Former North Hempstead Supervisor Jon Kaiman, a Democrat, announced he will run for his old seat on Tuesday while Nassau County Legislative Majority Leader Rich Nicolello (R-New Hyde Park) said he will not be running for re-election.
Kaiman told Blank Slate Media that North Hempstead Councilwoman Veronica Lurvey, also a Democrat, is running for the post of town receiver of taxes this November on a Dem Party ticket that features incumbent Councilmembers Peter Zuckerman and Mariann Dalimonte and newcomer Christine Liu.
Kaiman, a Great Neck resident, currently serves as Suffolk’s deputy county executive, a position he has held since 2017. The Suffolk executive, Steve Bellone, has served in his current role since 2012 and is term-limited from running for the position again in this year’s elections.
Kaiman was also a candidate for New York’s 3rd Congressional District, where he finished second in the August Democratic primary behind Robert Zimmerman, who was defeated by Republican George Santos in the general election.
“I’m looking at this as moving forward and applying what I am and what I have become to this new world of local government. which has evolved over the years since I was last town supervisor,” Kaiman told Blank Slate Media. “It’s about coming into this with fresh eyes and we have a really good team of people with experience on this ticket.”
North Hempstead is currently run by Jennifer DeSena, a registered Democrat who caucuses with Republicans and is up for re-election this year.
“I look forward to comparing my record of cutting taxes, increasing transparency, and fighting to reform our Building Department with Mr. Kaiman’s, who during his time as supervisor, raised taxes, increased debt, and saddled the Town with many long-term issues we are still dealing with to this very day,” DeSena said in a statement to Blank Slate Media.
Nicolello, 63, told Newsday Monday that being a legislator has been “a long commitment and it takes its toll on a family.” The long-serving legislator lauded the Nassau GOP for having a “a lot of talent” as it looks someone to succeed him.
After serving in Nassau County for nearly three decades, Nicolello has served the previous six years as the Republican leader. Minority Leader Kevan Abrahams (D-Freeport) reflected on his time working with his Republican counterpart, expressing his respect for Nicolello.
“While we have had disagreements along the way, I will always be grateful that these debates never undermined our friendship and the mutual respect that we have for each other,” Abrahams said in a statement. “I join my colleagues in wishing him and his family only the best in the years to come.”
Nassau GOP spokesman Mike Deery told Newsday that the party is considering several options to succeed Nicolello on the board after his term expires this fall. An announcement, he said, will be coming “soon.”
Nicolello’s 9th Legislative District includes New Hyde Park, Garden City Park, Mineola, Williston Park, Albertson, Roslyn Estates, Munsey Park and Plandome.
Before working as deputy executive, Kaiman served as the head of NIFA, a state oversight board that controls Nassau County’s finances.
He also served as an adviser to former Gov. Andrew Cuomo on the Superstorm Sandy recovery effort. Prior to being elected supervisor, he was a Nassau County District Court judge for three years.
“I’ve had the opportunity to work with many state and local officials over the last six years that gave me a great perspective on seeing how other communities throughout the state engage on local issues,” Kaiman said.
Lurvey, the councilwoman who has represented the town’s 4th Councilmanic District since 2019, is running for the town’s receiver of taxes. Charles Berman, a Democrat who has been in the role since 2010, is not seeking re-election.
Christine Liu, a community liaison for state Assemblywoman Gina Sillitti (D-Port Washington), will be running on the Democrat ticket for the seat left vacant by Lurvey, who is no longer a resident of the 4th District after new redistricting maps were finalized last year.
Zuckerman, a Democrat who has represented the town’s 2nd Councilmanic District since 2014, is running for re-election.
Dalimonte, a fellow Democrat who has represented the town’s 6th district since 2020, is also seeking re-election.
