Update

City Council members asked Zapson to step down as party leader

Local Democratic committee chair says he will not resign prior to Election Day

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In an effort to present a united front in the weeks leading up to Election Day, four City Council members recently asked Long Beach Democratic Committee Chairman Mike Zapson to step down.

In a letter to Zapson obtained by the Herald, Council President Len Torres, Vice President Fran Adelson and members Scott Mandel and Eileen Goggin, as well as Democratic candidate Anissa Moore, called on Zapson to resign amid his imbroglio with Nassau County Democratic Committee Chairman Jay Jacobs. Councilman Anthony Eramo, who is running for re-election alongside Torres and Moore, did not sign the letter.

“We … want to see all of the Democratic candidates prevail in Long Beach in November,” the letter stated. “The best way to make sure that happens is to move forward as a unified party behind a single leader. For the good of all Long Beach Democrats, we’re asking you to step down as Long Beach leader and transition the Long Beach committee to new leadership.”

County Democratic committee officials say that the letter was presented to Torres by Jacobs and Rob Solomon — a local attorney and Lido Beach resident who is expected to replace Zapson as the county committee’s Long Beach zone leader this month — shortly after last month’s Democratic primary. Torres circulated the letter to his fellow council members and Moore, he said, and the signed letter was sent to Zapson on Sept. 19.

But Torres reconsidered adding his signature after a Long Beach committee meeting on Sept. 24, he said, and asked Jacobs to remove his name from the letter.

Zapson said that while he was aware of the letter, he only received it in an email last Friday. “I heard about it, obviously,” he said. “Len had sent an email to Jay asking that Jay not send the letter.”

Torres explained that he did not think it was a good idea to change party leaders prior to the election and out of respect to his supporters. He also claimed that he signed the letter with the understanding that someone other than Solomon — who does not have the backing of the local Democratic club — could replace Zapson as city leader. But the county is continuing to back Solomon, Torres said.

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