One of the only two primary elections in Nassau County today was an all West Hempstead race.
Owen Rumelt and his wife, Betty Atlas Rumelt, were each defending their seats on the County Democrat Committee against challenger Skylar Bader. The Rumelts have held the seats representing the 21st Election District for years (almost 20 for Owen, 10 for Betty) but this is the first time they faced a primary challenge, which is rare in local party politics.
The Rumelts were re-elected with 23 votes for Owen, 22 for Betty and 8 for Bader.
“It is not a significant post,” Owen Rumelt told the Echo late Tuesday afternoon. “You collect petitions and also appear at the [Nassau County] Democratic Committee convention.”
All three candidates are attorneys. Voters select two committee members, so Bader had to surprass both incumbents to prevail. Registered Democrats in ED 21 cast their votes at the Gersh Academy School on Eagle Avenue with polls closed at 9 pm.
The only other race was for Long Beach City Council, in which Elizabeth Treston is vying for the Democratic nomination against three challengers.
New York’s primary for state and local elections was long held in September, but in 2019 was moved to June to match the federal primary in New York.
