U.S. Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer endorsed Nassau County Executive Laura Curran for re-election during a news conference at Eisenhower Park over the weekend.
Schumer, who also endorsed Curran as his choice for county executive in 2017, touted her work in combating political corruption and creating a more transparent government after the previous administration under former County Executive Edward Mangano.
“I’m proud to endorse Laura Curran for county executive because she has charted a new path forward for Nassau County,” Schumer said. “Laura has tackled the corruption and mismanagement of previous administrations, balanced the budget and improved public services all while steadily leading the county through a global, once-in-a-generation public health and economic crisis.”
Schumer has worked with Curran to bring federal funds to aid Nassau County’s economic recovery from the coronavirus pandemic. The senator said the county is in good hands and can expect a bright future if Curran is re-elected.
“As I fight in Washington to bring even more federal funds to New York in the pending infrastructure bill, Laura Curran is the best person to lead Nassau County’s recovery and resurgence,” Schumer said. “With Laura Curran at the helm, I know Nassau’s future is bright, and look forward to partnering with her over her next four years as county executive.”
“Thanks to the support of our senators and congressional delegation, we now have the resources needed to recover from the pandemic,” Curran said. “My administration has done everything possible to get dollars directly into the pockets of Nassau’s working families.”
Curran, a Democrat, is running for re-election in November against Republican Bruce Blakeman, a Town of Hempstead councilman.
Schumer’s endorsement comes a week after Curran received support from two of Nassau’s police unions. Officials from the Police Superior Officers Association and the Police Detectives Association touted the work of Curran over the past few years and cited labor agreements she helped facilitate with both unions since 2018.
Superior Officers Association President Ricky Frassetti said as county executive Curran tripled the size of the Police Department’s community affairs unit, reopened two precincts and quadrupled the problem-oriented police officers in each precinct.
“While the county executive and I might not always agree on everything, she always listens and is willing to work things out, ” Frassetti said. “Laura is committed to working to support initiatives that strengthen the relationships between law enforcement and the communities they serve.”
Detectives Association President John Wighaus praised Curran for not getting “caught up in winning and losing” and instead being an elected official who was around during good times and bad. Wighaus said Curran’s efforts to inform the county’s residents and help first responders helped earn her the organization’s endorsement.
“When most of the world was bunkered down during the early stages of the pandemic, first responders throughout the county, including my members, showed up each and every day and continued to keep our residents safe,” Wighaus said. “During that dangerous time, Laura Curran was present. She was keeping our residents calm and informed while knowingly placing herself in danger.”
