Kate Murray

Kate Murray
Town ClerkofHempstead
Incumbent
Assumed office January 2020
Preceded by	Sylvia A. Cabana
Town SupervisorofHempstead
In office 2003–2015
Preceded by	Richard V. Guardino, Jr.
Succeeded by	Anthony J. Santino
Member of theNew York State Assembly from the 19th district
In office 1998–2001
Preceded by	Charles O'Shea
Succeeded by	David McDonough
Personal details
Born	(1962-10-09)October 9, 1962 Levittown, New York,United States
Political party	Republican
Residence(s)	Levittown, New York
Alma mater	Boston College Suffolk University Law School
Profession	lawyer,politician

Kate Murray(born October 9, 1962) is an American politician and attorney, and the formerSupervisorof the Town ofHempstead, New York,United States.

Education and early career

Murray, a resident ofLevittown,Murray attendedLevittown Memorial High School,which inducted her into its inaugural Hall of Fame class in 2017.She graduated fromBoston CollegeandSuffolk University Law School.Murray served as advocate for Suffolk University Battered Women's Advocacy Project where she represented the victims ofdomestic violence.She has worked as an AssistantAttorney Generalin theCriminal JusticeSection handling prisoner litigation.

Political career

ARepublican,Murray became the first woman and first Levittowner elected to theNew York State Assemblyfrom the 19th Assembly District on February 3, 1998. She represented the district until 2001.

Murray then served asClerkfor the Town of Hempstead. She was appointed Supervisor by the Hempstead Town Board in 2003, after being tapped byNassau CountyRepublican ChairmanJoseph Mondellowhen Supervisor Richard V. Guardino Jr. resigned. She won election to the position of Supervisor in the fall of 2003 and was re-elected in 2005 with over 60% of the vote. She is a close ally of Mondello, who also held the post of Republican Party State Chairman during the 2000s. Although the county GOP organization's strength has declined precipitously from what it had been in past decades—as demonstrated by its loss of control in the neighboringTown of North Hempstead,under Democratic administration from 1989 onward, as well as the county government itself between 2002 and 2009—the Town of Hempstead remains a GOP stronghold.Her governance was marked by a three-step downgrade of Hempstead's credit rating in Murray's final year as supervisor byStandard & Poor's,which cited the drawing down of reserves and the settlement in a complex tuition payment for theFashion Institute of Technology.That followed a downgrade a year earlier by S&P, which means Murray's governance led to four downgrades in her final two years on the job.

In May 2015, Murray announced her candidacy forNassau CountyDistrict Attorney.She lost to Madeline Singas.

Kate Murray is credited with losing the election due to the failure ofThe Lighthouse Project,which she opposed and downsized, and which would have created a large new development at the site of theNassau Coliseumthat also would have served as a newly renovated home for theNew York Islanders.

After leaving her town office and following her defeat for the DA's position, she took a job with Nassau County Community College.

In early 2019, Murray announced that she was going to attempt a return to public office by running for Town Clerk. She also apparently believes that Islander fans have gotten past her role in the collapse of the Lighthouse project and that this will not be a factor in her electability going forward.

External links

• Town of Hempstead - Kate Murray profile
• "TOH Supervisor Murray Kicks Off Campaign for Re-election"Floral Park Dispatch