Nassau GOP keeps 12-7 majority in county legislature
Nassau Republicans maintained a 12-7 majority in the county legislature, flipping one seat but losing another as Democrats held on in key districts that featured first-time candidates.
Republican challenger Samantha Goetz defeated incumbent Democrat Josh Lafazan in the 18th Legislative District, which stretches from Manhasset Hills, north to Bayville and east to Laurel Hollow.
Goetz, 34, of Locust Valley, Nassau’s deputy county attorney, told a crowd of supporters at the Coral House in Baldwin she won because “we support our police, our law and order, and we held the line on taxes.” Lafazan, 29, of Woodbury, was seeking a fourth term.
Nassau County legislators, who serve part-time, two-year terms, are paid $84,370 annually.
Democrat Scott Davis defeated Republican Michael Lucchesi in the 1st Legislative District, which includes Rockville Centre and Hempstead, while Democrat Seth Koslow beat Republican Joseph Baker in the 5th Legislative District, which covers Freeport, North Merrick and Merrick.
Davis, 61, of Rockville Centre, and Koslow, 41, of Merrick, both attorneys, took to the podium at the Garden City Hotel, introducing themselves as county legislators.
“It’s looking like a status quo election,” said Nassau County Democratic chairman Jay Jacobs. “I don’t think we’re going to gain or lose any seats in the legislature.”
Jacobs congratulated Koslow and Davis while noting the election's “exceedingly low turnout.”
Republicans won a 12-7 majority in the Nassau Legislature in 2021. GOP party leaders were confident earlier Tuesday they would not only maintain control of the county legislature, but gain at least one more seat for a supermajority of 13 seats.
Republicans had won all of Nassau's top countywide offices, including that of the county executive, county clerk and county comptroller in 2021.
"We did well in early voting. Republicans and Democrats were about even in absentee ballots. It's a very promising thing. The turnout today appears to be light — under 20% — but we've been working hard to bring out our voters," Nassau GOP chairman Joseph Cairo said hours before the polls closed.
Fifteen of the 38 candidates were incumbents. There were more open seats available for the first time in more than 20 years because four long-serving incumbents announced earlier this year they would not seek reelection.
The leaders of each caucus and two other longtime legislators did not seek reelection: Presiding Officer Legis. Rich Nicolello (R-New Hyde Park), Minority Leader Legis. Kevan Abrahams (D-Freeport), Legis. Denise Ford, a registered Long Beach Democrat who caucuses with the Republicans, and Legis. Laura Schaefer (R-Westbury).
This election for the first time used a new legislative map adopted by the Republican majority in February, as part of the redistricting that occurs every 10 years based on the U.S. Census.
In Nassau, 19,127 registered Democrats voted early, compared with 18,915 Republicans. Another 7,674 independent voters cast ballots, as did 1,572 voters registered with various other parties.
Nearly 85,000 voters across Long Island voted early, from Oct. 28 through Nov. 5, according to data from the Nassau and Suffolk County election boards.
A total of 243,882 ballots were cast, according to county Board of Elections data.
With Tracy Tullis and Nicholas Spangler
Nassau Republicans maintained a 12-7 majority in the county legislature, flipping one seat but losing another as Democrats held on in key districts that featured first-time candidates.
Republican challenger Samantha Goetz defeated incumbent Democrat Josh Lafazan in the 18th Legislative District, which stretches from Manhasset Hills, north to Bayville and east to Laurel Hollow.
Goetz, 34, of Locust Valley, Nassau’s deputy county attorney, told a crowd of supporters at the Coral House in Baldwin she won because “we support our police, our law and order, and we held the line on taxes.” Lafazan, 29, of Woodbury, was seeking a fourth term.
Nassau County legislators, who serve part-time, two-year terms, are paid $84,370 annually.
Democrat Scott Davis defeated Republican Michael Lucchesi in the 1st Legislative District, which includes Rockville Centre and Hempstead, while Democrat Seth Koslow beat Republican Joseph Baker in the 5th Legislative District, which covers Freeport, North Merrick and Merrick.
Davis, 61, of Rockville Centre, and Koslow, 41, of Merrick, both attorneys, took to the podium at the Garden City Hotel, introducing themselves as county legislators.
“It’s looking like a status quo election,” said Nassau County Democratic chairman Jay Jacobs. “I don’t think we’re going to gain or lose any seats in the legislature.”
Jacobs congratulated Koslow and Davis while noting the election's “exceedingly low turnout.”
Republicans won a 12-7 majority in the Nassau Legislature in 2021. GOP party leaders were confident earlier Tuesday they would not only maintain control of the county legislature, but gain at least one more seat for a supermajority of 13 seats.
Republicans had won all of Nassau's top countywide offices, including that of the county executive, county clerk and county comptroller in 2021.
"We did well in early voting. Republicans and Democrats were about even in absentee ballots. It's a very promising thing. The turnout today appears to be light — under 20% — but we've been working hard to bring out our voters," Nassau GOP chairman Joseph Cairo said hours before the polls closed.
Fifteen of the 38 candidates were incumbents. There were more open seats available for the first time in more than 20 years because four long-serving incumbents announced earlier this year they would not seek reelection.
The leaders of each caucus and two other longtime legislators did not seek reelection: Presiding Officer Legis. Rich Nicolello (R-New Hyde Park), Minority Leader Legis. Kevan Abrahams (D-Freeport), Legis. Denise Ford, a registered Long Beach Democrat who caucuses with the Republicans, and Legis. Laura Schaefer (R-Westbury).
This election for the first time used a new legislative map adopted by the Republican majority in February, as part of the redistricting that occurs every 10 years based on the U.S. Census.
In Nassau, 19,127 registered Democrats voted early, compared with 18,915 Republicans. Another 7,674 independent voters cast ballots, as did 1,572 voters registered with various other parties.
Nearly 85,000 voters across Long Island voted early, from Oct. 28 through Nov. 5, according to data from the Nassau and Suffolk County election boards.
A total of 243,882 ballots were cast, according to county Board of Elections data.
With Tracy Tullis and Nicholas Spangler
Candice Ferrette covers Nassau County government and politics on Long Island. She has been a reporter at Newsday since 2011.
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Newsday Live Author Series: Bobby Flay Newsday Live and Long Island LitFest present a conversation with Emmy-winning host, professional chef, restaurateur and author Bobby Flay. Newsday food reporter and critic Erica Marcus hosts a discussion about the chef's life, four-decade career and new cookbook, "Bobby Flay: Chapter One."
