Top Republicans Back DeGiorgio for Town Supervisor

H on the Harbor  in Port Washington was packed Thursday evening with former U.S. Sen. Al D'Amato and other top Republicans and even some Democrats. They were there to support Dina DeGiorgio, who announced her candidacy for North Hempstead town supervisor in the Nov. 5 election.

DeGiorgio, an attorney, is the 45-year-old North Hempstead councilwoman from Port Washington who switched from Democrat to Republican when she ran and won the council seat in 2011.

Though she’s not served two years in public office, DeGiorgio said she was optimistic going forward.

“If I’m going to win – and I will win – I need your continued support in getting our story out,” she said. 

DeGiorgio pledged to improve the town’s building department, eliminate duplication of jobs and consultancies; foster a fair and “more open” bidding process for town projects; eliminate reliance on short-term bonds with “deceptively low payments” for capital improvements – a practice she called “impossible to sustain”; create “more consumer-friendly” agencies and departments; and promote a “more open and more transparent” government that was “more tolerant” of differing views.

DeGiorgio was introduced by Al D’Amato, who called her a “voice for all of the people.”

“That’s what we need in government today - someone who doesn’t become a slave to patronage, someone who doesn’t become a slave to party bosses, someone who is free and independent and will stand up and fight for the rights of all of the people,” he said.

D’Amato spoke of DeGiorgio’s work to restore the Alvan Petrus Park in Port Washington, and return it to the residents of Harbor Homes, rather than move forward with a plan at the time to develop the property for senior housing.

D’Amato had this message: “Republicans beware. This ain’t going to be a hand-out day for Republicans. It’s not going to be a hand-out day for Democrats. It’s going to be a fight for all of the people, and that’s why [DeGiorgio] should be the next supervisor.”

But while DeGiorgio got a "nice cross" of votes from Democrats in her previous campaign, there are "a lot of areas where Jon [Kaiman] is strong, said Dave Franklin, at H in the Harbor. He added, "it's a matter getting her message out."

Patch was unable to reach North Hempstead Democrats for comment by press time but earlier this week the North Hempstead Democratic Committee told Newsday that the party lineup would be revealedon May 28 – the date of Nassau’s Democratic convention.

Also supporting DeGiorgio  Thursday was Sen. Jack Martins, R-Mineola, County Executive Ed Managano and County Comptroller George Maragos.