Islanders Fans are Unenthusiastic about Kate Murray’s Run for Hempstead Town Clerk

Gabriella Varano
Nov 5 · 3 min read

Murray is confident, but some fans are holding a grudge.

New York Islanders signage at the Nassau Veterans Memorial Coliseum. Photo courtesy of Gabby Varano.

After a four-year hiatus, Kate Murray, former town supervisor, is campaigning for a public office. This time, she’s running under Don Clavin for the position of town clerk, which she held 17 years ago. New York Islanders fans and hockey unenthusiasts alike are far from happy about her campaign run.

All over Long Island, Murray has been pinned with blocking the Lighthouse Project crafted by former Islanders owner Charles Wang, which would have renovated the Nassau Veterans Memorial Coliseum and the area surrounding it, during her time as town supervisor.

Emotions run still run high

“I was very upset about [the Lighthouse Project]. I thought that it was a really bad move. I think things should have been taken care of here at the Coliseum and I think they should have completed the project because going to Brooklyn is a complete failure, in my opinion,” said Stu Freeman, a longtime Islanders fan and resident of Westbury, New York.

Murray’s stance on Lighthouse Project impact

Murray, however, is not concerned about how the outcome of Lighthouse Project might once again sway the votes of Islanders fans as it did when she ran for district attorney in 2015.

In fact, she’s “not approaching [the issue] at all. I reject that theory because you must remember I was reelected twice [as town supervisor] before 2015 and after Wang withdrew his project.”

“I was reelected in 2011 and 2013 as town supervisor with 68% of the vote each time. The same exact percentages as before the Wang project. So, there was clearly no bearing on my electoral victories,” Murray said.

The outside of the Nassau Veterans Memorial Coliseum. Photo courtesy of Gabby Varano.

Push back from both opponents and voters

Murray’s opponent, Sylvia Cabana, has been using Islanders’ fans aversion to Murray as an advantage, as exemplified in her pinned post on Facebook.

“For all Islander fans, you can thank Kate Murray for your team moving to Brooklyn. According to Kate, Islander fans have “moved on”. Let’s send her a message on November 5th to show we haven’t forgotten!” she wrote.

Kate Murray’s response to Sylvia Cabana’s Facebook post.

Islanders fans haven’t forgotten.

“It’s really hard to forgive that decision that she made. In the end, the Islanders are coming back to Long Island, but unfortunately, we’re not going to be where we need to be,” Freeman said. “We really should have been at the Nassau Coliseum all along. That decision was just really mishandled.”

The majority of voters do not select a candidate based on how a sports team has been impacted, though Murray’s actions from her past stints in public office have left a lasting impact on some.

Laura Clarke, resident of East Rockaway, New York, said, “I will not be voting for [Murray]. I think that Nassau County needs more accountability and that it’s time to shake up the old regimen who got comfortable taking and putting people they know into jobs.”

Murray’s feelings as election day arrives

Murray said that she continues to focus on her campaign, her ideas and what she can do to improve the position of town clerk and make things easier for the residents of the Town of Hempstead.

She continued, “I believe I bring a great deal of knowledge and experience to my campaign and the vibe that we’ve been getting — Don Clavin, myself, Jeanine Driscoll — our team has gotten very, very good vibes back. So, we’re cautiously optimistic for a successful Tuesday night.”

Gabriella Varano

Written by

Junior journalism major at Hofstra University; Copy Chief at The Hofstra Chronicle; Assistant Technical Sports Director at Radio Hofstra University. JRNL80 Blog

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