Ballot fight over a missing Nassau legislative candidate

Daily Point

Parties divided over substitution in Nassau's 4th Legislative District

Two Oceanside voters are suing the Nassau County Board of Elections and Long Beach resident James Hodge, after the Democratic Party filed a certificate of substitution with the Board of Elections that sought to have Hodge become the candidate for the county legislature’s 4th district. The district includes both Oceanside and Long Beach.

While the two voters are the petitioners, sources told The Point that the Nassau GOP is behind the decision to file the lawsuit and protest the substitution. The attorneys for the plaintiffs are from Bee Ready Law Group — a firm led by longtime GOP leader Peter Bee. Bee and his firm have donated more than $85,000 to the Nassau GOP since 2021.

Hodge’s candidacy emerged after the disappearance of Petros Krommidas, whose name remains on the ballot. Krommidas was last seen in April; his car and clothing were found near the Long Beach boardwalk. Searches to date have been unsuccessful.

According to the complaint, the Democrats' effort to substitute Hodge’s name for Krommidas began earlier this month. Objections initially were filed with the Board of Elections, the complaint said, where the Democratic commissioner ruled in favor of the substitution, and the Republican commissioner voted against it.

The complaint argues that the substitution is predicated on the "death of Petros Krommidas."

"Despite being missing since May of 2025, Petros Krommidas has not been declared deceased at this time," the complaint said, arguing that a person must be missing for three years to be declared deceased by a court.

"As Mr. Krommidas has not been declared deceased at this time, there is no death which would permit the Democratic Party to substitute a new candidate for public office of Nassau County Legislator, 4th Legislative District for the upcoming general election on November 4, 2025," the complaint states.

As a result, the certificate of substitution is "insufficient, ineffective, false, potentially fraudulent [and] invalid ..." the complaint said.

The complaint also argues that the substitution certificate is invalid because there’s "no authority to substitute a candidate after the primary election."

The dispute has resulted in a stalemate over the ballot itself, leading the county Board of Elections to be unable to finalize the ballot for those in the 4th Legislative District, sources told The Point. As a result, that ballot, which was supposed to be finalized last Friday, still hasn’t gone out to absentee, military and other voters. Sources told The Point that usually, when there’s a split within the Board of Elections, the board moves forward with the substitution until a court decides otherwise.

"The Republican officials at the Board of Elections have failed to fulfill their statutory function and are in direct violation of New York State law," said Keith Corbett, counsel for James Scheuerman, Nassau Board of Elections Democratic commissioner. "It’s for the courts to figure out who is on the ballot, but the commissioners still have to go forward and set the ballot. They are obstructing the work of the Board of Elections, and they are refusing to set a ballot for the residents of that legislative district."

But Nassau GOP spokesman Mike Deery told The Point that Republican officials were willing to take Krommidas’ name off the ballot if the law allowed for it. The concern was in the substitution, he said.

"The position of the Republican Party is that the ballots should be determined in accordance with the provisions of the law," Deery said. "I think the law is very specific with regard to what determines whether a vacancy exists and the legal dates for substitution are very clear."

Added Deery: "We are sympathetic certainly to the concerns of the family of this young man and we’ve agreed to the name being removed from the ballot if it’s supported by law."

Scheuerman told The Point that the dispute was making an already difficult situation even more difficult. Krommidas was a Board of Elections employee.

"He was a co-worker and a friend," Scheuerman said. "Taking the emotion out of it, he is gone. He is deceased and he should not be on the ballot and force his co-workers to build ballots with his name on it. It still hurts. But taking the emotion out of it, the paperwork says that James Hodge should be on the ballot now. I wish that wasn’t the case."

Said Corbett: "It’s unfortunate that one political party wants to cause more pain to a family that’s suffered enough."

— Randi F. Marshall randi.marshall@newsday.com

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Final Point

Another politically connected add to Islip Planning Board

As a lengthy Islip Town Board meeting earlier this month came to a close, after hours of conversation about battery storage and other topics, one last resolution took mere seconds to read — and pass.

"Appointment of Victoria Ryan as a member to the Town of Islip Planning Board," the agenda item read.

Islip Planning Board members are paid $12,549 and do not receive health benefits.

With no discussion, it quickly passed — with three board members in favor. Councilman Jorge Guadrón opposed the motion, while Supervisor Angie Carpenter abstained.

And yet, the Ryan appointment was of note, despite the relatively modest compensation. Ryan heads her own public relations firm, VR/PR — which focuses on community outreach and, among other topics, works on land use and real estate development issues. She previously has advocated for real estate development proposals in front of town boards.

But she also is the wife of former State Sen. Phil Boyle, a longtime Islip and Suffolk County political player, who now heads the Suffolk Regional OTB.

And this isn’t the first time Ryan has come under the spotlight for her political connections. Last year, her firm was awarded a $78,000 no-bid contract to work with the Suffolk County Department of Social Services. But that contract was later rescinded, and a competitive bidding process was held.

Boyle, whose annual OTB salary was increased to $275,000 as of the end of 2024, declined to comment, and Ryan did not return requests for comment. But Boyle did acknowledge Ryan’s appointment in a Facebook post last week.

"Congratulations to my wife, Victoria, on her appointment to the Town of Islip Planning Board!!!" Boyle's post said. "Victoria’s expertise in land use and her inherent sense of fairness will make her a wonderful addition to the Board."

The motion to appoint Ryan to the town planning board was made by Islip Town Councilman Michael McElwee, who previously worked in constituent services for Boyle’s Senate office.

McElwee did not respond to requests for comment.

Ryan’s appointment comes on the heels of the Islip Town Board’s decision to appoint longtime Suffolk County Conservative Party officer Brett Robinson to the planning board. Robinson previously pleaded guilty to disorderly conduct in connection with the illegal dumping in Brentwood’s Roberto Clemente Park.

— Randi F. Marshall randi.marshall@newsday.com

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