Hempstead GOP Supervisor Donald X. Clavin Jr. to run for judgeship, wins cross-endorsements

Republican Hempstead Town Supervisor Donald X. Clavin Jr. will run in November to be a Nassau County judge and will be cross-endorsed by both parties, County GOP Chairman Joseph Cairo said Tuesday.

Nassau County Democratic Chairman Jay Jacobs confirmed Clavin is being cross-endorsed. 

Clavin on Monday declined his party's nomination for a fourth term as town supervisor. That race became wide-open after the Democrats' pick for supervisor nominee, Justin Brown, also declined his nomination Monday. 

Cairo praised Clavin's service to the town, first as tax receiver, where "he had developed a very good working relationship with the public [and] expanded the services of the office," and said he had continued to improve as town supervisor. 

"It's a very time-consuming job, not only the governmental aspect, but being out there with the public," Cairo said. "He expressed an interest some time ago ... he was ready to move on."

Clavin did not respond to requests for comment Tuesday. He announced his decision Monday at a Republican committee meeting, Cairo said. 

Meanwhile, Nassau County Democrats have chosen a new candidate to run against a to-be-decided Republican for town supervisor: Joseph Scianablo, a former Queens County assistant district attorney and retired NYPD officer, Jacobs said.

Scianablo, a former U.S. Marine combat veteran who served in Iraq, was “interested in continuing his service,” Jacobs said.

Scianablo, 47, of Garden City, said in an interview Tuesday he's running because he sees Hempstead being run by "insiders and politicians who put themselves first."

"I've led in war zones, in police precincts and in courtrooms," Scianablo said. "I'm really doing this for my kids and for every family in the town of Hempstead that deserves safe streets, clean water, government that actually works for them."

Scianablo said he wants to initiate a full and transparent audit of the town's finances and departments, to create a task force to address infrastructure, and "to avoid kind of the 12% tax increases that we got by the current leadership," referring to the 12.1% tax levy increase the town board adopted for 2025. 

As for Brown, Jacobs said: “He is somebody we're going to run in the future, and he just wasn't ready at this time.” 

Cairo said Tuesday he is meeting with Republican Party leaders to decide on a candidate to replace Clavin in Hempstead, which has been a Republican stronghold.

Nassau County Legis. John Ferretti is under consideration, Cairo said. State Sens. Steven Rhoads and Patricia Canzoneri-Fitzpatrick are also being considered, Cairo said.

None of those potential GOP candidates immediately returned calls for comment Tuesday.

Ferretti, who was elected in 2017, also declined the nomination to run for reelection Monday, according to James Scheuerman, Democratic commissioner of the Nassau County Board of Elections. 

“We'll come to a determination and go forward in the next day or so,” Cairo said.

It’s unclear whether Clavin will serve out his full term or if an acting town supervisor will be appointed before the election. Cairo said Clavin has “certain projects” within the town, including improvements to town parks, that he wants to complete before leaving office.

“Depending upon when they are completed, if it's late in the year, later in the year, he'd stay,” Cairo said. “If it's earlier, he'll consider leaving.”