With about 76% of the countywide votes in, the Nassau County Legislature appears likely to remain in Republican hands, with an anticipated split of 11 Republicans and 8 Democrats.
Currently, the Legislature has a Republican majority with an 11-7 split. One seat is currently vacant after the former District 15 legislator, John Ferretti, left the seat to assume the position of Hempstead town supervisor.
Prior to the vacancy, the legislature was split 12-7 with Republicans holding the majority. After Tuesday night’s election, Democrats were able to flip one seat – District 14.
The Nassau County Legislature is comprised of 19 legislators representing the county’s 19 districts.
Three new faces are expected to join the county Legislature: Democrat Viviana Russell for District 2, Democrat Cynthia Nunez for District 14 and Republican Kayla Knight for District 15. None were running against incumbents.
Of the 16 other legislative races, all are expected to reelect incumbents.
This election will also usher in new legislative maps, following a settlement reached in January after a legal challenge.
The new maps will give Nassau two additional majority-minority districts and one additional Asian Influence District.
District 1
Democratic Legislator Scott Davis is expected to continue serving District 1 after garnering more than 65% of the votes, compared to his Republican challenger Charlene Jackson Thompson’s 35% with about 86% of the votes counted.
Davis, an attorney residing in Rockville Centre and raised in Hempstead, was elected to the county seat in 2023. He has served as commissioner of the Nassau County Civil Service Commission and is vice president and a founding member of RVC Friends of MLK.
District 1 includes the areas of Rockville Centre, Roosevelt, South Hempstead, portions of Baldwin and portions of Hempstead.
District 2
Two newcomers ran for the District 2 seat, and Democrat Viviana Russell appears to be coming out victorious with 75% of the votes. Republican Pepitz Blanchard received just 25% of the votes with 60% counted.
Russell is a small business owner who previously served on the Hempstead Town Board.
District 2 includes the areas of Carle Place, New Cassel, Westbury, portions of Hempstead, portions of Uniondale, portions of Hicksville and portions of Jericho.
District 3
Incumbent Democrat Carrie Solages is leading the race with 68% of the votes, while Republican challenger Kadeem Brown trails behind with 32% with 80% of the votes counted.
Solages, an attorney and former prosecutor in the Bronx, was elected to the county legislature in 2011. He is also a board member of the EOC of Nassau County, which assists low-income families.
District 3 includes the areas of Elmont, Lakeview, Bellerose, Bellerose Terrace, South Floral Park, Malverne Park Oaks, portions of Malverne, portions of Valley Stream, portions of North Valley Stream, portions of West Hempstead and portions of Franklin Square.
District 4
Patrick Mullaney is expected to be elected to another term, garnering 61% of the votes, while Democrat Petros Krommidas receives about 39%, with 64% of the votes counted.
Krommidas, a Baldwin native and graduate of Chaminade High School, has been reported missing since April.
Mullaney, a former U.S. Marine reservist and New York City firefighter serving in the elite special operations command, was elected to his seat in 2023.
District 4 includes the areas of Long Beach, Lido Beach, East Atlantic Beach, Island Park, Harbor Isle, Barnum Island, Point Lookout and portions of Oceanside.
District 5
Democrat Olena Nicks is projected to be the new District 5 legislator, edging out Republican Moshe Hill by a near 10-point difference.
Nicks garnered 55% of the votes while Hill received 45% with 83% of the district’s votes counted.
“To me, it’s more for the people,” Nicks said of winning. “It means that we are going to be delivering for the constituents, we are going to make Nassau a better, functioning place to operate politically and all things in between.”
Nicks, a Uniondale resident and volunteer firefighter, has a background in finance and research administration. She currently serves as the District 2 legislator, but had to run for District 5 due to the redrawn legislative maps.
District 5 includes portions of Hempstead, portions of Uniondale, portions of West Hempstead and portions of Franklin Square.
District 6
Debra Mulé is projected to serve another term in the county Legislature after receiving 65% of the votes. Republican challenger Danielle Samantha Smikle received about 34% of the votes with about 77% of the votes counted.
