North Hempstead Supervisor Jennifer DeSena recently announced the Republican slate of candidates running for elected office in the town on Tuesday, Nov. 7.  

The supervisor said she is proud of her administration’s accomplishments thus far and that the strong group of Republican candidates is committed to protecting taxpayers’ wallets and the suburban way of life in the town. 

“During my first term as supervisor, my administration has delivered millions of dollars in tax relief, while enhancing infrastructure, instituting municipal reforms, boosting community safety and preserving quality of life for North Hempstead residents,” DeSena said in a statement.

DeSena, of Manhasset, is running against Democrat Jon Kaiman, of Great Neck, who served as North Hempstead supervisor from 2004 to 2013. 

In 2021, DeSena was the first Republican nominee to win the town supervisor election in more than 30 years, succeeding Judi Bosworth, a Democrat, who did not seek re-election.

In the contest for the receiver of taxes post, Mary Jo Collins, of Flower Hill, is challenging Council Member Veronica Lurvey for town receiver of taxes. Collins has been a trustee in the Village of Flower Hill since 2020 and has worked on Wall Street for 40 years predominantly in fixed income. Lurvey is unable to run for re-election in the 4th District she currently represents after new redistricting maps were finalized last year, making her a resident of the 5th District.

In the town board races, Edward Scott, of Albertson is opposing incumbent Peter Zuckerman in the town’s 2nd Councilmanic District, which includes Mineola, Albertson, East Hills, North Hills, Herricks, Roslyn Heights, Greenvale, Roslyn Harbor and Searingtown. Scott is a retired NYPD officer, small business owner, Albertson Water District commissioner and president of the Albertson Square Civic Association. 

James Gounaris, of New Hyde Park, is running against Christine Liu, an executive board member of the Chinese American Association of North Hempstead, for the town’s 4th Councilmanic District, which Lurvey has held.

Gounaris currently serves as the Herricks Board of Education president and has been on the board for 12 years. Professionally, Gounaris works at Great Neck Public Schools as the director of food and nutrition services.

District 4 includes Manhasset Hills, Herricks, Lake Success, Great Neck Plaza, North New Hyde Park and Garden City Park.

Dave Franklin, of Port Washington, is challenging incumbent Mariann Dalimonte for the town’s 6th Councilmanic District, which includes the Port Washington Peninsula, the Villages of Roslyn, Roslyn Estates and Flower Hill. Franklin is a former commissioner of the Port Washington Police Department and an active member of community organizations, including Kiwanis, Hibernians, Sons of Italy and Knights of Columbus. 

Last week, the North Hempstead Democratic Committee opened its headquarters on Middle Neck Road in Great Neck.

Since her administration began, DeSena and the two Republicans on the board, David Adhami and Dennis Walsh, have sometimes had tense relations with Democrats, who hold a 4-3 majority on the seven-member board.

DeSena last year called on County Comptroller Elaine Philips to audit the town’s Building Department, which she campaigned heavily on streamlining.

Last October, DeSena submitted amendment proposals to her original $158.4 million budget that included an 11% tax cut that did not pass in a board vote. The seven-member board then unanimously passed amendments submitted by Lurvey that included a 5% tax cut.

The town board also invested $2 million and $3.1 million respectively in federal funds to replace the sidewalks along Westbury Avenue in Carle Place and the Plandome Road Sewer Project in Manhasset.

Before being elected to her first political office in 2021, DeSena was executive director of the Manhasset Coalition Against Substance Abuse. As supervisor, she established the town’s Substance Misuse Advisory Council.

“This November, the future of the Town of North Hempstead is at stake,” DeSena said in the statement. “A vote for our Republican team is a vote for tax relief, enhanced quality of life, the preservation of our suburbs, and a strong future for the Town of North Hempstead.”