Meet The Candidates: Anne Donnelly Runs For Nassau County DA

GARDEN CITY, NY — Election Day is Tuesday, Nov. 2. And with voting just around the corner, Patch is reaching out to candidates across Nassau County to find out why they're running for office, and what they hope to achieve for residents.

Veteran prosecutor Anne Donnelly, 57, is running for district attorney in Nassau County after the previous office holder, Madeline Singas, resigned this year to become an associate judge on the State Court of Appeals.

The Garden City Republican will square off against State Sen. Todd Kaminsky, a 43-year-old Democrat from Long Beach, in the Nov. 2 election. It's a race that has gotten plenty of attention on Long Island these last few months, with both candidates trading barbs over each other's crime-fighting background, as well as the recent changes to New York's bail laws.

Spending more than 30 years working in the office she hopes to run, Donnelly has continuously accused Kaminsky of writing legislation that loosened bail restrictions in the state. Her campaign says the reform, which does away with cash bail for many lower-level and nonviolent crimes, has led to an increase in crime.

Kaminsky, however, says he didn't write the bail reform law and, in that same breath, accuses his opponent of lying to Long Islanders.

The Nassau County DA race is definitely shaping up to be a contentious showdown between Donnelly and Kaminsky. How close the race will be is up to voters.

You can learn more about Donnelly below, and by clicking here.

Why are you seeking elective office?

I am seeking the office of Nassau County District Attorney to keep our residents safe and to ensure that dangerous individuals are not released into the community to harm our residents. My quest will be to uphold our laws to the best of my ability on behalf of our community.

The single most pressing issue facing our (board, district, etc.) is _______, and this is what I intend to do about it.

The single most pressing issue at this time is the terrible "cashless bail" law that my opponent co-authored. The law has put a revolving door on courthouses around the state. As a result, 3,000 dangerous inmates were released who went on to commit 9,000 new crimes. The law all but eliminated judicial discretion when it comes to detaining dangerous individuals while they await trial. The law has released killers, drug dealers, gang members and other very dangerous people.

I will work to implement strategies with law enforcement to make sure that dangerous individuals are kept off the street, despite the ill-considered "cashless bail" law. I will also join with other district attorneys to lobby Albany politicians to overhaul the terrible law so that judges can again make decisions on detaining persons who present a clear danger to the public.

What are the critical differences between you and the other candidates seeking this post?

The critical difference between me and my opponent is that I am a career prosecutor who has worked in the Nassau County District Attorney's Office for 32 years to protect the residents of this county. My opponent is a career politician who has jumped from one political office to another in an effort to seek higher political office and greater political power. I am not interested in seeking any other office other than District Attorney.

If you are a challenger, in what way has the current board or officeholder failed the community (or district or constituency)?

There is no current office holder, other than the acting District Attorney, who is not seeking the office of District Attorney.

How do you think local officials performed in responding to the coronavirus? What if anything would you have done differently?

The Nassau County District Attorney's Office, the place where I worked for 32 years, worked diligently with the courts, law enforcement and attorneys to perform its duties in a safe and responsible manner. We had virtual conferences, practiced social distancing and many District Attorney employees worked from home when possible. I would lobby for increased funding to facilitate conferences and virtual court appearances. I would also work to outfit the office with more technology to protect against the disease. More touchless facilities within the offices and the courts are needed. I will work to achieve these goals as we continue to cope with the Coronavirus.

Describe the other issues that define your campaign platform.

There are a host of other issues that I consider major priorities for the office of District Attorney. Declaring war on drugs and the gangs that peddle death to victims in our area is a major priority for me. Opioid addiction remains a tremendous problem in our area, and bail reform laws have made it more difficult to deal with the issue because virtually all drug related crimes are no longer bail eligible. Despite this fact, I will seek to dedicate more resources to education, treatment and the conviction of drug dealers and major drug operations.

In addition to tackling the issue of drugs, I am committed to increasing the District Attorney's resources in the area of technology crimes. Senior citizens are particular targets of these crimes, and I will work to stamp out technology crimes in Nassau County.

I am dedicated to helping young people who are at risk to embrace positive alternatives and make good decisions. Mentoring programs, educational initiatives and other resources for at risk young people are at the top of my priority list as Nassau County's next District Attorney.

What accomplishments in your past would you cite as evidence you can handle this job?

I was a 32-year prosecutor in the Nassau County District Attorney's Office until recently announcing my candidacy for District Attorney. I served with distinction in positions of significant responsibility under both Democrat and Republican District Attorneys.

I was most recently the Deputy Chief of the Organized Crime & Rackets Bureau. My career included a 12-year stint prosecuting violent felons, and I served as the Acting Chief of the Public Corruption Bureau and Deputy Chief of the Economic Crimes Bureau.

I have successfully prosecuted complex cases and won convictions against murderers, sex predators, drug dealers, gang members and more. I have been presented awards from the Nassau County Police Department, the Court Officers Benevolent Association and the U.S. Attorney's Office for my work as a prosecutor.

The best advice ever shared with me was:

The best advice shared with me was my father's advice to do the right thing, and the right result will follow.

What else would you like voters to know about yourself and your positions?

I think it is important for voters to know that I am the choice of law enforcement in this race, earning the backing of over 15 law enforcement unions. This endorsement is important in this race since the District Attorney is the top law enforcement officer in Nassau County. The members of the law enforcement community have worked with me, trust me and have confidence that I am up to the task of working with them to keep our communities safe.