Voters to pick candidates in Hempstead, East Hampton and Shelter Island races
Hempstead Town Hall in Hempstead, seen in 2022. Credit: Howard Schnapp
Voters will cast ballots in three town board races to fill vacancies in Hempstead, East Hampton and Shelter Island.
Political observers are closely watching the Hempstead race to fill the balance of late councilman Christopher Carini's term. Carini, who was 49, died unexpectedly on July 14 while visiting family in Florida.
Elections will also be held to fill town board vacancies in East Hampton and Shelter Island. In East Hampton, Kathee Burke-Gonzalez' former council seat opened up after she was elected town supervisor in last November's election. In Shelter Island, Amber Brach-Williams' seat also opened up after she was elected town supervisor.
In Hempstead, Christopher Schneider, a Republican, and former Nassau Minority Leader Kevan Abrahams, a Democrat, are running to replace Carini in the town's Fifth District. Republicans hold five of six seats on the Hempstead town council. Dorothy Goosby, the deputy supervisor and senior councilwoman, is the board's lone Democrat. Republican Supervisor Donald Clavin is also a voting member on the board.
The Fifth encompasses Lido Beach and Point Lookout as well as sections of Freeport, Merrick, Seaford, Wantagh and Bellmore.
The Hempstead Town Board appointed Schneider, 44, of Seaford, in August. He is director of media relations for the Alzheimer's Foundation of America and previously served as a legislative aide to Republican officials.
Abrahams, 50, of Freeport, served in the Nassau County Legislature for 21 years and was minority leader from 2012 to 2023. He works as senior director of regulatory processes at Northwell Health.
Over the past three weeks, Schneider has outraised Abrahams. But they are about even in spending.
The Schneider campaign reported contributions and transfers totaling $17,493 over the three previous weeks and spending $3,113, mostly on a fundraiser, according to state election board filings.
Abrahams’ campaign raised $1,125 during that period and spent $3,188, mostly on lawn signs, according to state filings.
Democrats have a slight advantage in voter registration in the Fifth, according to data from the Nassau County Board of Elections.
Out of 102,415 active voters, 36.3% are registered Democrats, 33.5% are registered Republicans, and 26.1% are not registered with a political party, the data shows.
The Hempstead election "is a really very competitive barn burner of a race," said Michael Dawidziak, a Bohemia political consultant who works primarily with Republicans.
With the 4th Congressional District race between Republican Anthony D’Esposito and Democrat Laura Gillen drawing national attention and money, the town board race could be close, he said.
"You've got a challenger who's probably about as well known as you possibly can be ... having served that many years in the county legislature and being one of the key spokespeople for the Democrats ... against an incumbent who seems to be pretty well liked, and of course, certainly backed by the Nassau Republican machine," he said.
Nassau Republican chairman Joe Cairo said the party is focused on retaining the seat.
"We’re going all out to maintain the tradition that’s been there for years of Republican representation," said Cairo, himself a former Hempstead town councilman.
Schneider said he's campaigning on quality of life issues.
"Things I'm hearing about are zombie homes in the area, graffiti, safety, vape shops, illegal massage parlors," Schneider said in an interview. "Whether you’ve lived there your entire life or you came there from somewhere else, you're there for a reason and you want to keep that special place special."
Abrahams is criticizing Hempstead board members for their recent vote to hike property taxes.
"Everything comes back to affordability: Affordability for seniors, affordability for middle-aged families, and affordability for our young people," Abrahams said. "So it all sends us back to taxes."
On Oct. 15, the Hempstead Town Board voted to hike the town’s tax levy by 12.1% in 2025. Before the vote, Abrahams was at a rally at town hall opposing the increases.
Schneider was absent for the vote to pierce the tax cap as well as the vote to approve next year's budget. He said he couldn't attend because he was sick.
"I didn't want to expose anybody to that," Schneider said in an interview. He said he took two Covid tests that day and both were negative.
"That's a very crucial vote to miss," Abrahams said. "I'm going to take it at face value that he was sick, but if you have a chance to convince your colleagues that 12% is too much, you should try to be there."
