longisland

News 12 Staff

114LIelectionguest2_2025-11-04-06-42-55

The key race that we are watching this morning is the race for North Hempstead Town supervisor, and incumbent Republican Jen Deenna joins us now from our newsroom. Jen, thanks so much for joining us early. Today is the day, election day. Do you think you did enough to keep your spot? Good morning. Well, we have worked like crazy during my four years. Uh, we have, uh, uh, renovated parks. We have just ticked off thing after thing that was not being done before. Um, you know, the prior administration was very good at announcing things. Like let's do green lights, but they didn't and now I did so, um, 7000 LED lights are being put in. This is going to be good for our environment and good for our taxpayers. We are paving 43 miles of roads compared to 8, so better again, better for safety. This is what our residents want their quality of life, um, our, our parks are places where they gather and, uh, we have done all of this while cutting taxes. Three years in a row and this year a flat tax so I'm very proud of what we have accomplished in 4 years. I'm pretty confident that our residents want to keep going in that direction. Jen, 4 years ago you helped to usher in that red wave across Nassau County. 2 years ago, Republicans took control of the town board for the first time in a long time. How important is it for you as supervisor to have a Republican board as well? Do you think voters will be able to make that happen for you tonight? I do think so. I, I think they know that we, we are delivering what they want, you know, when I was first elected, the, uh, you know, the opposition didn't even let the Republican council people into the town board suite. That's all behind us now. We have stopped, uh, debating political things during our meetings we're getting our work done and and people like that. Um, even the building department which I ran on 4 years ago, um, you know, it, it had been plagued for 20 years with problems. Um, I wasn't able to actually make the changes until I had that Republican majority, so I know that people realize I need my whole team, uh, in the, in order to deliver for them, um, since we. Got that majority we have changed the software we have um put documents online we've broken down the wall that existed between our professionals in the building apartment and the public and you know you can't, you can't serve the public if you don't let them in. So now we have people who can come in they make. An appointment with our building commissioner, um, we're, we're giving permits in as you know, low as 1 month compared to 18 months under the prior administration. So you know all these improvements are, are going to benefit the residents. All right, North Hempstead town supervisor Jen Deenna, thanks so much for joining us on this election day. Good luck. Thank you very much.

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114LIELECTIONGUEST3

The Key race we're watching this morning is the race for Hempstead town supervisor. The Democratic candidate is Joe Schlo, and he joins us now live from our newsroom. Joe, thanks for being here. You just heard that report about the turnout, seeing decent turnout this morning, but the early voting favored Republicans. What's your message to voters who maybe have been sitting on the sidelines? No, thanks for having me, Erin and Rich. Um, look, as a United States Marine, I've seen firsthand the importance of having free and fair elections. Uh, especially, um, being on the battlefields of Nazi or Iraq and look, as a New York City police officer and a former prosecutor, I understand the importance of laws, especially as it pertains to protecting women and children of domestic violence like I did, and they're meant to keep the public safe in this election. I think it's important that the people understand and know that leadership and authority should be earned. It shouldn't be done through some backroom backdoor secret illegal deal. It it erodes the public trust. So in this election I'm imploring people to go out there and vote what's right, vote for Joe Schlo this election cycle. We're not running on what's right and left. We're wanting, we're running on what's right and wrong here. That issue very much played a role in the campaigning for this election. Do you think you did enough and what's one thing you would change if you get elected today, Joe? Well, look, I, I, we put it all on the line. We've been working nonstop. I don't know if you remember last time I was here I had a full head of hair, so if that's any indication of how things are going. Uh, they're going well, uh, but one of the things that will change is we've partnered with an assemblyman in the, in the state Senate. We're gonna close this backroom backdoor loophole because just as I believe that it's not right for Republicans to mute the voice of the people through legal appointments, Democrats shouldn't be. To do so either and that's why we're truly running on what's right and wrong, not right and left. So that's why people need to go out there and vote Joe Schnoble today as the next supervisor to the town of Hempstead. Joe Schnablo's been out there making his case. Good to join us here this morning. Thank you, Joe.

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114ELECTIONDAYGUEST4_2025-11-04-07-07-56

Another key race we're watching this morning is the race for Hempstead Town supervisor, and the incumbent Republican John Ferretti joins us now live in our newsroom. John, thanks so much for coming into the newsroom early on this election day. There was a lot of talk during this campaign about a backdoor deal that got you into this position by the Democrats. What do you have to say about that to voters and will that play a role? Well, good morning, Erin. Good morning, Rich. My opponent likes to talk about that. He constantly is talking about a notice requirement that he. Alleges occurred prior to me being on the town board. Look, residents in the town of Hempstead, they're concerned about three issues. Number one, property taxes. My record as a county legislator. I cut Nassau County property taxes by $70 million over 7 years. I eliminated a planned $150 million tax hike by Laura Curran, and I promised when I became town supervisor I would bring those same principles to the town of Hempstead on day 50 as town supervisor. I presented my tax cut budget. For the town of Hempstead in 2026, which will deliver an 18% property tax cut in the general fund amounting to a $5 million property tax cut for every single resident of the town of Hempstead, number one, number two, public safety. I'm proud of my record on as a county legislator delivering the safest county in the country. Nassau County and that's because we funded the police never defunding the police, and number 3 Zoran Mandami could very well be leading New York City. That's a border city to the town of Hempstead, and I have pledged to fight the radical socialist policy of the Zoran Mandami, those policies which are aligned with my opponent. All right, John Freddie, the Hempstead town supervisor and one of the most watchedly races, uh, most watched races rather tonight. John, thank you. Thank you both. Thanks John.

