Nassau County Legislator - 8th District

DEMOCRATIC

Hafner, 67, is running on the Democratic and Working Families party lines. A first-time candidate, Hafner is seeking a two-year term to replace incumbent Republican Legis. Vincent Muscarella.

• Hafner is a proponent of County Executive Laura Curran’s reassessment plan, Nassau’s first in nearly a decade. She contends that for the past decade, the system has been tilted to favor homeowners who consistently challenge their property taxes, leaving property owners who did not challenge to bear a higher financial burden.
• The West Hempstead resident is concerned about the condition of county roadways and wants to focus on why certain communities see repairs and repaving quicker than others.
• Hafner, a former middle school math teacher who was active in her local teacher’s union, said she wants to improve collaboration between local businesses, unions and district families.

REPUBLICAN

Muscarella, 65, is running on the Republican, Conservative, and Independence party lines. An original member of the Nassau Legislature since its inception in 1996, he is seeking his 13th term in the district.

• Muscarella said he has supported efforts to protect Nassau communities, including providing increased funding for law enforcement agencies. He said he helped pass legislation to curb the heroin and opioid abuse epidemic, measures to combat gang violence, and held the line on property taxes.
• He said he has provided votes to increase funding to repave county roads and for other community improvement projects.
• Muscarella authored Nassau’s first smoking ordinance, sponsored legislation that banned underage tattoos and piercings without parental consent, and helped oversee the transition of the county’s only public hospital to a public benefit corporation.