North Hempstead Town Supervisor Jon Kaiman will not run for county executive, leaving a two-man field in the Democratic primary race to challenge incumbent Republican Edward Mangano,
“Supervisor Kaiman has declined the Democratic chairman’s invitation to participate in the Nassau County Democratic executive committee screening of county executive candidates this evening as he will not be seeking the Democratic nomination for county executive,” said Kaiman spokesman Justin Myers in a statement.
Kaiman, a resident of Great Neck, had formed an exploratory committee in February as speculation swirled around a potential candidacy from fellow Democrat and former County Executive Tom Suozzi. Suozzi formally announced that he would seek a rematch against Mangano on Feb. 13, with the support of Nassau County Democratic Party chief Jay Jacobs and much of the county’s Democratic establishment.
Roslyn businessman and school board member Adam Haber is running an outsider campaign for the Democratic nomination, and Mangano is seeking re-election on a small government platform.
“Regardless of who’s the candidate, residents will remember in November that Ed Mangano never raised their property taxes and even cut taxes by repealing the home energy tax,” said Mangano’s senior policy advisor Brian Nevin in a statement.
Jacobs, who lobbied Suozzi to enter the race through weeks of will-he-or-won’t he uncertainty, praised Kaiman in an interview with Newsday. Jacobs said during a February press conference announcing Suozzi’s candidacy that he expected county Democrats – including Kaiman – to unify behind Suozzi as the election season heats up.
“[Kaiman] certainly is qualified to have done the job but I appreciate his decision and respect it and look forward to working very closely with him as we nominate Tom Suozzi and then elect Tom the next county executive,” Jacobs told Newsday. “Jon Kaiman is unquestionably one of the best public officials on all of Long Island if not New York State. Whatever he decides to do, I know he will be a great success at it.”
Suozzi has racked up endorsements from county Democratic organizations, including the North Hempstead Democratic Committee.
But his bid to challenge Mangano is being opposed by Haber, who has issued statements criticizing both Mangano’s administration and Suozzi’s tenure as county executive.
“I thank Jon for his continued leadership in North Hempstead,” said Haber in a statement. “As a Democrat I know that our party’s primary process will produce the best candidate to face Mangano this fall and take back Nassau County for the middle class.”
Kaiman has not announced whether he will seek re-election as town supervisor, a post he has held since 2004.
