Mondello the Nassau GOP chairman and now NYS GOP chairman too, find himself on a tough place with the special election for the state senate. Critics of the choice of Mondello for state chairman didn't want a chairman who also was in charge of a county committee. They felt that the dual role would be problems. Mondello had to prove himself.
The state senate race is an election Mondello has to win. He needs to retain the seat for the republicans and prove he can win races in his own county. The problem Mondello has is that by choosing vote-getter Maureen O'Connell he is putting the only republican held county-wide seat into democratic hands if she wins.
If O'Connell wins, Mondello can claim a victory as state chairman and Nassau boss but will lose the County Clerks office. County Clerk might not seem such a big deal but the position does provide a certain amount of patronage and as I said, it's the last county-wide elected position the republicans have in Nassau. O'Connell wins, CE Souzzi picks a Clerk. And it's not going to be a republican.
If (and when in my opinion) O'Connell loses, Mondello gets to keep the clerks job in republican hands but loses a seat in the senate to the democrats.
In any scenario, Mondello stands to lose something.
Ouch. Sucks to be him.
