As expected, Nassau Conservatives back Blakeman

The Nassau Conservative Party will back Republican Bruce Blakeman in the race to succeed retiring Rep. Carolyn McCarthy.

Party leaders voted to endorse Blakeman, the former presiding officer of the Nassau County Legislature, over fellow Republican Frank Scaturro, a New Hyde Park attorney who is waging a primary campaign in the 4^th Congressional District. 

Blakeman, 58, of Long Beach, announced his candidacy late last month, and has earned the endorsements of Nassau GOP leaders and Rep. Peter King (R-Seaford). The Conservative backing in Nassau races typically goes to candidates also endorsed by GOP leaders.

“I’m going to be proud to run on their line,” Blakeman said of the Conservative Party. “It’s an important endorsement.” 

In 2012, Scaturro received 15,603 votes on the Conservative line in the general election, finishing third to McCarthy (D-Mineola) and Nassau Legis. Francis X. Becker Jr., who had the Republican line. The Conservative Party had backed Becker but Scaturro waged a write-in campaign in the party primary, and won by a tally of 259-213.

Scaturro said this week that he again intends to pursue the Conservative line this year just as he did in 2012. The attorney has long criticized the Nassau GOP and Conservative establishments for what he claims is a system stacked against candidates without connections to top officials.

Party leaders have denied Scaturro’s claims.