Nassau GOP picks Blakeman for Congress run

The Nassau GOP held its nominating convention at Wisdom Lane... — The Nassau GOP held its nominating convention at Wisdom Lane Middle School in Levittown Thursday evening, May 29, 2014. Credit: Danielle Finkelstein

By PAUL LAROCCOpaul.larocco@newsday.comMay 29, 2014

Nassau Republicans last night formally endorsed Bruce Blakeman as their candidate to succeed retiring Rep. Carolyn McCarthy in the 4th Congressional District -- a seat the party has not held in 18 years.

The party executive committee, at a nominating convention at Wisdom Lane School in Levittown, backed Blakeman, a former presiding officer of the county legislature, over Frank Scaturro, a New Hyde Park attorney who is making his third run in Nassau's 4th District.

"They've been working extremely hard on behalf of me and my campaign," Blakeman said by phone of the GOP committee.

He didn't attend the convention, he said, because he had already committed to a fundraiser in Westchester County.

"It's very important that we spend the next few weeks before the primary talking about expanding the economy and creating jobs," Blakeman said.

Scaturro, who has criticized the county GOP for picking candidates in a way he says favors the well-connected, was in Washington, D.C., Thursday night for a fundraiser with GOP supporters and also did not attend the county convention.

"The machine will coronate Blakeman while Republican legions are dismayed that party bosses reject candidates they can't control," Scaturro said in a statement.

At the convention, a GOP executive leader, Andrew Parisi, nominated Blakeman, 58, of Long Beach, saying "he goes above and beyond to help everyone and anyone." Blakeman was presiding officer from 1996 to 1999, and has worked most recently as a business consultant.

He lost bids for state comptroller in 1998 and the U.S. Senate in 2010.

"I'd always hoped that he'd want to come back among the key players in government," Parisi said of Blakeman.

The winner of the June 24 GOP primary will face either Nassau District Attorney Kathleen Rice or county Legislative Minority Leader Kevan Abrahams, who are competing in the Democratic primary. McCarthy (D-Mineola) has held the 4th District seat since defeating a freshman Republican in 1996.

Also last night, GOP leaders nominated Legis. Michael Venditto of Massapequa as their candidate for the State Senate seat vacated by Republican Charles Fuschillo Jr.

Venditto, an attorney and son of Town of Oyster Bay Supervisor John Venditto, was first elected to the legislature in 2012. Venditto will face Nassau Legis. Dave Denenberg (D-Merrick). In the race to replace retiring State Assemb. Harvey Weisenberg (D-Long Beach), the GOP Thursdayendorsed Avi Fertig, a Lawrence resident who works as an aide to the GOP Hempstead Town Board.