Agony, ecstasy on election night

The Island Now

Republicans who filed into Mirelle’s in Westbury for the county GOP’s election party Tuesday night were met with strains of a classical recording as they passed couples ballroom dancing in a side room of the restaurant, before pressing through double doors to the chattering politicos awaiting election returns in the main function room.

By the end of the night it would be the County Executive Edward Mangano (R-Bethpage) and his allies hearing the music, as tenor and loyal Republican Chris Macchio serenaded the party faithful with an operatic victory anthem. 

“I can sing like that too but I have a cold,” joked Republican party chairman Joseph Mondello, standing beside Mangano, his face locked in a schoolboy grin, on a stage packed with GOP heavyweights.

The mood was jubilant at the Republican gathering, with supporters celebrating the party’s county executive, clerk, comptroller, legislative and local wins. It was a comparatively early night for the county’s political class, with Mangano declaring victory by 11:00 p.m., less than two hours after polls closed.

And the crowd had energy, welcoming their winning candidates on a first-name basis, with chants of “Eddie! Eddie!” and “Kate! Kate!” for Mangano and Town of Hempstead Supervisor Kate Murray.

The county’s Democrats were less than ebullient – despite victories in the Town of North Hempstead and the prevention of a Republican supermajority in the county Legislature, the top of the ticket was down and out.

Supporters dressed to impress at the Democrats’ results watch party at the Chateau Briand in Westbury were greeted by valet parking at the door and bar service at either end of the catering hall, but were visibly shocked and dejected when Mangano declared victory on the News 12 feed playing on a giant projector screen behind the podium.

Throughout the evening, Democratic party chairman Jay Jacobs announced the results of each county race, and stood beside former County Executive Tom Suozzi as he conceded to Mangano the rematch of the race that unseated him in 2009.

“Losing a race doesn’t mean you weren’t right,” said Suozzi, dressed in a dark suit and red tie. “We may have run a bad campaign, we may have sent the wrong message, but we’ve still got serious problems in Nassau County.”

Suozzi, with wife Helene accompanying him, told supporters he had not yet called Mangano to congratulate him on his victory, as is customary prior to victory and concession speeches, but said “Ed, if you’re watching, I’ll be calling you.”

Shortly thereafter, Jacobs was back at the podium to announce that Nassau County District Attorney Kathleen Rice had defeated Republican challenger Scott Sturim in her bid for re-election, but those at the party were already making their way downstairs to redeem their parking vouchers. 

At the Republican gathering, supporters, party officials and the media milled around lighting equipment in front of an empty stage decorated with American flag streamers and backed by an oversize election bracket that would be filled in as vote totals came through. By 10:30 p.m. three young party members were putting preliminary numbers on the board to scattered cheers from a crowd watching closely for evidence of a Mangano lead.

And when Mondello announced Mangano’s victory at 10:55 p.m., the crowd was ready, erupting into cheers and applause. Mangano took the stage, thanked voters, his family and a list of party officials, including Mondello, party vice chair Joseph Cairo and Deputy County Executive Rob Walker.

“You did it. I’m proud of you, and I’m so blessed that I can continue in this job,” Mangan said.

Among the GOP leaders flanking Mangano on stage was former U.S. Sen. and Town of Hempstead Supervisor Alfonse D’Amato. D’Amato, currently a lobbyist whose clients includes Bruce Ratner’s Nassau Veterans Memorial Coliseum development group, took the microphone to deliver a fiery call-and-response takedown of Newsday and Cablevision, whose owners, the Dolan family, were major financial backers of Suozzi’s campaign.

“Newsday,” D’Amato said.

“Boo!,” responded the crowd.

“Cablevision.”

“Boo!”

“Since when do the journalists and the media who are supposed to be impartial – since when do they contribute hundreds of thousands of dollars to one of their employees that they don’t tell you about?” D’Amato said, referencing Suozzi’s stint as a consultant for Cablevision following his election loss in 2009.

At the Democratic event, reporters and camera crews prepared for their one-on-one time with Suozzi as Jacobs and comptroller candidate Howard Weitzman announced that incumbent George Maragos had won re-election. 

Adam Haber, a businessman from East Hills and Roslyn school board member who Suozzi defeated in the Democratic primary, also greeted supporters who stayed at the party deep into the evening.

But a few minutes away, tucked away in a party room at the Westbury Manor, the Town of North Hempstead’s Democrats were celebrating the election of Nassau County Legislators Judi Bosworth and Wayne Wink as the town’s new supervisor and clerk.

