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a political candidate in new york city The Suburban went for a night swim in the Atlantic Ocean last spring and never returned.
Petros Kromidas’ phone, keys and clothes were found on the sand long Beach On Long Island. The 29-year-old former Ivy League rower, who was training for a triathlon, had parked his car right in front of the picturesque wooden boardwalk.
As the months passed, local Democrats attempted to field a replacement for the seat in the Nassau County Legislature.
but two republican Voters took him to court and won: A state judge recently ordered Cromidas’ name to remain on the November ballot, ruling that he is still considered missing and not officially dead.
Now, as Election Day approaches, voters in Long Beach and other South Shore communities have a curious choice: Re-elect the Republican incumbent or the Democrat who has disappeared into the ocean.
Democrats want to elect the missing candidate
James Hodge is among those calling on residents to vote for Cromidas regardless – hoping to trigger a special election democrat County legislators may put forward another candidate to run against Patrick Mulaney.
The Long Beach resident had served with Cromidas on the Nassau County Board of Elections and was chosen by Democrats to run in his place.
“We need to stand up and honor his name and memory,” Hodge told The Associated Press. “Let’s get him that win. It’s the right thing to do.”
Republican voters argued in their lawsuit that Democrats could not claim that Chromidas was dead because authorities still considered him a missing person. He argued that under the law, someone would have to be missing for at least three years to be declared legally dead.
Judge Gary Nobel agreed in his September 29 decision, writing that “the status of ‘missing person’ does not qualify as a vacancy that can be filled.”
Dead candidates have won elections before
In his ruling, the judge noted a similar situation in Alaska decades earlier. U.S. Representative Nicholas Begich Sr. disappeared in a plane crash a few weeks before the 1972 election, but still won re-election. The Alaska Democrat was eventually declared dead, and her Republican opponent claimed the seat in a special election.
Most recently, Dennis Hof, a Nevada brothel owner featured in HBO’s “Cathouse” documentary series, died just weeks before the 2018 election, but still held a seat in the state legislature. In 2022, Pennsylvania State Representative. Anthony DeLuca Won re-election after dying of lymphoma a month earlier.
Hodge and other Democrats argue that Republicans filed the lawsuit only to ensure their own victory as they seek to increase their majority in the county legislature. He says the trial has added to the suffering of Cromidas’ family.
“I understand politics, but it’s time to stop and be human,” said Ellen Lederer-DeFrancesco, who met Cromidas through the local Democratic Party. “Petros is someone’s son, brother, friend.”
Nassau County Republican Committee Chairman Joseph Cairo Jr. said in a statement that the party and its candidates “will show the highest level of sensitivity during this challenging time for the Cromidas family.”
Cromidas’ family declined to comment when contacted by phone, but both his mother and sister recently shared a post on Facebook, calling on residents to “respect and vote” for him. “My Peter cared deeply about people and his community and continues to inspire kindness and unity in our community,” his mother Maria wrote in her post.
His sister Eleni-Lemonia Kromidas described him in her post as a first-generation American who loved his country and “believed in the power of equality, education and unity.”
Voters are mourning the beach where he disappeared
In the days following his disappearance, family and friends joined first responders in scouring the more than 3-mile-wide (4.8 kilometers long) sandbar off Long Beach, which is located just east of the New York City borough of Queens.
The missing persons fliers they posted with images of Cromidas’ young, smiling face, some torn and faded but still visible on telephone poles around Long Beach.
Meanwhile, campaign signs for his rival Mullaney are prominently displayed on fences and manicured residential lawns on main thoroughfares. The Republican did not respond to an email seeking comment.
Last week on the Long Beach Boardwalk, longtime resident Maude Carrion was stunned by the choice facing voters in November.
“It’s crazy to leave his name on the ballot. You’ll confuse people,” said the 72-year-old man, who supports Republican President Donald Trump.
“In fairness, you have to give the Democrats another candidate a chance. You have to.”
For resident Regina Pecorella, the decision, while serious, was clear.
“If it’s between those two, I’m voting for the guy who lives,” said the 54-year-old independent, who voted for the straight Republican ticket in the last election. “I don’t know how else to answer that.”