Mulé, a Uniondale High School graduate, was first elected in 2017. She has also served on the Freeport Board of Education and the Village of Freeport Board of Trustees.
District 6 includes the areas of Freeport, portions of Baldwin and portions of Oceanside.
District 7
Republican Howard Kopel is likely to serve another term, receiving nearly 73% of the votes. Democrat Alec Fischthal received just 32% of the votes with 63% of the votes counted.
“We’re all standing up here, we’re getting applause, but I know, we all know, that we’re not the ones who did it, you’re the guys who did it,” Kopel said to the audience of supporters on election night.
Kopel is the presiding officer of the Nassau County Legislature, serving District 7 since being elected in 2009. He is an attorney and business owner, founding a national title insurance and settlement services company.
District 7 includes the areas of Atlantic Beach, Bay Park, Cedarhurst, East Rockaway, Hewlett, Hewlett Bay Park, Hewlett Harbor, Hewlett Neck, Inwood, Lawrence, Woodmere, Woodsburgh, portions of Oceanside, portions of South Valley Stream and portions of Valley Stream.
District 8
Republican John Giuffrè is expected to hold back Democrat challenger James Lynch, receiving 66% of the votes compared to Lynch’s 34% with about 85% of the votes counted.
Giuffrè is the owner and founder of Giuffrè Law Offices. He was first elected to his seat in 2021.
District 8 includes the areas of Garden City, Garden City South, Stewart Manor, portions of Floral Park, portions of Franklin Square, portions of New Hyde Park and portions of North New Hyde Park.
District 9
Republican incumbent Scott Strauss appears to be in a strong position to edge out Democrat Juleigh Chin in the race for District 9, with a roughly 10-point difference between the two.
Strauss has 55% of the votes while Chin has 45% with 65% of the votes counted.
Strauss, the former mayor of Mineola, was first elected to the county legislature in 2023. He is a retired NYPD detective and 9/11 responder.
District 9 includes the areas of Mineola, East Williston, Garden City Park, Herricks, Manhasset Hills, and portions of Floral Park, New Hyde Park, North New Hyde Park, Williston Park and Searingtown.
District 10
Republican Mazi Melesa Pilip is likely to be elected to another term, receiving approximately 63% of the votes. Democrat challenger Paul Jordonne is falling behind with just 37% with 74% of the votes counted.
“It’s a beautiful night,” Pilip said as the crowd chanted her name on election night. “A night of victory. Nassau County residents have spoken.”
Pilip, who was first elected to the legislature in 2021, is a former Israeli paratrooper who ran on the issues of freezing property taxes, investing in first responders and fighting against hate. She previously ran in the 2023 special election for the 3rd congressional district, losing to Rep. Tom Suozzi.
District 10 includes the areas of Albertson, Flower Hill, Great Neck, Great Neck Estates, Great Neck Gardens, Great Neck Plaza Harbor Hills, Kensington, Kings Point, Lake Success, Manhasset, Munsey Park, Plandome, Plandome Heights, Plandome Manor, Roslyn Estates, Russell Gardens, Saddle Rock, Saddle Rock Estates, Thomaston, University Gardens, portions of Roslyn Heights, portions of Searingtown and portions of Williston Park.
District 11
Democrat incumbent Delia DeRiggi Whitton is on track to serve her tenth term after getting about 63% of the votes. Republican Colin Bell received approximately 37% of the votes with about 79% of the ballots counted.
“I think we have worked very hard to show that the way that Nassau County, especially as it’s been run in the past four years, is not acceptable,” DeRiggi-Whitton said. “We need to have a government that works not only for all representatives but for all residents of Nassau County.”
DeRiggi-Whitton, the legislative minority leader, was first elected in 2011.
District 11 includes the areas of Baxter Estates, Glen Cove, Glenwood Landing, Manorhaven, Port Washington, Port Washington North, Roslyn Harbor, Sands Point, Sea Cliff and portions of Glen Head.
