Democrats In District War Over Whether Johnson Is Vulnerable Or Safe
Years of infighting bubbles up into war of words, stoking GOP hopes in Nassau
Wed, 27 Jan 2010 15:11:00
Updated on Jan. 27, 2009A simmering feud between Nassau County Democrats and officials in the town of North Hempstead is threatening to boil over, offering Republicans a possible toehold in an area they had largely given up on and potentially endangering the Democrats’ control of a crucial Senate seat.
Supporters of Nassau Democratic chairman Jay Jacobs and North Hempstead State Sen. Craig Johnson have been trading barbs over the party’s dismal showing in November, when Republicans recaptured the County Legislature and all but one countywide office.
Local Democrats in North Hempstead fared better, retaining control of the town board and supervisor’s office despite the GOP tidal wave. Johnson’s aides point to those successes as evidence that the local party remains robust, and that Johnson is safe from a Republican challenge.
“We won all the races that we needed to win,” Rafe Lieber, the chair of the North Hempstead Democrats and Johnson’s chief of staff, told The Capitol in December. “And we’re probably one of the few people left in the state who could actually say that.”
Democrats allied with the county organization interpreted that remark and other comments by North Hempstead Democrats as a dig at the county’s leaders, including Jacobs and former County Executive Tom Suozzi. In response, they have defended their county record by quietly suggesting that the North Hempstead Democrats may not be strong enough to withstand a possible GOP tidal wave that could engulf Johnson.
“To make the statement that Craig Johnson doesn’t have a problem is a mistake,” said one Nassau Democrat. “Johnson does not win overwhelmingly. He didn’t win overwhelmingly last time. He certainly didn’t win overwhelmingly in the special.”
The relationship between Johnson’s camp and the county leadership has at times been tense. North Hempstead officials went so far as to rebuff offers of financial and operational help from county officials last year, according to several sources.
County Democrats point to election data to demonstrate just how close those races in North Hempstead were—especially in key portions of Johnson’s Senate district. In the Democratic stronghold of Great Neck, for example, North Hempstead Town Supervisor John Kaiman defeated a virtual unknown by less than 100 votes.
The takeaway, Jacobs says, is that Johnson’s supporters in North Hempstead may be misreading the political landscape—at their own peril.
“There’s something bigger going on that they’d better recognize,” Jacobs said. “And frankly, they have to take a look at their own numbers in their own communities, and ask the same question: Why did those Democrats not come out to vote?”
The rift between the two sides extends beyond the Johnson race. Democrats in North Hempstead split with the county in 2001 over a primary for county executive, in which the county backed Suozzi and North Hempstead officials backed local favorite Tom DiNapoli. Suozzi won, but many Democrats have felt ever since that the county leaders were too close to Suozzi and cared more about his political ambitions than the success of the party.
One North Hempstead Democrat described the split this way: “There’s the town of North Hempstead, and then there’s the county party, which is Suozzi and Jay Jacobs and their cult of personality.”
The rift apparently does not extend to Jacobs and Johnson themselves, who are said to have a good personal relationship. The two have spoken in recent weeks in an effort to calm the furor between their two camps, sources said.
Lieber and Jacobs declined to comment on the feud. Rich Azzopardi, a spokesperson for Johnson, said in a statement: “Senator Johnson is prepared to wage a vigorous re-election campaign, which is how Craig approaches every campaign he runs. But that’s, of course, down the road. Right now, it’s time to govern.”
Republicans, meanwhile, may begin to sense weakness. Democratic infighting, some suggest, could make Johnson more vulnerable than he would have otherwise been. And with a viable GOP challenger in the race, Senate Republicans may rethink their hesitance to spend large sums of money against Johnson.
Until now, Republican Senate Leader Dean Skelos—who has had the seat in his sights since the moment Johnson won it—and local Republicans have had trouble fielding a strong candidate to challenge Johnson. There have been whispers among local Republicans that Maureen O’Connell, the Nassau County Clerk who was narrowly defeated by Johnson in 2007, may consider running again. O’Connell has been elected countywide and could marshal support among women, and would be the Republicans’ strongest candidate, they say. But she would have to take a significant pay cut for the Senate job, and has so far shown little interest.
As an alternative, Skelos has lured Mineola Mayor Jack Martins into the race. Martins, who challenged Rep. Carolyn McCarthy in 2008, was said to be considering another congressional run, and commissioned a poll to gauge whether such an effort would be viable, according to a source. Martins did not return calls for comment.
GOP operatives say that with Martins deciding to challenge Johnson, the race will likely become one of the highest priorities in their effort to win back the Senate.
“He proved last time that he ran that he’s a very good candidate,” said Jackie Carway, the Mineola Republican leader. “He has shown that he is willing to explore different methods, think outside the box. And I think the electorate is looking for someone who thinks outside the box.”
