No new big names, but lots of community leaders running this year

 Here is the Santos sequel:

There are no big newsmakers, just a number of solid community leaders on the local ballots this November.

The candidates appear to be known and have verifiable credentials -- unlike the flamboyant fabulist, U.S. Rep. George Santos, an unknown Republican who voters later learned had fabricated most of his public resume when he ran and won in the North Shore 3rd Congressional District last year.  

The official November candidate list is out after political insiders stayed mum for weeks about who the parties were nominating this year -- particularly for the redistricted county legislature -- even as hopefuls were introduced at fundraisers and their names circulated on nominating petitions.

So let's look at the county legislature, where district lines were redrawn in February and some incumbents moved out of their longtime districts. In addition, four of the 19 current legislators are not seeking re-election.

Take the 1st District, represented for years by Minority Leader Kevan Abrahams (D-Freeport).

Before redistricting, the 1st District was composed mostly of Roosevelt, Uniondale and Freeport.

After redistricting,  Rockville Centre and Hempstead Village dominate.

Abrahams was moved out District 1 and drawn into a new District 5, composed mostly of Freeport and Merrick.

After the new lines were approved by the Republican-controlled legislature, Abrahams, who had served for more than 20 years, announced he would not run again. Most everybody on both sides of the aisle see his departure as a big loss.

He told Newsday that his decision was based on many factors, not just redistricting,. But it seems obvious that a seasoned elected official may not relish having to make all the stops, effort and campaigning that an eager novice has to do to gain support in unfamiliar communities.

The new 1st District candidates are Democrat Scott M. Davis, a criminal defense attorney, and Republican Michael J.

Michael J. Lucchesi

Lucchesi, a financial adviser from Rockville Centre.

Scott M. Davis

The new 5th District candidates are Democrat Seth I.   Koslow, a former Queens Assistant District Attorney and criminal lawyer in Mineola,  and Republican Joseph A. Baker, president of the South Merrick Community Civic Association and the Long Island Herald's 2009 person of the year.

Joe Baker

 

Seth Kaslow

Another open seat is the 4th District in Long Beach, which is being vacated by longtime incumbent Denise Ford, a registered Democrat who caucused with Republicans.

Patrick Mullaney

Democrat Alexis N. Pace, a member of the Long Beach School Board, is running against Republican Patrick C. Mullaney, a NYC firefighter and former marine.

 

Alexis Pace *

 

 

Incumbent Democratic Nassau Legis.  Debra Mule of Freeport is running again even though she too was dispossessed from her 5th District and moved into a new 6th District.

Debra Mule

The old District 5 was composed mostly of South Hempstead, Baldwin and Baldwin Harbor,  parts of Freeport and some parts of Merrick. 

The main change in her new district is the addition of Roosevelt. The new District 6 is composed of South Hempstead, Baldwin, Baldwin Harbor and Roosevelt.

Her Republican opponent is Benjamin Jackson of Freeport, president of the Freeport Chamber of Commerce.

Ben Jackson

The 9th District seat is also open, It had been represenated since the inception of the legislature in 1996 by Legis. Rich Nicolello, a Republican who served as Presiding Officer for the past six years.  Like Abrahams, both sides of the aisle consider his departure a big loss.

Running for the 9th District seat is Democrat Neeraj Kumar, a medical doctor associated with various area hospitals including the Nassau University Medical Center, and Republican Scott P. Strauss, former four-term Mineola mayor and former chief of the Mineola fire department. He is assistant vice president of corporate security at Northwell Health.

Incumbent Democratic legislators Carrie Solages of Lawrence and Josh Lafazan of Woodbury were drawn out of their respective districts but both are seeking re-election in their old districts: Solages in Dist. 5 and Lafazan in Dist. 18. Because it is a redistricting year, they do not have to move into their districts until after the election.

Here is the candidate list from the Nassau Board of Elections:

                                                                          

* Photo replaced after commenter noted original was a different Long Beach School Board member, Anne Conway.