District 12
Republican Michael Giangregorio may serve another term after garnering nearly 58% of the votes with about 84% of the votes counted. Democrat Michael Gionesi has fallen behind with 42%.
District 12 includes the areas of Bellmore, Merrick, North Bellmore, North Merrick and portions of Wantagh.
District 13
Republican Thomas McKevitt received nearly 62% of the votes, and is on track to hold off Democrat Clive Cossou, who received 38% of the votes with about 94% of the votes counted.
McKevitt, who is the legislature’s deputy presiding officer, was elected in 2017. He served as deputy town attorney for Hempstead and served in the state Assembly from 2006-2017.
Cossou did not actively campaign in the election.
District 13 includes the areas of East Meadow, Salisbury and portions of Levittown.
District 14
Democrat Cynthia Nunez is a new face expected to join the county Legislature, having received 55% of the votes, while Republican Sheharyar Ali has garnered just 45%. About 85% of the votes have been counted.
“We did this, we did it together,” Nunez said. “I am simply the face of this campaign, and this campaign is for we the people. We are the people, and we together will move forward.”
Nunez, a first-generation American and the first Dominican and Puerto Rican elected to the county legislature, serves on the Valley Stream District 24 School Board. She ran on affordability, water quality and infrastructure, and quality of life.
District 14 encompasses the areas of Lynbrook, North Lynbrook, portions of Valley Stream, North Valley Stream, Malverne, and South Valley Stream.
District 15
Republican Kayla Knight is another new face projected to join the county Legislature. She received 68% of the votes, while Democrat Stephen Richard Hellman trailed behind with 31% with about 98% of the votes counted.
Hellman is a family and matrimonial law attorney who previously worked in law enforcement for the Stony Brook University Police Department and volunteered with the Pro Bono Project.
District 15 includes the areas of North Wantagh, Seaford, portions of Levittown and portions of Wantagh.
District 16
Democrat incumbent Arnold Drucker appears to have held Republican Jennifer Gallub Pravato, after garnering 54% of the votes compared to Pravato’s 46% with about 59% of the district’s votes counted.
Drucker, the Legislature’s alternate minority leader and an attorney, was first elected in 2016. He has operated a law practice in Queens since 1982.
District 16 includes the areas of Farmingdale, Old Bethpage, Plainview, portions of Hicksville, portions of Jericho, portions of Syosset and portions of Woodbury
District 17
Republican Rose Marie Walker appears to have won with 67% of the votes, while Democrat Ryan Johnson fell behind at 33% with about 71% of the votes counted.
Walker, a Town of Oyster Bay council member from 2004-2010, has served on the Nassau County Legislature since 2010. She ran on the issues of taxes and affordability, public safety and environment.
District 17 includes the areas of Bethpage, Plainedge, South Farmingdale, portions of Hicksville and portions of North Massapequa.
District 18
Republican Samantha Goetz is projected to be elected to a second term, receiving 59% of the votes, while Democrat Karen Bhatia received just 41% with about 74% of the votes counted.
Goetz, who was first elected in 2023, is an attorney who ran on the issues of stopping overdevelopment, strengthening public safety and cutting taxes.
District 18 includes the areas of Bayville, Brookville, Centre Island, Cove Neck, East Hills, East Norwich, Greenvale, Lattingtown, Laurel Hollow, Locust Valley, Matinecock, Mill Neck, Muttontown, Old Brookville, Old Westbury, Oyster Bay, Oyster Bay Cove, portions of Glen Head and portions of Jericho.
District 19
Republican James Kennedy is likely to serve another term, having received 72% of the votes so far, while Democrat Lynn Russo trails behind with 28% with about 72% of the district’s votes counted.
Kennedy, who was first elected in 2015, is a former fifth-grade teacher at Holy Child Academy and has been involved through various community organizations.
District 19 includes the areas of East Massapequa, Massapequa, Massapequa Park and portions of North Massapequa.
