Election 2021 — a red wave on the North Shore
As of Wednesday morning, Republicans in Nassau County-wide races were inching toward a GOP sweep.
As the Herald went to press, Bruce Blakeman, the Republican Town of Hempstead councilman, had surged past incumbent Democrat Laura Curran in the race for county executive, with nearly all precincts reporting. At press time, an official winner had not been declared in the race, but Blakeman had 52 percent of the vote to Curran's 48 percent. Close to 20,000 absentee ballots remained to be counted, however.
Curran had not conceded as of Wednesady morning, saying, "This is not over, and we must trust the process."
What was certain: Republican Anne Donnelly, a 32-year career prosecutor in the Nassau district attorney's office, was declared the winner in the race for D.A. Donnelly defeated State Sen. Todd Kaminsky, a Democrat from Long Beach. Donnelly had 60 percent of the vote.
Oyster Bay Supervisor Joseph Saladino, a Republican, was re-elected, receiving more than 71 percent of the vote, defeating Democrat Amanda Field, a Plainview Water District commissioner.
Oyster Bay town Council Members — including Republicans Tom Hand, 61, a former commissioner of the Massapequa Water District; Lou Imbroto, 37, a litigation attorney in private practice; and Michele Johnson, 47, an attorney — were also re-elected. Hand was originally appointed to the post in March 2017 and Johnson in July 2013. When they ran for office those same years, they won by large margins.
On election night this year, Johnson received the most votes, followed by Imbroto and Hand. Republican Town Clerk Richard LaMarca was also re-elected, garnering roughly 68 percent of votes.
“It's only the beginning, working with great people like Michele Johnson, Lou Imbroto, Tom Hand and Rich LaMarca,” Saladino said during his victory speech. “We are embarking on a journey where we prove we deliver on our promises, protecting taxpayers, protecting the quality of life and protecting safe communities . . .”
Saladino, 59, of Massapequa, was a state assemblyman for 13 years before leaving his position to lead the Town of Oyster Bay. He was appointed supervisor in February 2017 after John Venditto, who later died, had resigned because he faced federal corruption charges. Saladino won in November 2017 with the support of 52 percent of voters. When he ran for re-election in 2019, he won by an even larger margin, capturing 59 percent of votes.
Delia DeRiggi-Whitton was re-elected in the 11th Legislative District, defeating Republican challenger Meagan McCarty of Port Washingto with 62 percent of the vote. In the 18th Legislative District, Republican challenger Paolo Pironi was leading incumbent Josh Lafazan by about 250 votes.
Absentee ballots have yet to be counted. All results are therefore unofficial.
