To confirm what has been rumored for the past week in the daily newspapers, North Hempstead Town Councilman James O'Connor a lifelong resident of Westbury announced at a press conference that indeed he will be available, if endorsed by the party, as the Republican candidate for the Nassau County Executive race in November.

However, as the news briefing was taking place in the Mineola pressroom O'Connor was unaware that the Conservative Party was endorsing Plandome businessman Bruce Bent. It is not known what impact this endoresement will have on the GOP selection at the Convention.

The Anton Newspaper chain contacted the Nassau County Republican Headquarters and a spokesman for Chairman Joseph Mondello said, "We have no comment at this time, but will comment after the upcoming GOP Convention."

O'Connor said that even if he is not endorsed by the GOP he will still, "move forward as a candidate with everything I have and I will be seeking the endorsement of other parties as well."

O'Connor went on to say, "I am a relative newcomer to politics, but as North Hempstead Town Councilman for the last four years I've been around long enough to know that there's something very wrong at the core of Nassau County government."

He continued, "The people that I have spoken to about the county problems, in my role as a councilman in North Hempstead, are outraged and they have every reason to be. I'm standing before you as an elected official in the Town of North Hempstead. I think that all elected officials have a responsibility to talk about such things as accountability and responsibility. We need to be able to say we didn't do a great job, but we can do better. I'm here as a fresh face and new ideas offering an opportunity to voters. In every other municipality in the country they can do it. How come we in Nassau County are not able to do it. I feel that great challenges and hurdles present great opportunities. And, I am not afraid of hard work. So, I am here to offer myself as a candidate for the Republican nomination and I hope for their support."

He went on to say that there was a time when it meant something special to live in Nassau County - when there was a bond of trust between the voters and those who were elected to serve and when government worked and residents were taxed fairly. He said, "I want to restore that bond of trust and to restore the integrity and financial stability of county government."

O'Connor continued, "Two years ago the residents of Nassau County turned to the Democratic Party for a better way to run county government. In the two years that the Democrats have been in the majority their answer to the county's woes has been higher property taxes. In their first budget, the Democratic legislators unanimously voted to add 15.4 percent to the tax burden of county homeowner's and that's wrong."

He stressed that a county executive must make the hard choices and must learn how to say "no" to unions and to special interests. He said, "I'm a middle class kid and I live next to policemen and I depend on the police to protect my wife and my kids but there is a difference in being compensated and overcompensated."

When asked why the Nassau County Republican Chairman Joseph Mondello was not in attendance at the press conference he said he really didn't know why and that he was just putting himself "out there" and that hopefully they will find him to be appealing.

He said he knew coming into the race that there would be a primary run against him by Plandome businessman Bruce Bent. He said he was prepared for that and welcomed a primary.

When asked to comment on a quote made by Bent that O'Connor was just a "clubhouse guy" he said, "Obviously, I don't know where that clubhouse is. The only clubhouse I have known for the last four years is the Town of North Hempstead Board Room at town hall in Manhasset."

O'Connor, who was accompanied only by his wife Dr. Maureen Corry and his 7-year-old son Thomas, said that as of this moment he has no campaign manager and no headquarters set up for his campaign and he admitted that the only funds he has on hand are those in an account set up by the "Friends of Jim O'Connor" when he was running for councilman with a balance of about $30,000.

He readily acknowledged that Bruce Bent and the Democratic candidates have significant war chests but he said, "I'm not intimidated by that either. Democracy is a wonderful thing and the people always get it right."

O'Connor is a 1981 graduate of Carle Place High School. In 1985 he received his BA degree in Political Science from Boston College and in 1988 received his Juris Doctorate from Hofstra University School of Law.

In addition to serving as North Hempstead Town Councilman he is currently the General Attorney of the New York State Insurance Fund. His wife, Dr. Maureen Corry is a cardiologist in private practice in West Islip. The couple have two sons, Thomas and 4-year-old Matthew.

O'Connor holds the following offices: Member of the Board of Directors, Defense Association of New York; Court-Appointed Mediator- US District Court, Eastern District of New York; American Association of State Compensation Insurance Fund (AASCIF); Law Committee Chairman (2000); Law Committee Member (1999).

O'Connor belongs to the following: Nassau County Bar Association; New York State Bar Association, County Seat Kiwanis, Carle Place High School Athletic Booster Club, Friendly Sons of St. Patrick, Long Island, Mineola Lions Club and Brehon Law Society.

In 1999 O'Connor was honored by the Brehon Law Society as its Gael of the Year and by the Great Neck Republican Club as its Elected Official of the Year.