All eyes on Nassau executive race between Ed Mangano and Tom Suozzi, now in final stretch

From ads on television to signs on buses and taxis, the election season is evident across Long Island, and in Nassau, all eyes are on the county executive race. Republican incumbent Ed Mangano and

News 12 Staff

Nov 4, 2013, 3:43 AM

Updated 4,187 days ago

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From ads on television to signs on buses and taxis, the election season is evident across Long Island, and in Nassau, all eyes are on the county executive race.

Republican incumbent Ed Mangano and the Democratic former Executive Tom Suozzi both spent their Sundays mingling with constituents, trying to sway sought-after undecided voters.

There's one thing that the candidates can agree on, and political analysts say they're right about: it's all about turning out the vote now, with less than two days to go until Election Day.

Suozzi has been swooping across the county in an RV as part of what his campaign is calling a "36-hour barnstorm." The former executive courted minority votes in Freeport this afternoon. "We're working as hard as we can, we're getting a great response from the people, and we just have to make sure they show up and vote," he said.

Meanwhile, Mangano spent time in Island Park today, meeting with voters and announcing plans to redevelop property in the area.

The latest News 12/Newsday/Siena College poll released yesterday shows Mangano leading Suozzi by 11 percentage points among a sample of likely voters, but Mangano says he's taking nothing for granted. "We're out trying to meet as many residents as possible, we're very encouraged by their support," he said.

Despite the barrage of political ads and the "boots on the ground" approach of late, there are still Nassau voters who haven't made up their mind. Dorothy Valentine, of Merrick, says after eight years of Suozzi in office and then four of Mangano, she's likely to stay home on Election day, rather than pick between the two.

"They're telling you they're going to do something and the history of what they've done in the past says its not so," she says.

Last time around, Mangano defeated Suozzi by less than 400 votes.