Jay Jacobs, chairman of the state and Nassau County Democratic committees, said the board should have rejected the tax hike.
"This is a race that should be framed in terms of who’s looking out for the Hempstead taxpayer," Jacobs said. "If Kevan Abrahams was the councilman, he wouldn’t have called in sick."
On the East End, races will be held for seats on the Shelter Island and East Hampton town boards.
Three candidates on Shelter Island are vying to fill the remaining year of Brach-Williams' term. Democrat Arnott Gooding, 79, who lost a race for supervisor in November 2023, faces Republican Thomas Cronin, 55, who ran unsuccessfully for town council last year.
A third candidate, Lisa Shaw, 72, is running under the Island Action Party line in her first run for public office.
The split board, with two Democrats and two Republicans, in February failed to agree on a replacement for Brach-Williams, a Republican, and deadlocked on a vote for a special election.
The seat will be up for a full four-year term in 2025. In Shelter Island, 46.6% of 2,913 total voters are registered as Democrats, while 21.7% are Republicans, Suffolk County Board of Elections data show.
In June, Gooding won a Democratic primary to run in the general election. He has said protecting drinking water, bays and creeks is a top priority. Cronin has said he doesn’t support mandating innovative/advanced wastewater systems for residents. Shaw also cited water quality as a key issue and said she hopes to be an independent voice on the town board.
In East Hampton, Democrat Ian Calder-Piedmonte, 44, of Springs, is running to fill the year left in Burke-Gonzalez' term. The all-Democratic board appointed Calder-Piedmonte to the position in January. Democrats have a townwide registration advantage over Republicans, by a margin of 47.3% to 19.2%, Suffolk board of elections data show.
His challenger, Republican Hyman Mariampolski, 77, is not actively campaigning.
With Joe Werkmeister and Vera Chinese
Voters will cast ballots in three town board races to fill vacancies in Hempstead, East Hampton and Shelter Island.
Political observers are closely watching the Hempstead race to fill the balance of late councilman Christopher Carini's term. Carini, who was 49, died unexpectedly on July 14 while visiting family in Florida.
Elections will also be held to fill town board vacancies in East Hampton and Shelter Island. In East Hampton, Kathee Burke-Gonzalez' former council seat opened up after she was elected town supervisor in last November's election. In Shelter Island, Amber Brach-Williams' seat also opened up after she was elected town supervisor.
In Hempstead, Christopher Schneider, a Republican, and former Nassau Minority Leader Kevan Abrahams, a Democrat, are running to replace Carini in the town's Fifth District. Republicans hold five of six seats on the Hempstead town council. Dorothy Goosby, the deputy supervisor and senior councilwoman, is the board's lone Democrat. Republican Supervisor Donald Clavin is also a voting member on the board.
WHAT NEWSDAY FOUND
- There are three town board races on Long Island, one each in Hempstead, East Hampton and Shelter Island.
- The Hempstead race is to replace the late Christopher Carini, who died unexpectedly in July while visiting with family in Florida. He was 49.
- In East Hampton and Shelter Island, there are races to replace board members who resigned after being elected town supervisor to their respective towns in 2023.
The Fifth encompasses Lido Beach and Point Lookout as well as sections of Freeport, Merrick, Seaford, Wantagh and Bellmore.
The Hempstead Town Board appointed Schneider, 44, of Seaford, in August. He is director of media relations for the Alzheimer's Foundation of America and previously served as a legislative aide to Republican officials.
Abrahams, 50, of Freeport, served in the Nassau County Legislature for 21 years and was minority leader from 2012 to 2023. He works as senior director of regulatory processes at Northwell Health.
Over the past three weeks, Schneider has outraised Abrahams. But they are about even in spending.
The Schneider campaign reported contributions and transfers totaling $17,493 over the three previous weeks and spending $3,113, mostly on a fundraiser, according to state election board filings.
Abrahams’ campaign raised $1,125 during that period and spent $3,188, mostly on lawn signs, according to state filings.
