Bynoe defeats Darling in Democratic primary for Nassau State Senate seat

ALBANY — Nassau County Legis. Siela Bynoe won Tuesday’s Democratic primary and said she is now looking to the general election in November with the potential to become Long Island’s first Black woman state senator.

Bynoe (D-Westbury) defeated Assemb. Taylor Darling (D-Hempstead) with nearly 54% of the vote in a close race for Nassau's 6th Senate District — one of two State Senate districts on Long Island currently held by Democrats. The race was one of five Democratic state legislative primaries in Nassau and Suffolk counties on Tuesday.

“I’m just elated that I was able to garner the support of the community for this victory, and I’m looking forward to the next phase of the campaign,” Bynoe told Newsday on Wednesday.

“We didn't set out to create history here, but we are absolutely looking forward to seizing a moment where voices that weren’t ordinarily heard in spaces have a seat at the table,” she said.

Bynoe, 56, was elected to the county legislature in a 2014 special election and is serving her fifth full term. She is the alternate deputy minority leader.

She will face Republican candidate Thomas Montefinise, of Oceanside, a deputy Nassau County attorney, in the general election.

Bynoe said her top priorities if elected include ensuring access to health care, addressing disparities in education, making sure the communities are "as safe as possible," and advocating for affordable housing solutions. 

The 6th District, considered the most overwhelmingly Democratic Senate seat on the Island, covers the communities of Westbury, Garden City, Hempstead, Freeport and parts of Oceanside and Mineola. There are 100,438 registered Democrats and 46,071 registered Republicans in the 6th District, according to the most recent voter data. 

State and Nassau County Democratic Committee chairman Jay Jacobs, who personally donated $5,000 to Bynoe’s campaign, told Newsday he believes she’s “the right person” to represent the district and county.

“She’s a serious professional and that’s what was needed,” he said Wednesday.

Though Democrats have the enrollment advantage in the district, Jacobs said, “We’ll take nothing for granted” in the race leading up to the general election.

The 6th Senate District has been represented since 2019 by Sen. Kevin Thomas (D-Levittown), who decided not to run for reelection after redrawn legislative lines moved his home outside the district in 2022.

Darling, 40, who is serving her third term in the Assembly, gave up her seat to run for Senate.

Darling’s campaign did not respond to a request for comment on Wednesday.

The following are the results in the other state legislative Democratic primaries:

Nassau County

Senate District 7: Kimberly G. Keiserman, of Port Washington, a former high school history and government teacher who works as an education consultant, beat Brad Schwartz, of Roslyn, who works in policy research and commercial real estate management. Keiserman will now face State Sen. Jack Martins (R-Mineola) in a North Shore district where Democrats have an enrollment advantage.

Assembly District 18: Noah Burroughs, of Hempstead, a village trustee and a teacher in the Hempstead school district, defeated Lisa Ortiz, of Lakeview, founder of a child care center and president of the Lakeview Library board of trustees. Burroughs, looking to fill Darling’s seat, will take on Republican Danielle Smikle in the district, which is overwhelmingly Democratic.

Assembly District 21: Judy A. Griffin, of Rockville Centre, who represented the district in the Assembly from 2019 to 2022, beat Patricia Maher, of Baldwin, an advertising executive. Griffin’s victory sets up a rematch with Assemb. Brian Curran (R-Lynbrook). Griffin defeated Curran in 2018, ending his eight-year stint in the Assembly. But Curran returned the favor in 2022, ousting Griffin as part of a wave of Republican victories that year.

Suffolk County

Assembly District 4: Rebecca Kassay, a former deputy mayor of the Village of Port Jefferson, beat Skyler Johnson, of Port Jefferson Station, who has worked in development for a national nonprofit seeking to end drug overdoses. Kassay will face incumbent Assemb. Ed Flood (R-Port Jefferson).

With Yancey Roy