Nassau Dems' new strategy: Vote for missing candidate, presumed dead

Daily Point

Grassroots campaign to get Petros Krommidas elected to Nassau Legislature

After losing a battle to get Petros Krommidas’ name off the ballot, some Nassau County Democrats have begun a grassroots effort to encourage people to vote for him anyway.

Krommidas, the party’s nominee in the 4th District, has been missing since April. His car and clothing were found near the Long Beach boardwalk, and searches have been unsuccessful.

Democrats initially hoped to remove his name from the ballot and replace it with Long Beach resident James Hodge, but the Nassau Board of Elections had a split vote on the issue and Republicans went to court.

A state Supreme Court ruled in favor of the GOP, saying that Krommidas’ name must remain on the ballot because state election law requires a death certificate to change candidates.

Now, Hodge told The Point, he plans to vote for Krommidas and is encouraging others to do the same.

“He was a friend. I ask people to join me in honoring him and vote him in,” Hodge said in an interview. “Prior to his being missing, I gave my word to him that I would help and support him and I will continue to support him until the end.”

Nassau Democratic Party chair Jay Jacobs told The Point that there’s no official effort behind supporting a vote for Krommidas, and there won’t be any money behind the campaign. But he said he supports the effort.

“I think it’s a shame that Republicans played these games. It’s just such a bad example to the public about democracy,” Jacobs said. “If there are people there in the 4th District that want to do this, God bless them, but it’s not something we’re organizing. If he wins, believe me, it’ll make my day.”

Other Democratic Party sources said the fact that the Nassau GOP chose to sue over the issue has led some voters to seek an alternative to Republican Patrick Mullaney, the incumbent legislator in the 4th LD.

“The thought is if the Republicans are going to literally sue to keep a deceased man on the ballot, everybody should vote for him,” one Democratic Party source said. “If you won’t give us a choice, we’re going to vote for our guy and we’ll force you to give us a choice.”

Said another Nassau Democratic Party source: “I think it is unlikely that Petros would win, but they should be doing everything possible to promote what has happened and to urge people to vote for him.”

Nassau GOP chairman Joe Cairo did not directly respond to The Point’s queries about the campaign for Krommidas, instead emphasizing that he had “the deepest sympathy” for Krommidas’ family “during this troubling and uncertain time.”

Cairo said in a statement that the county Republican committee “was completely supportive” of the possibility of removing Krommidas’ name from the ballot “as long as the law permitted such an action.”

“The Krommidas family remains in my thoughts and prayers, and the Republican Party and its candidates are sensitive to the Krommidas family as they cope with painful uncertainties and grief,” Cairo said.

If Krommidas were to win, he would not be able to assume the role in January. That in turn would trigger a special election, likely sometime in February, according to James Scheuerman, the Nassau Board of Elections’ Democratic commissioner. Candidates would be chosen by the parties.

Hodge issued a “call to action” encouraging voters in the 4th Legislative District to support Krommidas.

“I want to help him to get the victory he was working so hard for,” Hodge said. “I am trying to finish what Petros started.”

— Randi F. Marshall randi.marshall@newsday.com

Pencil Point

Brain drain

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