Rhoads wins re-election bid in 19th L.D.

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Incumbent Steve Rhoads, a Republican from Bellmore, was re-elected to his third term as Nassau County legislator for the 19th District, besting first-time candidate Jill Levine, a Democrat from Merrick, by a margin of 3,000 votes.

“I think the message we have this year is the message that resonates — we are fighting to spend taxpayer dollars in a responsible way,” Rhoads said of his party. “What we’ve seen today is a resurgence of good, responsible government.”

Despite the loss, Levine took great pride in the campaign that she ran.“I don’t think there’s anything we could’ve done that we didn’t do,” she said.

Thomas McKevitt, a Republican from East Meadow, will be serving a second term in the 13th Legislative District. When all precincts were counted, he had 3,769 votes over Democratic newcomer Jennifer Rosenkrantz, of East Meadow.

Following Erin King Sweeney’s surprise withdrawal from the Town Board race in September, Christopher Carini, a Republican from Seaford, announced his campaign for the 5th Councilmatic District. He earned that seat on Tuesday over fellow first-time candidate Lora Webster, a Democrat from Point Lookout.

“I walked away from my career to do this, [so] it means a lot,” Carini said. “It’s a great victory for the party, and I’m going to enjoy this.”

Donald Clavin declared victory over Laura Gillen in the race for Town of Hempstead supervisor Tuesday night. Gillen was seeking a second term.

At press time at midnight, with roughly 1,500 votes separating the two candidates, Gillen had not yet conceded. It was unclear if she would. There remained at least a couple of thousand absentee ballots to be counted.

Clavin, who had been the receiver of taxes in the town since 2001, thanked his supporters at Mirelle’s Continental & Catering in Westbury, which served as Republican headquarters.

“We have made commitments, we have made promises, and we are going to deliver that to the taxpayers by putting them first,” Clavin said. “I intend to keep my promises. I intend to keep every promise I made on my campaign trail.”