A special election will be held in the 15th Assembly District on Tuesday, May 24 to fill the seat being vacated by Assemblywoman Donna Ferrara. Ferrara, a Republican who has held the seat since first being elected in 1992, is resigning in order to take a job as commissioner with the New York State Workers Compensation Board.

In March, the assemblywoman was nominated by Governor George Pataki to serve the seven-year commissioner's term and on April 12, the New York State Senate confirmed Ferrara for the $90,800 a year position. The nomination, however, came less than a month after questions arose regarding Ferrara's full-time residence within the district.

In mid-2004 Ferrara sold her Salisbury home and was allegedly renting a house on Walters Avenue in Syosset. However, Oyster Bay Town officials state that Ferrara never lived there, thus sparking controversy over whether or not the assemblywoman was a resident of the district at the time of the election. Ferrara has denied allegations, stating that she did reside in the 15th A.D. for a full year prior to being re-elected. As of press time, an inquiry by the Nassau County District Attorney's Office is still under way.

In a previous article, Anthony Santino, Hempstead Town Councilman and spokesperson for Republican Chairman Joseph Mondello, confirmed Hicksville resident Robert Walker for the Republican ticket. Walker, a Nassau GOP executive and deputy commissioner of the town's parks department, is the son of Oyster Bay Town Councilwoman Rose Marie Walker.

Back in March, Democratic Chairman Jay Jacobs said he favored Old Westbury resident Richard Taubman, who ran against Ferrara in 2004, as the party's candidate; the Great Neck-based gynecologist has opted not to run. As of press time, the Democratic party had not yet chosen a candidate.

Whoever wins the special election will have to seek re-election in Nov. 2006 - when Ferrara's two-year assembly term would have normally been up.