our interviews: "No deer in LD1," he said of his district, which includes parts of Hempstead, along with Roosevelt and Rockville Centre.

— Randi F. Marshall randi.marshall@newsday.com

Pencil Point

Sweet talker

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Final Point

Brookhaven Dem chair vote gets rowdy

Aftershocks from the recent contentious election for chair of the Suffolk County Democratic Party continue to reverberate after the Brookhaven Town leadership vote last week led to accusations of last-minute committee stacking and a possible lawsuit.

Results show Diane Costello, who is a state party vice chair backed by Suffolk leader Rich Schaffer, beating Jennifer Greene to be the next Brookhaven Town Democratic Party chair. But Greene supporters say the vote was improperly influenced by last-minute appointees to the town committee. Without those appointees, they say, Greene would have won with 55.3% of the weighted vote. With the appointees, Costello won with 51.2% of the weighted vote.

Both sides claimed victory.

Three Suffolk Democratic sources said a lawsuit contesting the results is being considered, although there was no formal announcement as of Monday afternoon. There are questions about when party members can be appointed to a town committee and if they have full voting rights, according to two sources. The Brookhaven organizational meeting, held at the Portuguese American Center of Suffolk in Farmingville Thursday, was at times raucous, according to video provided to The Point.

The Brookhaven leadership position opened after chair Anthony Portesy moved to Melville and accepted the Conservative Party nomination for a state Supreme Court judgeship to get off the ballot as the Democratic candidate for county clerk, fulfilling a cross-endorsement deal made by Schaffer.

Democratic leaders reportedly tried to broker a deal earlier this month to avoid last-minute committee appointees being made that could influence voting for town chairs. Schaffer vowed publicly not to seek retribution against those who supported his opponent, Southold Dem leader Kathryn Casey Quigley, but insiders say Schaffer is filling open committee positions to influence town chair votes to retain power.

Schaffer has come under additional scrutiny after news reporting last week that the New York State Attorney General's Office and the FBI are looking into alleged offers of payment in return for votes to get reelected county chair. Gov. Kathy Hochul last week called the report of an FBI inquiry a "political hit job" in a Newsday news story. Schaffer denies any wrongdoing.

In a text to The Point, Casey Quigley bemoaned the division two weeks before Election Day. "It's a shame ... that Schaffer is working so hard to alienate and enrage the very people who help our candidates win — especially so close to Election Day."

Suffolk Democratic political director Bryan Sokolowski said in a text to The Point that Brookhaven Democrats under Costello are focused on winning elections. "Nobody knocks more doors than Diane Costello and she is ready to lead by example alongside a strong and diverse team," he said.

Next up is Islip, where leader Leigh-Ann Barde broke with Schaffer to support Casey Quigley. She is being challenged by Elizabeth Mercado. Some insiders speculate the same committee appointee stacking may influence the Islip vote. And in Huntington, chair Jill Kaufman, who is backed by Schaffer, is being challenged by Liz Best. Town committees must hold their organizational meetings by Thursday, according to Suffolk Democratic Party emails.

— Mark Nolan mark.nolan@newsday.com

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Note: The original version of The Point incorrectly identified Chuck Lavine's position.