Defeated again, Nassau Dems can only look to '26
Nassau Democratic chairman Jay Jacobs, left, and Democrat Cynthia Nuñez, who won in Nassau's 14th Legislative District, on election night in Garden City. Credit: Jeff Bachner
Election night brought another downbeat November gathering for the Nassau County Democrats at the Garden City Hotel. Jay Jacobs, the state and county chairman, stood on a platform before a subdued but chatty room where if anyone was truly surprised at the results on TV screens behind him, they didn’t make a catastrophic drama of it.
Jacobs spoke for about eight minutes, outlining disappointment for this year and hope for next year.
First, the understatement: “The numbers do not look as good as I’d like them to look. On that score, I am disappointed . . . I have never been prouder or seen a finer group of candidates.” Neither Seth I. Koslow, the county executive challenger, nor Nicole Aloise, who vied for district attorney, nor Wayne H. Wink Jr., the comptroller candidate, nor Joylette E. Williams for county clerk — none were called up for their own concession speeches. Seen earlier at the event amid the county’s confoundingly slow results, the countywide ticket wasn’t visible in the room by the time Jacobs began speaking at 11:13 p.m., more than two hours after polls closed.
Wall-sized TV screens told the story of remarkably uniform results, a reflection of two tickets with party brands. Nassau Legis. Koslow got 44% to incumbent Republican Bruce A. Blakeman’s 56%. Aloise, 44% to incumbent Republican Anne T. Donnelly’s 56%, and incumbent Maureen C. O’Connell beat challenger Williams, 57% to 43%. Wink 44%, incumbent Elaine R. Phillips 56%. The pattern said the county is still dominantly red.
For group inspiration, Jacobs called attention to the fact, engineered by the party in Albany, that all local elections move to even years starting with next November’s election. Turnout, he predicted, will rise from about 30% this year to about 65% in 2026 with a governor’s race and state legislative seats leading congressional and county legislative seats (again). He promised the stalwarts “a very different result.”
Joe Scianablo, a first-time candidate for Town of Hempstead supervisor, did relatively well, with 47% to new incumbent John R. Ferretti Jr.’s 53%. But the irregular backroom GOP intrigue that led to Ferretti succeeding Supervisor Donald X. Clavin Jr. was not enough to pull Scianablo through.
And Jacobs hinted he’d discuss with Scianablo a bid to try it all again next year because Ferretti now will serve a one-year term to align the calendar with that statewide even-year law. Scianablo told Newsday he’ll still be active in civic affairs and on the scene.
When approached, Scianablo was willing to condemn anew the expensive Nassau Republican efforts to gratuitously smear the reputations of opponents as unpatriotic “trash politics.” As spotlighted in recent campaign coverage, Koslow wrote about rape shield laws and the use of social media in a law journal in 2013. Blakeman said recklessly in a debate: “He’s got some issue with women that he needs help for. He has crazy ideas about women . . . fantasizing or desiring to be raped and that’s why they make false claims of rape. There’s something wrong with him.” Understandably, Koslow called him a liar and a disgrace.
Looking ahead, Jacobs on the platform called up one other speaker, Cynthia Nuñez, the first candidate of Puerto Rican and Dominican descent to win a Nassau legislative seat. She’s unaffiliated with a party but ran on the Democratic line in the 14th Legislative District, flipping the newly redrawn seat that belonged to Legis. C. William Gaylor III who didn’t seek reelection.
She made an emotional, well-cheered thank-you speech that served as a sorbet to sweeten another rough election night for friends in the party.
Columnist Dan Janison’s opinions are his own.
Dan Janison is a member of the Newsday editorial board.
