Nassau Democratic chairman Jay Jacobs was likely to be elected to his fourth two-year term tonight as his only announced opponent, former Assemb. Lew Yevoli, dropped out of the race.
"There'll be no contest," said Yevoli who said he changed his mind about running because the party will not change its rules to allow committee members to have a secret ballot -- a move he said has wide support. Yevoli said Jacobs once suported such a move when he twice ran and lost contests for leader, claiming the open vote permitted "a culture of intimidation."
Jacobs countered that committee members cannot vote in secret because they are elected representatives and by law must...
Rick Brand
vote publicly, to make sure they are responsive to those who elected them.
Yevoli in March resigned from the county planning commission with the expressed intent of running for leader. He met privately with elected officials seeking support. According to sources, he had claimed that Jacobs' backing of Tom Suozzi's gubernatorial bid made him unpopular with newly elected Gov. Eliot Spitzer. Jacobs said he "sensed no groundswell" for Yevoli. Backers say Jacobs' ties to Spitzer improved signficantly with the special Senate election of Craig Johnson -- so much so that Spitzer is due to appear at Jacobs' $375 a head fall dinner on Oct. 16.
"Lew has tried to kill every Democratic leader," said Jacobs, "The only fear is that if he were ever elected chairman we would have to put him on suicide watch."