Election 2009: Kopel unseats Toback in Five Towns race

County Executive and Comptroller races too close to call; Rice wins second term as Nassau D.A.

By Mayer Fertig

Updated Nov. 5, 2009

Republican businessman Howard Kopel of Lawrence, running his second political campaign, unseated five-term Democratic Legislator Jeffrey Toback Tuesday night by more than 1100 votes, and tilting Nassau County's legislature back to Republican control in the process.

“I was here two years ago, but this time is much more fun,” Kopel, 58, said in his victory speech at Republican headquarters in Westbury. He was referring to his unsuccessful run against Toback in 2007. “We will fulfill our promise — we will lower taxes and spending.”

Toback called Kopel to congratulate him and to discuss transitioning the 7th Legislative District office, he told The Jewish Star. He did not immediately get through, however, and left a voice mail message, he said.

The two men finally spoke on Wednesday morning, according to Kopel, who becomes the only shomer Shabbos legislator in Nassau County.

The race for County Executive was too close to call in the early hours of Wednesday morning. Democrat Tom Suozzi was ahead of challenger Edward P. Mangano by just a few hundred votes. He told supporters the results there would be no winner declared overnight.

Should Suozzi be re-elected, it would seem he would owe his job to Steven Hansen, who ran on the Conservative line, and siphoned away more than nine thousand votes. Hansen is an attorney who works for Nassau County.

The race for comptroller was similarly close. Incumbent Howard Weitzman, a Democrat, trails Republican challenger George Maragos by fewer than 600 votes, according to the website of the Nassau County Board of Elections. Weitzman, who is in his 70’s, sat during an appearance at Republican campaign headquarters.

District Attorney Kathleen Rice won a second term by a wide margin.

Kopel and other Republican candidates ran on a tax reform platform that apparently rang true with voters.

“It’s seems to me there is across the board concern about property taxes,”  Toback acknowledged in an interview late Tuesday. “The Republican camp claims they are not tax and spend people. That seems to have resonated. Whether or not they can deliver remains to be seen.”

While he knew that voters in certain parts of his district were angry about taxes and about the sewer consolidation plan that is underway, Toback admits that he expected to win, nonetheless.

I haven’t really dissected the numbers yet but it was a good beating I took,” he admitted, “so there must be other issues that we will learn about in the coming days.”

“Howard ran a very effective campaign, tapping into voter anger over Nassau’s stubbornly high taxes. I have full confidence that he will be a strong representative of our community and its concerns in Mineola,” said Lawrence Village Trustee Michael Fragin early Wednesday. “I congratulate him on his resounding victory.” Fragin is a former political columnist for The Jewish Star.

Elsewhere Tuesday morning, Republican Chris Christie unseated New Jersey Governor Jon Corzine. New York City Mayor Mike Bloomberg was re-elected, albeit by a tighter margin that he had anticipated, perhaps reflecting anger over his unilateral undoing of a term limit law twice approved by voters.

Toback was philosophical about his defeat. “I’ll get to spend more time with my kids, I guess is the silver lining,” he said. He didn't rule out a future run for office and promised to remain involved in civic life.