Nassau GOP reaches out to freshman legislator

Daily Point

Is the new legislator being played, or learning to play the game?

Do Nassau County Republicans, who hold an 11-8 advantage in the county legislature, need to work with Democrats?

Bipartisanship sounds good when courting independent voters, but in practice, it often falls short, especially in Nassau. Republicans control the legislature and hold all countywide offices, despite a 71,000 disadvantage in enrolled active voters. The Nassau County Republican Committee calls the shots, and Democrats often have to settle for crumbs.

Take the Community Revitalization Grants. According to Minority Leader Delia DeRiggi-Whitton (D-Glen Cove), Republicans only approved two member grants for community projects out of 60 total last year. That doesn't include 14 grants for first responders that were played up by Republicans with oversized novelty checks that still haven't received real checks, DeRiggi-Whitton told The Point.

But Republicans need 13 votes to bond out for major public works projects that cost tens of millions of dollars. And that means Democrats do have some leverage. Last year, Democrats held up $420 million in bonds over earmarks.

So, how should a freshman legislator approach this tension?

Legis. Cynthia Nuñez is an independent who ran on the Democratic Party line last year for the county's 14th Legislative District, which comprises mostly Valley Stream. In a News 12 Long Island interview last week, she said she didn't "anticipate that we would have too much of an issue" working with Republicans. "I'm committed to working with both sides of the aisle" because problems like flood mitigation aren't "a Republican or Democrat issue."

Sources told The Point that Republican operatives have reached out to Nuñez and that Nassau County Executive Bruce Blakeman had a one-on-one chat with her during the swearing-in ceremony at the Cradle of Aviation Museum earlier this month.

In a statement to The Point, Nuñez said: "The challenges Nassau County residents face every day are about quality of life and good governance, not partisan labels."

Coming from experience, DeRiggi-Whitton told The Point that Republicans under former County Executive Edward Mangano and Blakeman tried to divide and conquer the Democratic caucus.

"They try to pick us off," DeRiggi-Whitton said. "I have had very serious conversations with each and every one that they need to walk in with open eyes as far as what might be the intent behind collaborating" with Republicans.

One Nassau political operative told The Point that Nuñez is "walking a fine line" between getting possible earmarks for her district by working with Republicans and alienating Democrats.

"I truly believe the best way to deal with this administration is as a unified team," DeRiggi-Whitton said, adding that if one or two Democrats work with Republicans to give them the votes for bonding projects, "What happens to the rest of our members? I do not want to see that happen under my watch. Conversations happen but just be aware that sometimes the intent isn't as good-willed as it appears or is being presented."

Maybe Nassau Republicans are courting Nuñez because she is a freshman legislator they deem receptive to bipartisanship. Or perhaps they see an opportunity to create a wedge in the minority caucus. Either way, Republicans will eventually need votes to get public works bonding projects approved. Maybe Democrats — including Nuñez — will use that leverage to get more than novelty checks for projects in their districts.

— Mark Nolan mark.nolan@newsday.com

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Quick Points

Bracing for Bruce

• In hyping Nassau County Executive Bruce Blakeman for his run for governor, President Donald Trump may have inadvertently channeled an old internet prank. On his social media platform, Trump announced: "BRUCE BLAKEMAN WILL NEVER LET YOU DOWN!" Are we about to get Rickrolled, a la singer Rick Astley, or in this case, Bruceblasted?
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— Mark Nolan mark.nolan@newsday.com

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