The democratic caucus recently announced that Joseph Spinola has been picked as the challenger in the November vote for the 13th legislative district seat, currently occupied by Legis. Norma Gonsalves, R-East Meadow.
The district includes all of East Meadow and Salisbury, as well as parts of North Bellmore, North Merrick and Levittown.
Spinola, an East Meadow resident, recently retired as a Nassau County judge, and he was honored by having his portrait hung in the Supreme Court Building. Spinola served as a Supreme Court Justice from 2004-2010, and he was a trial lawyer before taking his seat on the bench. Spinola also spent time as a instructor at Hofstra University's Law School.
"It's something that I have wanted to do after I got off the bench," Spinola said. "I've been involved politically, and there's no elected conservative out there. I am a conservative."
Spinola, a 1980 Hofstra graduate, has children in the East Meadow Schools, and he has also been involved as a coach in the little league. He says that "based on my background, with 26 years as a lawyer," it would be an ideal fit.
"I think I can work with both sides, and I think I can be an independent voice," Spinola said.
Spinola was given the Hofstra University George M. Estabrook Distinguished Service Award in 2004, and he has also given the Long Beach Lawyers Association Man of the Year Award in 2007. More recently, Spinola was honored with the Hofstra Law School Intensive Trial Techniques Program Outstanding Trial Skills and Leadership Award in 2008.
The focus of Spinola's campaign is "Nassau County's poor fiscal condition," and he wants to have input to help solve these problems.
"I think with the times being what they are, and the fiscal problems going on in Nassau County, I thought I could hopefully do some good in the legislature," Spinola said.
