With the primaries ended and Election Day a little more than a month away, the race for Nassau County executive has heated up. Democratic nominee Laura Curran and Republican nominee Jack Martins have been exchanging barbs via press releases and campaign speeches.
Now the candidates will get a chance to respond to each other in person, and answer questions from voters, at a debate to be held in Sands Point on Oct. 3.
The debate will be Q&A style, and attendees will have the opportunity to submit questions to the moderator. The event will begin at 7 p.m. and will be held at the Sands Point Preserve at 127 Middle Neck Road.
The event is sponsored by the Sands Point Civic Association. Last year, the group sponsored a debate between Martins and Tom Suozzi for U.S. representative, a race that Suozzi went on to win.
The association’s president, Peter Forman, was enthusiastic about having another debate in Sands Point.
“Both Jack Martins and Laura Curran are extremely respectful and competent leaders in whom we can all be proud,” he said.
The candidates said they, too, were looking forward to debating. The showdown in Sands Point is one of several debates the two candidates will participate in.
“I’m going to give the same message I’ve given on the campaign trail,” Curran, a county legislator from Baldwin, said. “We have to break up the culture of corruption. I hope to provide a contrast between my career politician opponent and give Nassau a fresh start.”
Martins, a former state senator from Old Westbury, said the event would give him the opportunity to discuss topics he and Curran have disagreed over in previous debates.
“Whether it’s the budget, assessment reform, infrastructure investment, the environment, clean water … I think all of these issues are going to be critically important,” he said.
