Legislator Laura Curran cruised to victory in the Primary Election last week, riding a wave of support from Nassau County Democrats to handily defeat County Comptroller George Maragos by a tally of 23,093 to 6,265 votes (78.5 percent to 21.3 percent).
Curran said the Primary results reflect that voters are eager for a measure of change in the county.
“This is something I encountered in every community I visited. People are fed up with the status quo,” she said. “They see people of high status carted off in handcuffs and they think, ‘my tax dollars are going to this?’ We can do so much better.”
A Baldwin resident who has been on the legislature since 2014, Curran declared victory just after 10 p.m. on Primary night. With the Primary win, Curran became the first female nominee of a major party for Nassau County Executive—a fact that Curran believes makes her a real threat to the status quo in Nassau.
“I’m not the typical candidate and I think that when people look at me, they see me as the fresh start the county needs,” she said. “Everyone’s heard of the “boys club” and hat notion takes on a different resonance now with me in the race.”
Republican candidate for County Executive, former state senator Jack Martins released a statement following Curran’s Primary victory, stating that “This election is about the future of Nassau County and electing someone with the experience and qualifications to deal with the challenges that face us. Laura Curran wants to make this about the past, but we must look ahead.”
Looking past the Primary and to the general election, Curran said that as County Executive she would correct the mistakes of previous administrations by appointing people based on what they know and what skills the possess—rather than what they can do for her politically.
“We must also take concrete steps to restore trust in our government and part of that is getting the budget under control,” she said. “Create a true vision of how we grow in terms of economic development; how we attract businesses and keep businesses here. We have to market Nassau County better. And that all comes back to trust. If there is no trust, there is no bully pulpit to create the vision.”
In other Primary Election results, Jack Schnirman defeated Ama Yawson for County Comproller; Dean E, Bennett bested Carl DeHaney for County Clerk; Legislator Arnold Drucker defeated Lewis Yevoli in Legislative District 16; and Councilman Louis Imbroto took his Town of Oyster Bay council seat over Michael Castellano and Charles Brisbane.
The general election is scheduled for Tuesday, Nov. 7.
