Fisher, 58, of Long Beach, is running on the Democratic, Working Families and Women’s Equality party lines. This is her first run for public office. She received her bachelor’s degree in business from New York University and master’s degree in elementary education from Adelphi University. She is a former pre-K public school teacher, created a comic book series about a high school radio station called WJHC that she said has been used in ESL classrooms across the country, owned a small business in Island Park that provided a children’s indoor activity center and taught creative writing to Girl Scouts. She is a personnel specialist for the Nassau County Civil Service Commission. She is married, but separated, and has one son.

Fisher said she is a “lifelong nerd and policy wonk” who intends to “follow the money” to find more efficient ways to run county government and weed out corruption. Because of her varied background, she said she understands constituents’ financial struggles. She said she supports a strong public transportation system and is angry that the county’s union employees had to shoulder so much of the costs of cutting Nassau’s budget. She said she would be a full-time legislator if elected, calling herself “relentless with the tenacity of an insurance salesman. I never give up.”

Ford, 66, a longtime resident of Long Beach’s West End, is a registered Democrat who caucuses with Republicans. She is running on the Republican, Conservative, Independence and Reform party lines. She was first elected in 2003 after her husband, a NYC firefighter, was killed in an Astoria fire on Father’s Day 2001. She has been re-elected ever since. She attended Queens College but did not complete her degree. She retired from the telephone company in 1999 after 25 years, which included a stint as union shop steward. Ford has three children.

Ford said she believes the Republican legislative majority has taken enough steps to prevent corruption by authorizing the hiring of an investigations commissioner and procurement officer while requiring more disclosure during the contracting process. She said she would approve additional measures if warranted. She wants closer examination of the county budget and believes the county’s fiscal control board has done little for Nassau except spend tax money. She has supported projects to improve roads and bridges in her district, including replacement of the Barnum Island bridge. She said she is concerned that the county work force has been reduced to levels too low to provide residents with the services they need.