Vote on South Shore may decide state Senate’s fate

Voters in the Five Towns, Long Beach and surrounding South Shore communities will elect a new state senator on April 19 and in doing so may determine if Republicans continue their tenuous grip on the Senate or, instead, if the Senate will join the Assembly and all statewide offices in the hands of the Democrats.

The Senate is now evenly divided by party but controlled by Republicans with the support of independent Democrats. A swing of even one seat might tip the balance toward the Democrats.

The 9th District election, to be held on the same day as the state’s presidential primary, was called by Gov. Andrew Cuomo to fill the vacancy created when Senator Dean Skelos and his son, Adam, were found guilty of federal corruption charges in December. Because he was found guilty of a felony, Skelos, a Republican who had been Senate majority leader, automatically lost his seat in the Senate. The Skelos’ are scheduled to be sentenced on April 4.

Contenders for the seat are Democrat Todd Kaminsky of Long Beach, a former prosecutor now in his first term in the Assembly, and Republican Christopher McGrath of Hewlett Harbor, a local attorney making his first run for public office.

While Orthodox communities in and around the Five Towns do not constitute a majority of the district’s voters, their residents take civic responsibilities seriously — and personally — and so The Jewish Star will be covering this race from all angles, including those of special importance to the Orthodox communities. Readers can follow The Star’s coverage in the weekly print edition each Wednesday and online at TheJewishStar.com and at Facebook.com/TheJewishStar).

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