Suozzi? Mangano? The wait continues

Tom Suozzi said at a Nov. 4 press conference that it could be a month before the county executive race is decided between him and his Republican challenger, Ed Mangano. Unofficial results from Election Night had Suozzi barely in the lead. As of Monday night, published reports indicated that Democratic Election Commissioner William Biamonte said Suozzi’s lead was down to 107 votes, from 237 on Election Night.

Republican Election Commissioner John DeGrace said that the Board of Elections has to certify results within 25 days, but an extension will likely be necessary. “It’s going to take a while,” DeGrace said last week.

DeGrace did say he expects the race will be decided before January, when the new term starts.

Suozzi said he wanted to remain positive but did not want to predict victory. Mangano seemed confident. “We’re definitely going to see a shift in our favor when those machines are reconciled,” he said. “The bottom line is that it is a neck-and-neck race and I’m very confident that those absentee ballots, when they’re counted, are going to give us a margin of victory.”

Suozzi had 118,111 votes to Mangano’s 117,874. One element that neither Mangano nor Suozzi had counted on was the important role that third-party conservative Steve Hansen would play in the race. Hansen, in the unofficial tally, siphoned nearly 10,000 votes away from his conservative rival, more than enough to have put Mangano, a member of the self-described “Tax Revolt” Party, well ahead of Suozzi.

Long Islanders are mad about property taxes, Suozzi said, adding that he believed that was the major issue in this election. However, he said, county taxes make up only 16 percent of a homeowner’s bill and the real issue is school taxes. “People have got to wake up to this reality,” he said.

If Suozzi does return to office, he will face a different challenger in the makeup of the Nassau county Legislature. Republicans took control of that body on Election Night. Suozzi said he called Minority Leader Peter Schmitt, who could become the presiding officer, to congratulate him.

Throughout the campaign, Republicans vowed to repeal the 2.5 percent energy tax. Suozzi said he cautioned Schmitt that a repeal would be viable only if lawmakers find another way to make up the $39 million in revenue. “I will not allow Nassau County to become the fiscal basket case it was before I came into office,” he said.

When asked if he thought voters responded to Mangano’s tax-freezing message, Suozzi answered, “I don’t think this is about Ed Mangano. I think a lot of people don’t even know who Ed Mangano is.”

Mangano laughed off the barb, saying that proof was in the numbers. “I think enough knew who I was to vote for me — to put me in a neck-and-neck race — and [they’re] about to elect me next county executive,” he said.

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