Guests were greeted by a food buffet that snaked around the perimeter of the ballroom, a disc jockey spinning classic and contemporary hits and a multitude of celebrity guests in attendance, notably former Town Supervisor and current head of the Nassau County Interim Finance Authority Jon Kaiman, U.S. Rep. Steve Israel (D-Dix Hills), state Assemblywoman Michelle Schimel (D-Great Neck) and state Comptroller Thomas DiNapoli (D-Great Neck). 

Committee chairman Gerard Terry teased partygoers with unofficial election results throughout the evening, until each race had officially been declared. 

The announcement of Wink’s election over incumbent Leslie Gross was greets with cheers of “We want Wayne!” and the Sledge Sister’s 1979 dance hit “We Are Family,” and the newly-elected town clerk took the podium alongside Town of North Hempstead councilwomen Viviana Russell, Lee Seeman and Anna Kaplan to thank supporters and promise to “reintroduce myself at home” to his wife and daughter.

“We know Democrats are the ones who have brought this town forward and that Democrats are the ones who will continue to bring this town forward,” Wink said. “This was truly a team that came together, that saw the need to bring our party home, to bring our team in as a team and we got it done tonight.”

When Bosworth joined Wink and the councilwomen onstage to declare victory over Republican councilwoman Dina Di Giorgio, supporters chanted “Ju-di! Ju-di!” and Stevie Wonder’s “Signed, Sealed, Delivered I’m Yours” played over audio from the News 12 feed showing in the corner of the party room. 

“With this team behind us, we’re going to be able to do all that the town has done before, and we’re going to continue it with services,” Bosworth said. “We’re going to be fiscally responsible, we’re going to do it with spirit, we’re going to do it with heart and we will rock.”

Bosworth thanked her campaign staff, supporters, her husband and two sons who accompanied her to Westbury Manor, as well as Schimel, DiNapoli and Israel.

“Steve said I should be ready with my tin cup, coming down to Washington,” Bosworth said. “And I said, Steve, I’m great with tin cups. We’re going to bring a lot of resources to our town.”

De Giorgio greeted well wishers into a private room at DiMaggio’s Trattoria of Port Washington as they started filing in shortly after 9 p.m. Eyes were fixed on the election night Fios broadcast, as no numbers for Nassau County races were reported for more than an hour after the polls closed.

People saw the results of Bill De Blasio’s victory over Joe Lohta in the New York City mayor’s race, with some commenting on the negative impact it would likely have on the city. Republicans in the room appeared captivated by New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie’s acceptance speech as he described his second term as a “mission” to continue helping victims of Hurricane Sandy.

As the first results of the De Giorgio-Bosworth race began appearing on the county Board of Elections Web site, the energy in the room shifted to one of cautious optimism. The two candidates were running neck and neck in early results from a small percentage of election district. The optimism grew as the results continued to show a continuing close race.

“With 66 percent in, I’m up 51-49,” De Giorgio said excitedly.

As she announced the respective percentages, the room of approximately 40 supporters burst into applause.

But the optimism gave way to tension as De Giorgio and volunteers monitoring the results on a laptop computer saw the vote count begin to shift. Just as the percentage of precinct results topped 66 percent, Bosworth took a 700-vote lead with both candidates drawing more than 12,000 votes each. Bosworth took a lead of 53 percent to 46 percent for De Giorgio.

Several people said that most of the Great Neck results – presumed to favor Bosworth – were in and results from De Giorgio’s Port Washington home district were yet to be reported.

Attention shifted to Suozzi’s concession speech in his run for county executive against Mangano. One person said he hurt himself with the endorsement from former President Bill Clinton, but Suozzi’s comments were otherwise viewed with no emotion. 

As focus returned to De Giorgio’s race, Bosworth’s lead was increasing. By the time results from more than 88 percent of the election precincts were reported, it was apparent that the Port Washington vote had been counted. And it became equally clear that there weren’t enough uncounted votes to reverse Bosworth’s lead at the time.

“I’m losing,” a visibly disconsolate De Giorgio was heard saying to someone on her cell phone.

She sat by herself at a table in the back of the room, not speaking to anyone.

“Well, I guess it’s time to wrap this up,” she said, rising from her chair.

After answering questions from a reporter, De Giorgio engaged in a few quiet conversations with supporters and volunteers, thanking them for coming as they quietly filed out of the party.

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