Democratic candidates quitting because of redistricting; what about GOP? (UPDATED with GOP comment)

Two Nassau Democrats today dropped out of the November state senate election races  -- one an incumbent and the other a hopeful candidate -- because of changed district boundaries.

State Sen. John Brooks of Seaford told Newsday's Yancey Roy today that he is not going to run again after redistricting moved him out of senate District 8, which had straddled the South Shore from Nassau to Suffolk, into a newly drawn District 5, which runs from mid-Nassau south.

John Brooks

Michael Pernick of Rockville Centre, who was the Democratic candidate for State Senate in the old District 9, sent out an email today announcing he was suspending his campaign because the final district map released two days ago moves his home into District 6, which also runs from mid-Nassau south.

Michael Pernick

Where at the Republican candidate anouncements? (see update below)

Presumably, Republican Patricia Canzoneri-Fitzpatrick, a Malverne village trustee, is still running for the open 9th Senate District seat being vacated by Democratic State Sen. Todd Kaminsky of Long Beach. 

And probably  former Republican state senator Jack Martins will continue his attempt to regain his old seat as he challenges Democratic incumbent  state Sen. Anna Kaplan of Great Neck in District 7.

Jack Martins

District 7 has changed, now running from Queens to Suffolk along Nassau's South Shore. But the changes seem to make the district more Republican than Democrat at this point.

It appears that Republicans and Democrats have too many candidates in the District 5, and no candidates in District 6 and 8. 

Nassau Legis. Steve Roads of Bellmore was challenging Brooks in District 8, but now he too is in District 5.

Steve Rhoads

Also now in District 5 are the original candidates for District 6: State Sen. Kevin Thomas, a Levittown Democrat, was being challenged by Republican Jim Coll, for the District 6 seat that Thomas has represented since 2018.

Kevin Thomas

Thomas has said he will run for District 6 even though he no longer lives there. Coll has not made any public announcement.

So, Brooks, Rhoads, Coll and Thomas are all in District 5 while Pernick, who was running in District 9, is now in District 6.

Yes, It's all very confusing.

Brooks told Newsday that he didn't want to "start anew" with a mostly new district even though he thinks he could win it.

Brooks, now 72, defeated Republican incumbent Michael Venditto in 2016 after Venditto's father,  the late Oyster Bay Supervisor John Venditto was indicted on federal corruption charges. Venditto was subsequently acquitted, but Brooks had won the seat by then and continued to win re-election.

Pernick said in his email, "It is heartbreaking to end the campaign prematurely but let me be clear -- I am not going anywhere...I will continue to fight for our community..."

Of course one solution could be that Democrat Thomas run for the District 5 seat, where he now lives,  Brooks has dropped out of the race leaving it open for Thomas,  and Pernick could run for the District 6 seat, which now includes his home in Rockville Centre.

But reportedly, Democrats want a minority candidate for District Six which has been deemed a minority district. It includes minority communities of Hempstead village and Freeport.

District 8 likely will be filled by a Suffolk candidate since it lost most Nassau communities except for the Massapequa's. Republican State Sen. Alexis Weik of Sayville, who now represents District 3,  has been moved into that seat by redistricting and has said she will run. 

UPDATE: Nassau GOP spokesman Mike Deery said, "I think Democrats saw the handwriting on the wall. Republican candidates are ready and poised to govern."

But who are those candidates? He said he could not divulge details but promised, "We're going to field a strong slate of candidates." 

He added that Rhoads is the GOP candidate in the 5 district.

Which still leaves District 6 and James Coll in question.

 


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