Glen Cove mayor cuts it close

Spinello likely victor in tight race

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The Glen Cove mayoral race was a tight one on Tuesday, with incumbent Reggie Spinello eking out a tentative, 21-vote victory over City Councilman Tim Tenke. Five of the six Republicans running for the council also won.
This all was despite a historic victory by Democrat Laura Curran, who defeated Republican Jack Martins to become the first woman elected as a county executive on Long Island.

At press time, 200 absentee ballots were yet to be counted in Glen Cove. The final tally could change the outcome of the mayor and council races.
Spinello, however, encouraged supporters who had gathered at the View Grill on election night to be optimistic, adding that he planned to enjoy his victory. “You only need to win by one vote,” he said. “In Glen Cove, like any other place, things can turn on a dime.”

Tenke, a councilman for the past 13 years, said he wasn’t surprised by how close the race was. “It tells me the people of Glen Cove want a change,” he said. “It’s not a referendum for Reggie in any sense of the word. The closeness of this race tells me voters do not trust their mayor, who keeps them in the dark.”

County races

For much of the night on Tuesday, the race between Curran and Republican Jack Martins was too close to call, until a series of heavily Democratic districts began reporting results and Curran pulled ahead for good.
Both Curran and Martins campaigned heavily on anticorruption platforms, as outgoing County Executive Ed Mangano faces federal corruption charges, to which he has pleaded not guilty.
“Tonight, Nassau voted to end the culture of corruption,” Curran said in her victory speech. She went on to say that she planned to make the county “a better place for all our residents,” and to make county government accountable to the voters “and only to them.”
County Legislator Delia DeRiggi-Whitton captured 69 percent of the vote over Independence Party challenger Zefy Christopoulos, and was re-elected to her seat in the 11th District.
“I truly believe I ran a good race,” Christopoulos said. “Voters have spoken and the right to vote is sacred to me.”

City Council race

Republican City Council incumbents Joseph Capobianco, Pamela Panzenbeck and Nicholas DiLeo Jr. were re-elected. And Republican newcomer Kevin Maccarone and Democrat Michael Zangari, who ran on the Republican slate, were also elected.
Capobianco, an attorney, said he was disappointed that Spinello’s margin of victory was not greater. “Reggie said a win is a win is a win, so we’ll have Reggie as the captain for the next two years and that’s a good thing,” Capobianco said.
Panzenbeck, a retired teacher, said she was proud to be part of “Team Spinello.” “This is really about leadership,” she said.
It was a surprise to some when Zangari, 57, a former Glen Cove Democratic Committee chairman, decided to run on the Republican ticket. Disabled, he is committed to providing reliable access for everyone in the city. “I am so honored and pleased . . . I’m here to work for the people,” he said.
Democrat Marsha Silverman, 46, a political newcomer, who is a financial analyst, was the only candidate from her party’s slate to win. “A financial audit is the first thing I will do,” she said. “And I will do my best to continue to speak out and work for every single person in Glen Cove.”
Theresa Moschetta campaigned for Silverman. “It’s the 100th anniversary of New York passing the referendum giving women the right to vote, and today is a wonderful victory,” she said. “We now have two women on the City Council. Marsha is our 21st suffragette who fought for the right to serve.”