Machine Monopoly Politics in Nassau County, NY

Political monopolies seek to control who wins elections. We analyze 20 years of election data from Nassau, Suffolk, and Westchester Counties in New York to explore the degree to which a single party exhibits monopolistic behavior at the town level, focusing on primary competition and the use of appointments. In Suffolk and Westchester, most officials gain office via regular elections with some intra-party competition in partisan primaries. In Nassau, however, nearly 50% of town councilmembers first assume office through appointments, allowing appointees to enjoy a subsequent incumbency advantage in their first election. Partisan primaries are also exceedingly rare in Nassau, with just one primary for town council over a 20-year period. Our findings are particularly applicable to the Towns of Hempstead and Oyster Bay. This pattern aligns with characterizations of Nassau’s political landscape, where the Republican Party has shaped governance since the county’s emergence as America’s first suburb.