Assemblyman Thomas DiNapoli is officially the Democrats' choice for Nassau County executive come the November election. NYS Assemblyman DiNapoli came out way on top at the Nassau County Democratic Party Convention last Wednesday night, May 9. He defeated opponent Glen Cove Mayor Tom Suozzi with 65 percent of the votes. But even before the convention convened, Mayor Suozzi stated that, no matter what happened that evening, he would enter the September primary. And as the votes were being called on the floor, Mayor Suozzi made his way through the crowd asking for support ''when I win the primary in September.''

In an interview the day after the convention, Mayor Suozzi repeated his promise: ''I am running for county executive.'' He reaffirmed that he will definitely enter the primary, stating that a primary is an excellent way for voters to learn more about the candidates. Further stating that he believes he has the ''experience and skills'' for the office, Mayor Suozzi also said that ''party endorsements always go to the insider candidates ... and I don't play insider politics.''

As for Assemblyman DiNapoli, in his post-convention press conference he said that primaries tend to ''crystallize the issues and define the candidates.''

The final tally, at the end of the long evening at the convention held at Nassau Community College, was 1061 votes for Tom DiNapoli and 576 votes for Tom Suozzi. (There were 10 abstentions.)

In addition to the nomination, the convention also faced the controversial issue of a secret ballot, favored by Suozzi supporters. This effort failed before it reached the floor.

Early in the evening, before the convention opened, both candidates spoke to the press. Assemblyman DiNapoli spoke about ''restoring integrity'' to the Nassau Democratic Party, and he said his campaign is about ''changing government in Nassau County.'' He spoke about bringing a ''positive message'' to the people. ''I am committed to bring about change in Nassau County,'' he added, ''and we have the potential to win big.''

As for Mayor Suozzi's expected primary challenge, Assemblyman DiNapoli said that a primary ''could be good, could be bad.'' And he noted that ''American politics is about giving people a choice.''

In his early evening interview, Mayor Suozzi stated, ''I will fight as hard as I can regardless of what happens tonight.'' He spoke about changing Nassau County ''to make it a better place to live.'' And he said that the county executive job is ''the job where I feel I can be most effective.''

Rushing off to the convention, Mayor Suozzi added, ''I can change Nassau County and solve its problems ... I am running for Nassau County executive.''

Following his nomination for Democratic candidate for Nassau County executive, Assemblyman DiNapoli addressed the convention, calling the nomination ''a defining moment in our county's history.'' He went on to state that ''This election is about turning Nassau County around ... about restoring respectability to Nassau government ... about fixing the mess left to us by 30 years of one-party rule and mismanagement ... about one word, change.''

Speaking of his 30 years of experience as a ''community activist and a local and state elected official,'' Mr. DiNapoli said that he is the one ''best able to keep us united, best prepared to champion our cause ... best record of forging solutions to the problems facing our county.'' He went on with his long list of accomplishments, touching on preserving open space, protecting the drinking water supply, working for medical benefit coverage, enacting the pesticide neighbor notification law, fighting to protect a woman's right to choose, establishing the county oversight board, delivering funds to preserve county services, funding public transportation.

Mr.DiNapoli also spoke of his ability to work with both Republicans and Democrats. He recalled that ''25 months ago I stood before you and offered a new vision for a new Nassau Democratic Party'' and he added that after he united the party, as party chair, the Democrats won control of the Nassau County Legislature, as well as winning many other significant races. He continued, stating that they need ''a candidate who has the proven capacity to work with everyone in this county ... to find common ground and produce lasting change.''

A lifelong county resident from a three-generation Nassau County family, Tom DiNapoli stated, ''Nassau County families like mine yearn for and deserve a return to responsible leadership. They deserve the recapture of the promise of the suburban dream that the Republicans have squandered.''

Mr. DiNapoli then asked the Democrats: ''Let us heal and not hurt ... let us differ but not divide ... let us finally win and no longer wonder.''

Mayor Suozzi's speech following his nomination brought out the fact that, despite the numbers showing that ''In Glen Cove, like in Nassau County, Republicans outnumber Democrats,'' he still won his mayoral seat with a ''clean sweep.'' He went on to talk about beating Joe Mondello (Nassau Republican chair) and ''the machine politicians.'' According to Mayor Suozzi, though some Democrats ''talk of extending our hand,'' he ''will not make any deals with Joe Mondello'' though he stressed that he could not have solved Glen Cove's problems without working with both parties.

Mayor Suozzi went on to talk about ''negotiating from a position of strength,'' and he said that ''if the Republican Party wasn't in the trouble it is, and if we were not as strong as we are now, there would not be any talk of consensus.''

According to Mayor Suozzi, the Democrats need a candidate ''with a record that demonstrates he can turn the county around ... who is tough enough to beat the machine without ever forgetting why he's a Democrat ... who will remember why Democrats are different.'' He said that the Democrats ''cannot afford to endorse a candidate in order to return a favor or to fulfill a sense of obligation based upon a long time acquaintance.''

As for the job of county executive, Mayor Suozzi said that the county government is ''broken,'' as was Glen Cove when he came to office seven-and-a-half years ago, and he is the one to ''fix'' Nassau as he ''fixed'' his city. ''Virtually everything I have done and accomplished in my professional life has been the training ground that has prepared me for this particular job.''

Speaking of the fact that he and his wife, Helene, were both raised in the area and are now raising their own family here, he promised to bring back ''magical childhoods'' for young families.

Said Mayor Suozzi, ''I know I can do the job, and I want you to know I can do the job, because I have done the job!''

The Republicans have not yet chosen a candidate for county executive.