Nassau County Clerk Maureen O'Connell will be the Republican nominee to succeed state Sen. Michael Balboni, who is due to take a job in the Spitzer administration, GOP sources said yesterday.
O'Connell, 56, served in the Assembly from 1999 until January, when she left Albany after winning the 2005 county clerk election against Democrat Tricia Farrell. She has also served as a trustee and deputy mayor of East Williston and was a registered nurse and lawyer.
O'Connell won that county clerk race (against Trica Ferrell, not Farrell) last year by 53-47, while Democrats were busy sweeping all the other county-wide races (including a victory over a 30-year GOP incumbent in the DA race). So that's not a bad showing. But, note well: Nassau County as a whole still has a three-point GOP registration edge (PDF), 39R-36D-21I. As I noted yesterday, the 7th state Senate district has a three-point Dem edge.
The Dems are still busy deciding. In the mix:
Democrats said to be interested in the seat include Nassau Legis. Craig Johnson of Port Washington and North Hempstead Town Clerk Michelle Schimel. Assemb. Thomas DiNapoli of Great Neck also has been mentioned, though he is also interested in replacing Alan Hevesi as state comptroller.
