The Democratic incumbent, Roger H. Corbin, is in his second term as a Nassau County legislator. He made history in 1995 as the first black Democrat elected to the newly formed Nassau County Legislature. Raised in Westbury, Corbin said that he learned from his family, "If you want to change something, you have to do it yourself, not give the job to someone else to fix."

Corbin serves on the Legislature's Health Committee and was active in drafting the County's new smoking ordinance. Additionally, he called for a task-force of citizens to serve as 'Smoke Busters,' who would report noncompliance of the ordinance to the Nassau County Board of Health.

In 1998, Corbin called the Nassau County Department of Health to upgrade its service at the Hempstead Health Center. He cited high turn-away rates at the center, as well as an average two-month waiting period for appointments. "The richest County in the nation has to do better," he said.

During his tenure as Legislator, Corbin also insisted that programs which aid the poor and disadvantaged be maintained, whether it was funding for local neighborhood after-school programs or legislation which would protect the rights of those who had been evicted from their homes.

Last year, and again in 1999, Corbin introduced legislation that he said would move the County closer to a total reform of its property tax system. The proposed legislation asks that legal, technical and financial experts be employed by the County legislature on the subject of property tax reassessment in the County.

A 1964 Westbury High School graduate, Corbin received a full track and field scholarship to Yankton University in South Dakota. In 1966, he enlisted in the U.S. Air Force during the Vietnam War and was stationed at Travis Air Force base in California. After the service, he attended Pace University, where he majored in business law. He and his wife, Jeannine, have three sons and one daughter.

Republican candidate Michael Abrahams is new to the legislative campaign, although he is a former candidate for the New York State Assembly. He stated that he plans to make a difference as Nassau County Legislator by "being the hardest working representative the communities of District #2 have ever known."

As president of the Greenwich Civic Association, and a member of the Board of Directors of the Hempstead Kiwanis and the Hempstead Branch of the NAACP, Abrahams has actively addressed issues such as job development, improved housing, crime reduction and lower taxes. By working with Mayor James Garner of Hempstead, Abrahams has pushed for the improvement of many streets in Hempstead Village, increased community policing, and sensitivity training for police officers. Additionally, he has advocated increased State and Federal funding through grants to community groups concerned with job development and better housing for young families.

Currently, Abrahams serves as the coordinator for the Hempstead Weed and Seed program, which calls for the implementation of initiatives intended to 'weed out' drugs, crime and other blights that harm the village, while 'seeding' with economic and social reform.

According to Abrahams, the tax reassessment issue is a fundamental part of this election. He stated, "If this district is not represented by someone who has the ability to participate in the decision-making process, reassessment may not bring the relief anticipated by residents." He continued, "As a Republican and member of the majority, I will be able to bring home goods and services proportionate to the taxes we pay."

A resident of Hempstead for 21 years, Abrahams is a graduate of St. John's University in Jamaica, NY, where he received his Bachelors degree in Government and Politics. He also earned two Masters degrees in Public Administration and International Relations from St. John's. He and his wife, Vivianne, have one child.