Blakeman: No call from Trump but if it comes ...

Daily Point

Nassau County exec will seek reelection; Democrat Seth Koslow may challenge

Nassau County Executive Bruce Blakeman told guests at a campaign fundraiser Monday night that he loves his job and is committed to seeking a second term, seemingly dispelling any notion that he is looking to join the Trump administration.

Two guests who attended the event at Hendrick's Tavern in Roslyn said Blakeman's words, however, were "a little vague" and appeared to leave the door ajar if an offer did come. During the 2024 campaign, Blakeman appeared interested in top administration jobs in the Middle East but those spots were quickly filled by President-elect Donald Trump.

Among the approximately 125 guests who paid $2,500 to attend were Nassau GOP chair Joe Cairo, Oyster Bay Town Supervisor Joe Saladino and Rep. Anthony D’Esposito, who just lost a bid for reelection, along with representatives of firms that do business with the county.

One GOP source who was not in attendance said Blakeman has not gotten any offer and that an interview he did last week with Sid Rosenberg on WABC Radio best framed Blakeman’s current state of mind.

"If the president called me and said he needed me to do an important job, of course you don’t turn your president down," Blakeman told Rosenberg, who noted Blakeman’s appearances with Trump at campaign rallies, including in Uniondale and Madison Square Garden. Blakeman went on to praise New Yorkers Lee Zeldin, who is nominated to lead the EPA, and Rep. Elise Stefanik, who got the nod as ambassador to the United Nations, noting that Trump has a lot of qualified people to choose from.

"I haven’t gotten that call and I’m not anticipating I’ll get that call. And if I got that call, I would make a decision at that time," Blakeman said.

Democrats are expected to rally around Nassau County Legis. Seth Koslow of Merrick who last week filed notice with the state Board of Elections of his intention to run for county executive.

"I am exploring what kind of support I can get and what kind of fundraising I can get," Koslow told The Point Tuesday. He said Jay Jacobs, chair of the Nassau Democrats, "was excited" about him making a run. Jacobs told The Point he would be making a donation to Koslow this week.

The crowd outside Hendrick's Tavern Monday night was twice as large as the one inside and they definitely were not excited about Blakeman’s run for a second term. Nassau County’s Civil Services Employees Association brought the ubiquitous union rat protest mascot as well as signs saying "honor our contract" as the bitter dispute over health care coverage continues. The insurance provider agreed to during contract negotiations last year is shutting down and Nassau is attempting to get the union in a plan that would be more costly to members.

— Rita Ciolli rita.ciolli@newsday.com

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