Politics & Government

Mangano Defeats Suozzi, Earns Second Term

For the second-straight election, County Executive Ed Mangano has defeated Tom Suozzi

Nassau County Executive Ed Mangano has won a second term, handily ending Tom Suozzi’s bid to reclaim the job he lost four years ago.

Suozzi conceded with only 60 percent of the vote counted and Mangano ahead by a 60 percent to 39 percent margin. The results mirrored recent polls, which showed the county executive up by double digits.

In 2009, Suozzi was a heavy favorite to win a third term, but he was stunned by the upstart Mangano by 386 votes.

"I feel so blessed that I’m able to continue in this job," Mangano said, adding that his campaign had to overcome "obstacles in the media to get the truth out."

Suozzi said the loss was a tough one personally and for county Democrats.

"Losing a race doesn’t mean you weren’t right," Suozzi said. "We may have run a bad campaign. We may have hit the wrong message. But we still have serious problems in Nassau County."

On the campaign trail, Mangano trumpeted his record on taxes, job creation and development, including the deal to rebuild the Nassau Coliseum area. He also touted that Nassau County didn’t increase the county slice of the property tax bill during his first term.

Suozzi stayed aggressive to the end, as he tried to cut down Mangano’s lead in the polls. He said Mangano didn’t properly handle property assessments and that led to higher school taxes for more residents.

Suozzi also said Mangano's plan to rebuild the Nassau Coliseum wasn’t ambitious enough. The Democrat was the chief proponent of the aggressive Lighthouse project during his two terms in office, but the plan to densely develop the Hub area was derailed when it failed to gain the necessary approvals from Hempstead.

Mangano, meanwhile, spearheaded a deal with Barclays Center developer Bruce Ratner to rebuild the Coliseum starting in 2015, when the New York Islanders vacate the arena and head to Brooklyn.

Mangano was also a major presence following Sandy, when Nassau’s South Shore was battered. Sandy has remained a major issue throughout this year. Last week, the county announced it was offering tax relief to property owners hurt by the 2012 storm.


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