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114edsmyth_2025-11-04-08-07-44

The key race that we're watching this morning is one in Suffolk County, the race for Huntington town supervisor. The incumbent is Republican Ed Smith, and he joins us now in our newsroom. Good morning, Ed. Thanks so much for coming in. Um, you know, election day, today is the day. Do you think you did enough to keep the votes to keep you in your position? Yeah, well, I'd like to think so. I mean, we've left everything on the field and we're going to continue campaigning through 9 p.m. tonight, but, uh, we have a great record to run on and I'm, I'm very proud of that. Ed, you've you've stayed, uh, hyper focused on local issues here both during your campaign and even in the primary earlier this year. What do you think you can point to to Huntington Town residents say I've made this better over my time in office? Well, yeah, I think staying focused on the local issues at a local municipal level is, is vitally important. It's what the voters expect. It's what the residents expect and that's what we did in. In Huntington Town Hall, uh, I think the budget is probably the, the, the most, uh, important thing that the residents of the town are, are focused on in the sense that it's, you know, the, the cost of living in Huntington, the taxes in Huntington are things that people stay focused on and. A lot of we, we stay out of the professional wrestling side of of politics that you see at the national and sometimes state and city level. We, we stay focused in Huntington. Uh, your challenger often brings up transparency, a view, and the board. What do you have to say about that to Long Islanders who may hear that today? I, he never paid attention to what was happening, so you know, it, it was like he just woke up and suddenly there was no transparency because he wasn't paying attention. The, the, the town of Huntington has been open and transparent for uh my entire time in elected office, and we could not have been more transparent about everything that we've done. All right, Ed Smith, thank you so much for coming in and we'll be watching the results tonight.

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114cooperrecut_2025-11-04-08-36-02

Key race that we are watching this election day in Suffolk County, the race for Huntington town supervisor. Democratic candidate Cooper Mako joins us now from our newsroom. Cooper, thanks for coming in. Let's talk about your race right now. Republicans have full control of town government 50 advantage on the town board. What's at stake tonight? Uh, thank you, Rich. I, I think a lot's at stake. We don't really have any checks and balances on the Huntington town board right now with that 50 supermajority, and we're looking to bring some Democrats onto the town board to help bring transparency back to Huntington. You talk a lot about transparency in your campaign throughout the last couple of months. What do you think Long Islanders need to know about before they head to the polls? Yes, I think they should just look at the track record of the existing town board and ask a lot of questions why they're making these decisions, what's really going on behind the scenes. The town board is telling us a lot of things, but when you dig a little deeper, they really don't hold water. You've criticized the board as being mostly inactive. That's how you put it when we spoke a couple of weeks ago. Uh, where do you think the town needs to be more active? What should they be doing? What would you be doing if you're elected? Yeah, I think we have a lot of issues in Huntington that people forget about. Affordability is a massive issue across Long Island and in Huntington as well with the cuts to SNAP that we're seeing right now, uh, at the federal level, the town needs to be stepping in more to help its residents and not just. Sit idly by while the services are cut. There's a lot the town could be doing from uh reducing costs anywhere, including the gas pumps, which is a unique feature of Huntington right now. Cooper, one last uh big change that you would make if you are elected into this position today. Uh, yeah, I think we have to go, as I mentioned back to transparency, we have to go immediately to an online checkbook so people can see where the money's going. I don't think we can allow, uh, the town board to push forward budgets that aren't reviewed and that aren't seen until the end of October. I. Election year it really puts us at a disadvantage. So I think transparency, open and honest books really the way to go bring back checks and balances in the town of Huntington. All right, Cooper Mako is the Democratic candidate for Huntington town supervisor. Thanks again for joining us. Thank you for having me. Cooper.

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Voters across Long Island are heading to the polls to cast their ballots on Election Day. Local candidates joined News 12 to discuss the race.

Jen DeSena (R) North Hempstead Town Supervisor

Joe Scianablo (D) Hempstead Town Supervisor Candidate

John Ferretti (R) Hempstead Town Supervisor

Ed Smyth (R) Huntington Town Supervisor

Cooper Macco (D) Huntington Town Supervisor Candidate

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