The North Hempstead Supervisor race between Republican incumbent Jennifer DeSena and Democrat challenger Jon Kaiman headlines this year’s elections in the North Shore, where residents will be voting on both town and Nassau County seats. 

North Hempstead

North Hempstead Supervisor

DeSena, a registered Democrat from Manhasset, was elected to her first public office in 2021 as the first Republican candidate to win the seat in over 30 years, succeeding Democrat Judi Bosworth.

Prior to public service, DeSena was the executive director of the Manhasset Coalition Against Substance Abuse and previously was an enforcement attorney with the Securities and Exchange Commission. 

This fall she submitted the second tentative budget of her administration which includes a 10% tax cut. The seven-member North Hempstead Town Board, where Democrats hold a 4-3 majority, is scheduled to vote on the final budget on Thursday, Nov. 2, following the typical schedule in town where the budget is approved before Election Day. 

Jon Kaiman, of Great Neck, currently serves as the Suffolk County Deputy Executive, a position he has held since 2017 under Democrat Executive Steve Bellone, who is term-limited and cannot seek re-election. Kaiman was previously North Hempstead supervisor from 2004 to 2013, when he resigned to serve as an adviser to former Gov. Andrew Cuomo on the Superstorm Sandy recovery effort. 

The race has become intense both online and in person during candidate forums, where the two candidates clashed sharply over a number of issues. Mailers targeting Kaiman attack his previous record as supervisor and work as the head of the Nassau Interim Finance Authority, while advertisements targeting DeSena are critical of her endorsement of U.S. Rep. George Santos. 

Republicans currently hold the majority on the Towns of Hempstead’s and Oyster Bay’s boards and flipping North Hempstead would give the party a majority in every town in Nassau County. 

North Hempstead Receiver of Taxes

North Hempstead Democrat Council Member Veronica Lurvey, of Great Neck, is running against Village of Flower Hill Trustee Mary Jo Collins.

The two are running for the seat currently by Democrat Charles Berman, who is not seeking re-election after serving since 2010. 

If elected, Lurvey said she would prioritize making the receiver’s office more accessible for residents, expanding tax workshops for non-native English speakers and mobilizing tax collection units throughout the town.

If elected, Collins said she would work alongside DeSena to help cut taxes, make paying taxes more convenient, offer more payment options and tax-reducing seminars throughout the town. 

North Hempstead District 2

Democrat incumbent Peter Zuckerman is running for re-election against Republican challenger Edward Scott. 

Zuckerman has served on the town board since 2014 and is running for a third four-year term. 

Scott has served as commissioner in the Albertson Water District since 2021 and president of the Albertson Square Civic Association since 2012.

North Hempstead’s Councilmanic District 2 includes Albertson, East Hills, North Hills, Searingtown, Glenwood Landing, Greenvale, Roslyn Harbor and part of both Roslyn Heights and Mineola.

North Hempstead District 4

Herricks Board of Education President James Gounaris and community liaison for state Assemblywoman Gina Sillitti (D-Port Washington) Christine Liu are running for the vacant seat for North Hempstead’s District 4.

The seat is currently held by Lurvey, who was taken out of her district as a result of new maps the town board approved last year. 

Gounaris, of Manhasset Hills, is running on the Republican and Conservative Party lines and Liu, of New Hyde Park, is running on the Democratic Party line.

North Hempstead’s Councilmanic District 4 includes Herricks, Manhasset Hills, Lake Success, University Gardens, Great Neck Plaza, Russell Gardens and part of both North New Hyde Park and Garden City Park. 

North Hempstead District 6

Democrat Incumbent Mariann Dalimonte is running for re-election against Republican challenger Dave Franklin for the district that includes the Port Washington peninsula, Flower Hill, Roslyn and Roslyn Estates. 

Dalimonte, of Port Washington, was first elected to the board in 2019 and is seeking a second four-year term. Prior to serving on the town board, Dalimonte was the executive director of the Port Washington Business Improvement District. 

Franklin, also of Port Washington, served as Port Washington Police District commissioner from 2011-2019.

