GOP maintains control, gains a seat on the Nassau legislature
Nassau Republicans maintained control of the county legislature, gaining a seat on the North Shore as part of a wave of Election Day wins for the GOP countywide.
Republican Mazi Melesa Pilip, a first-time candidate, beat incumbent Democrat Ellen Birnbaum in the 10th District.
Pilip, 42, of Great Neck, works as director of operations with her husband at their medical practice. She was born in Ethiopia, but moved to Israel at 12 years old. She was a paratrooper and gunsmith during her two years with the Israeli Defense Forces, graduated with a bachelor’s degree in occupational therapy from the University of Haifa and a master’s in diplomacy and security from Tel Aviv University.
Birnbaum, 66, of Great Neck was seeking a fifth term. The district includes the Great Neck peninsula, Manhasset Hills, the Village of North Hills, and parts of Albertson, Garden City Park, Herricks, Manhasset, North New Hyde Park, and Searingtown.
On Tuesday, Nassau Republicans were confident they would maintain control of the County Legislature. Board of Elections data indicated more Republicans turned out at the polls than Democrats. Democrats, however, seemed to lead in early voting. Absentee ballots postmarked on or before Election Day will be counted up to Nov. 9.
Eighteen incumbents ran for reelection in 19 legislative races countywide. Legis. Vincent Muscarella (R-West Hempstead) did not seek reelection because he was elected district court judge on Tuesday.
"It was our focus on tax relief and crime issues and helping residents," said Presiding Office Richard Nicolello (R-New Hyde Park). "We developed a sense from people while we were campaigning and we knew definitely something good was going to happen tonight."
With the additional seat in the 10th District, Republicans will hold an 12-7 majority on the Nassau legislature beginning in January.
Gaining another seat would give them a supermajority of 13 needed to override a veto by a county executive. The last time Republicans held a supermajority on the Nassau legislature was 1997, said Nicolello, who is the longest-serving county legislator.
Republican John J. Giuffre, 57, a personal injury attorney, will fill Muscarella's seat in the 8th Legislative District. He bested Democrat Nadia Holubnyczyj, 53, of Floral Park, is a speech pathologist, school clerk and activist.
Republican challengers were leading Democratic incumbents in two other Nassau legislative races as of early Wednesday morning.
In the 18th District, Republican Paolo Pironi was leading Democrat Joshua Lafazan of Syosset.
In the 16th District, Republican Daniel Atler was leading Democrat Arnold Drucker.
Nassau Democratic Chairman Jay Jacobs said he believed absentee ballots would help incumbents in the 16th and 18th Districts: "On paper I think we’ve got a sufficient number to keep Lafazan and Arnie Drucker. I’m feeling comfortable about those."
The races are:
District 1: Democrat Kevan M. Abrahams defeated Republican Elton E. McCabe, Jr.
District 2: Democrat Siela A. Bynoe defeated Republican Harold H. Germain
District 3: Democrat Carrié Solages defeated Republican Bernadin Fleurima
District 4: Republican Denise A. Ford defeated Democrat Claudia P. Lovas
District 5: Democrat Debra S. Mule defeated Republican Brian J. McEvoy
District 6: Republican C. William Gaylor defeated Democrat Laura J. Burns
District 7: Republican Howard J. Kopel defeated Democrat Lisa Daniels
District 8: Republican John J. Giuffre defeated Democrat Nadia Holubnyczyj
District 9: Republican Richard J. Nicolello defeated Democrat Salju K. Thomas
District 10: Republican Mazi Melesa Pilip defeated Democrat Ellen W. Birnbaum
District 11: Democrat Delia M. DeRiggi Whitton defeated Republican Meagan M. McCarty
District 12: Republican James D. Kennedy defeated Democrat William E. Rogers
District 13: Republican Thomas McKevitt defeated Democrat Eileen M. Napolitano
District 14: Republican Laura M. Schaefer defeated Democrat Robert T. McCarthy
District 15: Republican John R. Ferretti defeated Democrat Matthew W. Malin
District 16: Republican Daniel Alter was leading Democrat Arnold Drucker
District 17: Republican Rose Marie Walker defeated Democrat Raja K. Singh
District 18: Republican Paolo A. Pironi was leading Democrat Joshua Lafazan
District 19: Republican Steven D. Rhoads defeated Democrat Jacob I. Schuster
Candice Ferrette covers Nassau County government and politics on Long Island. She has been a reporter at Newsday since 2011.
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