Rising Star Suozzi Concedes Defeat
By Steven Shepard
Nassau Co. Exec. Tom Suozzi, once seen as a rising star in Dem circles in NY, conceded defeat today to a little-known GOP county legislator after results of a nearly month-long recount showed the incumbent trailing by 377 votes.
Suozzi, who lost the Dem GOV nod to Eliot Spitzer in '06, had been expected to cruise to a third term as chief exec. of the suburban Long Island county. But after the initial count, Suozzi trailed Legis. Ed Mangano (R) by 237 votes.
"I had no idea," Suozzi told Politico's Ben Smith last month after the election. "Both my polling and public polling and just the general reception I got from people in the street was, 'Don't worry about it, you're a shoo-in.'"
The recount, which also included more absentee ballots, drew Suozzi no closer to Mangano.
Suozzi, formerly the mayor of Glen Cove, a small city on the North Shore of Long Island, rode a Dem tide to Mineola in '01, after decades of GOP leadership. Nassau was once grouped with Orange Co., CA, as textbook examples of local GOP machines but had been trending blue in recent elections.
In '04, Suozzi embarked on a "Fix Albany" campaign, targeting both Dem and GOP incumbents in the state legislature. This gave him the statewide profile he needed to embark on a GOV bid, but he was crushed by Spitzer, then a popular AG cast as a populist crusader against Wall Street.
More recently, Suozzi had been mentioned as a contender for the SEN seat that ultimately went to Kirsten Gillibrand (D), and as a possible appointee as Gov. David Paterson's (D) LG.
His defeat -- at a minimum -- puts his political future on hold.
"I hope to be back in politics someday," he told reporters at a presser today announcing his concession, "but I can't imagine it would be anytime soon."
Suozzi's defeat fits neatly into the GOP narrative that included GOV victories in NJ and VA. Andy Spano (D), the co. exec. of Westchester Co., an affluent county just north of NYC, was also defeated on 11/3.
"I'm very disappointed," Suozzi said today. "I'm disappointed in the voters. I'm disappointed in the Democratic Party, but I'm mostly disappointed in myself. I would have liked to have done a better job getting more people out to vote that supported me in this race."
Your coverage here speaks for itself. Suozzi spent his entire time in office seeking higher office in NYS. He is disappointed in the VOTERS LOL! More like they were very disapointed in him. The arrogance of this individual know's no bounds, perhaps he will learn somthing from this smack down, but dont count on it.
Thanks Tom for the memories happy your moving on all you have done is taxed us out of Nassau County
Haha!!! Excellent work! Those dudes at your competition (you know who) don't even have a clue! Keep it up!