The race for a County Legislative District that includes West Hempstead has heated up heading into Tuesday’s election, as Democrat Jake Scheiner attempts to unseat GOP incumbent Bill Gaylor.
The two have stark policy differences, as outlined by Newsday in its endorsement of Gaylor, among them how to allocate funds for opioid treatment, whether to impose a cap on fees charged by property taxes dispute firms and current police staffing.
Scheiner has campaigned heavily in West Hempstead, telling Echo shortly after launching his bid that the town is key to his strategy. Gaylor has been involved in pushing for a new traffic light on Woodfield Boulevard and shutting down the trouble-plagued Capri Motel.
The race turned ugly this week with misdemeanor charges filed against Scheiner after a member of his campaign staff removed a Gaylor campaign sign from a home and replaced it with one of his own, caught on a security camera. Scheiner insisted he had permission from the owner, claiming it was a setup and calling for release of the Ring camera footage in which that conversation took place. The home owner on Woodfield Road has not been publicly identified.
Early voting began Sunday and continues through Election Day Tuesday, Nov. 7.
The 14th district has 52,000 registered voters, of which about 15,000 are expected to turn out for the county race. Republicans have a 12-7 majority in the Legislature. The district (formerly the 6th) was recently redrawn, but remains about 80 percent intact.
Also on the ballot are Hempstead Town Supervisor (incumbent Republican Donald Clavin vs challenger Democrat Olena Nicks), Town Clerk (Incumbent Republican Kate Murray vs challenger Democrat Susan Cools), and Receiver of Taxes (Incumbent Republican Jeanine Driscoll vs challenger Michael Reid).
West Hempstead’s Town Councilman Thomas Muscarella — you guessed it, also a Republican — faces a challenge from Democrat Lawrence Nedelka.
There are two statewide ballot initiatives, regarding eliminating the constitutional debt limit for small-city school districts and extending municipalities’ ability to finance sewer system upgrades.
More information about voting, or to find your polling place, go to the county Board of Elections.
