Local entrepreneur Dave Kerpen announces his town supervisor candidacy Wednesday in...

Local entrepreneur Dave Kerpen announces his town supervisor candidacy Wednesday in Port Washington. Credit: Newsday/Kendall Rodriguez

The presumptive Democratic nominee for Town of North Hempstead supervisor jumped out of his chair and fist-pumped the air as he announced his candidacy Wednesday at a Mediterranean restaurant in Port Washington.

Dave Kerpen, a 48-year-old entrepreneur and political novice from Baxter Estates, launched his campaign in front of about 50 people at Ayhan’s Shish Kebab. The group included prominent local Democrats such as council members Robert Troiano and Mariann Dalimonte, and former Supervisor Jon Kaiman.

"My dream, my goal — no, my plan — is to bring the skills that've helped me become a successful business leader right here to the Town of North Hempstead," Kerpen said. He said he would prioritize helping the building department, long dogged by accusations of inefficiency, bring more small businesses to town. 

Jay Jacobs, the state and Nassau County Democratic chair, has endorsed Kerpen. Sabereh Samet, the town's Democratic chair, texted that the party does not expect to hold a primary. Kerpen has filed with the state to be a candidate, he said. He will need to obtain 2,000 petitions to be added to the ballot.

Joe Cairo, the Nassau County GOP chair, said in a statement Supervisor Jennifer DeSena will run for reelection on the Republican ticket. DeSena, a registered Democrat who caucuses with Republicans, defeated former Town Clerk Wayne Wink in 2021, and Kaiman, the supervisor from 2004-13, in 2023.

If there are no primaries, the election for supervisor will be held in November.

The campaign marks Kerpen’s first time seeking elected office. This, he believes, is a strength. On Wednesday, he also touted his commitment to accessibility — he shared his Google Voice phone number with the crowd and invited people to text him — and his business acumen.

What Kerpen lacks in political experience he makes up for in panache. He wears orange shoes every day, and in 2006, he attracted national media attention when he married his wife, Carrie, on the field after a Brooklyn Cyclones baseball game.

A self-described “serial entrepreneur” — he’s the CEO of Apprentice, a platform that connects business leaders with young people, among other ventures — Kerpen is the author of five books, including The New York Times bestselling “Likable Social Media.” And he has nearly 50,000 followers on the social media platform X.

Kaiman touted Kerpen as a change-maker for a Democratic Party searching for a new identity — on the local and national level.

“We are at a dark moment. It is a dark time. People are giving up on our country, people are giving up on the concept of democracy,” Kaiman said during the event. “... People need to see that we are a growing tent, that we are open to new views and values and people who have new ideas."

Cairo, meanwhile, in a statement labeled Kerpen an “out-of-touch progressive.”

“While Kerpen takes his marching orders from Albany liberals like [Gov. Kathy] Hochul, Supervisor Jen DeSena is busy cutting taxes, streamlining government services, and cleaning up the mess Democrats left after their more than 30-year stint leading the Town of North Hempstead,” Cairo said in the statement.

Kerpen, a devoted Mets fan, also wore an orange tie Wednesday, and as he took the dais, "Narco," by Blasterjaxx and Timmy Trumpet, an upbeat song associated with the Mets, played from a small speaker.

He said his goal is to make local government more "likable." 

"Hopefully I'm already practicing what I preach," Kerpen said after the restaurant had cleared out. "Can't wait to see how many texts I got."

NewsdayTV's Elisa DiStefano has your guide to Fourth of July fun across Long Island. Credit: Brian Jingleski, Rick Kopstein, Newsday / A.J. Singh, Anthony Florio, Randee Daddona, Newsday / Kendall Rodriguez,

Food, fun and fireworks: NewsdayTV's Fourth of July special NewsdayTV's Elisa DiStefano has your guide to Fourth of July fun across Long Island.

NewsdayTV's Elisa DiStefano has your guide to Fourth of July fun across Long Island. Credit: Brian Jingleski, Rick Kopstein, Newsday / A.J. Singh, Anthony Florio, Randee Daddona, Newsday / Kendall Rodriguez,

Food, fun and fireworks: NewsdayTV's Fourth of July special NewsdayTV's Elisa DiStefano has your guide to Fourth of July fun across Long Island.

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