Year in Politics Brought Change and Familiar Faces

By Joe Dowd

Although the incumbents from both parties stayed in office, 2013 was a year of changes and anticipation. 

There were those who retained power and those who looked to expand power.

We also saw an regular face in Massapequa Park become a new face in Town Hall.

Here's a look at the top government stories in 2013: 

• Peter King mulls a run for the presidency. Will he or won't he?  The Seaford Republican who, in the past, has represented Plainview, made several trips to New Hampshire in 2013.
• King was also very critical of his own party at one point saying, "this party is going nuts.
• Here in Nassau County, voters decided to stay the course by electing County Executive  Ed Mangano to a second term.
  
• Oyster Bay Town Supervisor John Venditto won a ninth term.
• One new face in town government was Town Clerk James Altadonna who stepped down as Massapequa Park mayor after being elected to a seventh term.
• Councilwoman Michele Johnson was appointed to fill a vacancy on the Oyster Bay Town Board in June. She then successfully ran for a new term on the board in November.
• Voters in the Town of Oyster Bay overwhelmingly approved a proposed land sale in a vote that was seen as a blow to advocates of a mega mall in Syosset.
• New York Assemblyman Charles Lavine, D-Glen Cove, worked hard to develop a memorial to the so called "Comfort Women" of World War II and is active on the development of an armor museum at the Old Bethpage Restoration Village.
• Nassau Legislator Judy Jacobs, D-Woodbury, continued to be an outspoken voice of the Democratic minority. She was also seen everywhere, from homecoming games to community groupsvisiting with constituents.