Gillen crosses party lines with deputy supervisor pick

Rebecca Klar
Town of Hempstead Supervisor Laura Gillen, a Democrat, announced Republican Town Councilman Bruce Blakeman will serve as her deputy town supervisor. (Photo courtesy of the Town of Hempstead)

Town of Hempstead Supervisor Laura Gillen appointed Republican Town Councilman Bruce Blakeman as deputy supervisor on Saturday.

“It is my honor to announce Councilman Bruce Blakeman as Hempstead Town Deputy Supervisor,” Gillen Tweeted. “Now let’s get to work.”

As deputy supervisor, Blakeman will assume Gillen’s obligations if she’s absent or unable to act, according to town law.

This is the first time in the town’s history that a supervisor and deputy supervisor were from different parties, according to a town press release.

Gillen said in a statement that a party difference “should not impede public service, but rather make it better.”

Blakeman said in a statement that he looks forward to working with Gillen to make the town “an even better place to live, work and raise a family.”

“Supervisor Gillen and I are sincerely interested in working together to bring greater and more comprehensive ethics reforms to the Town of Hempstead,” Blakeman said.

Blakeman crossed party lines to endorse Gillen during her campaign against incumbent Anthony Santino.

Blakeman, along with Councilwoman Erin King Sweeney publicly feuded with Santino during his term.

During Santino’s last meeting, Blakeman voted against bills proposed by Santino including an amendment to a union contract that limits the board’s power to layoff employees for budgetary reasons and 192 promotions, transfers and hirings of town employees.

“This is corruption of priorities, it’s a corruption of values and it’s a corruption of what we stand for,” Blakeman said at the meeting. “And it’s a blatant corruption of power.”

Gillen, who will run her first meeting on Tuesday, serves alongside a Republican majority board. Only one Democrat, Dorothy Goosby, is on the town board.

Gillen said she chose Blakeman for his “experience and skill in navigating local government and serving his constituents.”

She added that Blakeman shares her vision of working in a bipartisan manner to deliver the best results to the taxpayers.

Blakeman has served as a financial and legal advisor to President Ronald Regan and President George W. Bush.

Blakeman was most recently appointed to town board in 2015, a position he came back to after first serving in a two-year term beginning in 1993.

Between his two terms, Blakeman served as the presiding officer of the Nassau County Legislature from 1996-1999.

Blakeman ran for Congress in 2014 to represent New York’s 4th District. He won the GOP nomination but lost the general election to U.S. Rep. Kathleen Rice.

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