Another Big '09 Election Victory for Republicans!! Ed Mangano Wins Nassau County Executive

GOP also takes control of County Assembly

The Recount was finished late Friday. Ed Mangano, Republican candidate for County Executive, grew his lead after absentees to an insurmountable 497 vote margin. Long Island's Newsday reports that "virtually all votes have been counted." Newsday, Thursday:

The edge for Edward Mangano continued to grow Wednesday, with the Republican challenger in the Nassau County executive race picking up about 150 votes from a party line that had been overlooked on some tally sheets. The latest unofficial numbers gave Mangano a 497'vote lead over incumbent Democrat Thomas Suozzi, Board of Elections officials said. With virtually all of the votes now recounted...

On Election Night, Mangano was up by 24. What put him firmly over the top?

Interestingly, New York blogger OntheWilderSide.com notes:

It was discovered that one of the lines that Mangano was on — one of those “made up” parties, stuck at the far end of the ballot — was overlooked...

Official election results at Nassau County Board of Elections nassaucounty.gov.

BallotBox.com is calling this Mangano win "a big upset" for the GOP.

Largely un-reported by the major media, Republicans also took control of the Nassau County Legislature on election night 23 to 18. This is the first time in a decade the GOP has had the majority.

One of the big issues that led to the GOP take-back of the Executive and Legislature? Recently enacted tax increases on home heating oil by the Democrats.

From Long Island Business, Nov. 13:

the Grand Old Party has taken back the county’s Legislature. And they can thank heating oil for that.

[Democrat Exec.] Suozzi had hiked the tax on heating oil to help cover the county’s budget gap, but with fuel prices so volatile, the tax was widely unpopular.

The new Republican leadership needs to repeal that tax. It’s costly, and with winter looming, it could prove too high for many residents to afford.

Note - Democrat lawyers are now swarming into Nassau County demanding yet another recount, and looking for loopholes to challenge the County Executive election results.

UPDATE & CLARIFICATION

FROM THE EDITOR: Kimberly Wilder of NY's OntheWilderSide.com has written LR to inform us that she does not believe that the extra votes - about 150 votes - from the 3rd party line were significant in ultimately putting Mangano over the top. However, she also gives us the name of the Party which is of particular interest to libertarians: The Tax Revolt Party.