Nassau County

All 19 Nassau County Legislature seats are up for election this November.  Republicans currently hold a 12-7 majority and are looking for a supermajority. Of the 38 total candidates running, 15 are incumbents. 

County legislators serve two-year terms. 

New districts will go into effect in January after the Legislature approved new maps for the next 10 years earlier this year in February. Over the summer, the Nassau Democratic Committee and 21 registered voters filed a lawsuit to void the map, but they will still be in place for this November. 

Nassau County Majority Leader Rich Nicolello (R-New Hyde Park) will not be running for re-election after serving in the county since 1996. County Minority Leader Kevan Abrahams (D-Freeport) is also not seeking re-election after serving in the county since 2002. 

Democratic enrollment outweighs Republicans in 15 of the 19 recently approved Nassau County legislative districts, a data analysis done by Blank Slate Media shows. Districts 1-7, 9-11, 13, 14, 16-18 all had more registered Democratic voters in 2022 than Republicans, according to data obtained by Blank Slate Media.

Nassau’s electoral district maps are redrawn every 10 years based on the federal census to adjust boundaries to reflect population changes.

More than 366,000 Nassau residents were registered Democrats as of 2022, compared to 281,000 Republicans, according to the data. The 19 legislative districts average 19,294 Democrats and 14,800 Republicans.

More than 238,000 Nassau residents are not registered to a specific party, an average of 12,575 per district, according to the data. Each district also averages 2,147 residents enrolled as Conservatives, Working Families Party members or another affiliation.

Nassau County District 8

Republican incumbent John Giuffré is running for re-election against Democrat challenger Erica Rico. The district includes Garden City, Garden City South, Carle Place, Stewart Manor, Franklin Square and part of both West Hempstead and Elmont.

Nassau County District 9

Republican Scott Strauss, the ex-mayor of the Village of Mineola, is running against Democrat Neeraj Kumar for the seat left vacant by Nicolello. The district includes Bellerose, Bellerose Terrace, East Williston, Floral Park, Garden City Park, Mineola, New Hyde Park and part of both Roslyn Heights and North New Hyde Park.

Nassau County District 10

Republican incumbent Mazi Melesa Pilip is running for re-election against Democrat challenger Weihua Yan for the district that includes Great Neck, Kings Point, Lake Success, Manhasset, Manhasset Hills, North Hills, Roslyn Estates, Munsey Park, the Plandomes and part of both the unincorporated area of Port Washington and North New Hyde Park.

Nassau County District 16

Democrat incumbent Arnold Drucker is running for re-election against Republican candidate James Asmus. The district includes Old Westbury, Brookville, Muttontown, Syosset, Woodbury, Plainview, Old Bethpage and part of Bethpage.

Nassau County District 18

Democrat incumbent Josh Lafazan is running against Republican challenger Samantha Goetz. The district includes Albertson, East Hills, Herricks, part of Roslyn Heights, Searingtown, Williston Park, Bayville, Centre Island, Cove Neck, East Norwich, Glen Head, Greenvale, Lattingtown, Laurel Hollow, Locust Valley, Matinecock, Mill Neck, Old Brookville, Oyster Bay, Oyster Bay Cove, Upper Brookville and part of Glenwood Landing. 

Eligible voters can vote in-person between 6 a.m. and 9 p.m. on Nov. 7 at their assigned polling location. Registered voters can find their assigned location through the New York State Board of Elections voter lookup website by inputting their personal information.

Early voting will begin Oct. 28 and be held until Nov. 5 at various locations and times.

Here are a list of early voting polling locations, which are subject to change:

Floral Park Recreation Center, 124 Stewart St., Floral Park, NY 11001 

Glen Cove City Hall, 9 Glen St, Glen Cove, NY 11542 

Great Neck House, 14 Arrandale Ave., Great Neck, NY 11023 

Nassau County Board of Elections, 240 Old Country Road, Mineola, NY 11501 

Michael J Tully Park, 1801 Evergreen Ave., New Hyde Park, NY 11040 

Port Washington Library, 1 Library Drive, Port Washington, NY 11050 

Gayle Community Center, 53 Orchard St., Roslyn Heights, NY 11577 

Every location is accessible to individuals with physical disabilities.