Democrats have a slight advantage in voter registration in the Fifth, according to data from the Nassau County Board of Elections.
Out of 102,415 active voters, 36.3% are registered Democrats, 33.5% are registered Republicans, and 26.1% are not registered with a political party, the data shows.
Going 'all out'
The Hempstead election "is a really very competitive barn burner of a race," said Michael Dawidziak, a Bohemia political consultant who works primarily with Republicans.
With the 4th Congressional District race between Republican Anthony D’Esposito and Democrat Laura Gillen drawing national attention and money, the town board race could be close, he said.
"You've got a challenger who's probably about as well known as you possibly can be ... having served that many years in the county legislature and being one of the key spokespeople for the Democrats ... against an incumbent who seems to be pretty well liked, and of course, certainly backed by the Nassau Republican machine," he said.
Nassau Republican chairman Joe Cairo said the party is focused on retaining the seat.
"We’re going all out to maintain the tradition that’s been there for years of Republican representation," said Cairo, himself a former Hempstead town councilman.
Schneider said he's campaigning on quality of life issues.
"Things I'm hearing about are zombie homes in the area, graffiti, safety, vape shops, illegal massage parlors," Schneider said in an interview. "Whether you’ve lived there your entire life or you came there from somewhere else, you're there for a reason and you want to keep that special place special."
Abrahams is criticizing Hempstead board members for their recent vote to hike property taxes.
"Everything comes back to affordability: Affordability for seniors, affordability for middle-aged families, and affordability for our young people," Abrahams said. "So it all sends us back to taxes."
Tax hike issue
On Oct. 15, the Hempstead Town Board voted to hike the town’s tax levy by 12.1% in 2025. Before the vote, Abrahams was at a rally at town hall opposing the increases.
Schneider was absent for the vote to pierce the tax cap as well as the vote to approve next year's budget. He said he couldn't attend because he was sick.
"I didn't want to expose anybody to that," Schneider said in an interview. He said he took two Covid tests that day and both were negative.
"That's a very crucial vote to miss," Abrahams said. "I'm going to take it at face value that he was sick, but if you have a chance to convince your colleagues that 12% is too much, you should try to be there."
Jay Jacobs, chairman of the state and Nassau County Democratic committees, said the board should have rejected the tax hike.
"This is a race that should be framed in terms of who’s looking out for the Hempstead taxpayer," Jacobs said. "If Kevan Abrahams was the councilman, he wouldn’t have called in sick."
East End races
On the East End, races will be held for seats on the Shelter Island and East Hampton town boards.
Three candidates on Shelter Island are vying to fill the remaining year of Brach-Williams' term. Democrat Arnott Gooding, 79, who lost a race for supervisor in November 2023, faces Republican Thomas Cronin, 55, who ran unsuccessfully for town council last year.
A third candidate, Lisa Shaw, 72, is running under the Island Action Party line in her first run for public office.
The split board, with two Democrats and two Republicans, in February failed to agree on a replacement for Brach-Williams, a Republican, and deadlocked on a vote for a special election.
The seat will be up for a full four-year term in 2025. In Shelter Island, 46.6% of 2,913 total voters are registered as Democrats, while 21.7% are Republicans, Suffolk County Board of Elections data show.
In June, Gooding won a Democratic primary to run in the general election. He has said protecting drinking water, bays and creeks is a top priority. Cronin has said he doesn’t support mandating innovative/advanced wastewater systems for residents. Shaw also cited water quality as a key issue and said she hopes to be an independent voice on the town board.
In East Hampton, Democrat Ian Calder-Piedmonte, 44, of Springs, is running to fill the year left in Burke-Gonzalez' term. The all-Democratic board appointed Calder-Piedmonte to the position in January. Democrats have a townwide registration advantage over Republicans, by a margin of 47.3% to 19.2%, Suffolk board of elections data show.
His challenger, Republican Hyman Mariampolski, 77, is not actively campaigning.
With Joe Werkmeister and Vera Chinese
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