DeMartino, 67, of New Hyde Park is running on the Republican, Conservative and Reform party lines. DeMartino is a business development officer for Signature Bank who earned a bachelor’s degree in management and communication from Adelphi University. After graduating from Bayside High School, DeMartino went to work for Citibank. He joined the U.S. Navy in 1969 and was discharged in 1973. The Brooklyn native is the past president and now board member of the New Hyde Park Chamber of Commerce. He is a board member of Floral Park Chamber of Commerce and the second vice president of the Herricks Community Fund. DeMartino is also the commander of the Veterans of Foreign Wars post in Garden City Park and a member of the Town of North Hempstead’s Veterans Committee. DeMartino is married, with two daughters.

DeMartino said the three main issues are providing affordable housing close to public transportation for young residents, making sure the upcoming Third Track project of the Long Island Rail Road doesn’t have a negative impact on villages, and making sure the pool at Clinton G. Martin Park is renovated on time. DeMartino noted that MTA officials made certain promises to village leaders in Floral Park and New Hyde Park about not letting construction affect businesses along the track. If elected, DeMartino said, he wants “to make sure MTA keeps their word on those concessions.” He also noted that the cost for renovating the Martin pool will raise taxes slightly for some homeowners and businesses in New Hyde Park. However, residents want more assurance that construction will be completed on time. “Hopefully it’s going to be a nice pool when it’s done and it’ll attract young people and more who want to join the pool,” he said.

Lee Seeman, 89, is running on the Democratic, Working Families, Women’s Equality and Independence party lines and looking to serve her fourth term. She was first elected in November 2005. Seeman, a licensed insurance broker, graduated from Bryant High School in Astoria, Queens, and took classes at the University of Miami. Seeman was appointed to the U.S. Commission for the Preservation of America’s Heritage Abroad by Presidents Bill Clinton and George W. Bush. She is also a member of several community groups, such as the League of Women Voters, the World Jewish Congress, Hadassah, the NAACP and the Sierra Club. Seeman has been a trustee of the W.F. Albright Institute for Archaeological Research in Jerusalem since 1988 and program director for the Great Neck Chamber of Commerce since 1975. She is married and has four children.

Making sure trees are trimmed, streets are cleaned, sidewalk pavement is repaired and stop signs are erected are some of the quality-of-life issues about which people in District 5 are concerned, Seeman said. District 5, which includes villages such as Floral Park, Great Neck Plaza and Lake Success, has a significant population of seniors who want to live their golden years as comfortably as possible. “Most of the issues are about keeping people happy and in their homes,” Seeman said. “I have many seniors in my district and I want them to stay.” Another issue in the district, Seeman said, is having gas stations replace aging underground storage tanks. If re-elected, she said, she will continue to make gas stations replace their tanks because “it’s required by law” and “it’s a big environmental issue.” District 5 also has a growing Asian-American population, and Seeman said she wants to play a role in keeping those new residents in North Hempstead for generations to come.