Judge: Missing Candidate Has to Stay on Ballot

Nearly five months after Democratic candidate Petros Krommidas vanished during a nighttime ocean swim off Long Island, his name remains on the ballot in a Nassau County legislative race, despite his presumed death. Krommidas, a 29-year-old triathlete and political newcomer, disappeared in April. Extensive searches yielded no results, and his family and friends have accepted the likelihood he drowned. His political opponents, however, insist that the law requires him to remain on the ballot, meaning voters in November will face the prospect of casting ballots for a man lost at sea, the New York Times reports.

In the eyes of the law, Krommidas is still missing, not legally deceased—a status that has become a political flashpoint. Nassau County Democrats tried to replace him on the ballot, but the county's bipartisan election board deadlocked, and two Republican voters sued to block the switch. This week, a state judge agreed, ruling that candidates cannot be replaced unless there's a formal legal declaration of death, which typically takes three years. Krommidas was last seen on April 23. His phone, keys, and clothes were on the beach, and his car was parked nearby.

Republican officials insist their hands are tied by the law, while Democrats accuse them of heartlessly exploiting the technicality for political gain. "Nothing says Republican democracy like suing to keep a dead guy on the ballot," Keith Corbett, an attorney for the Democrats, tells the New York Post. The district is in a Republican-leaning suburb where Democrats are pushing to gain ground in the legislature. The standoff has delayed ballot printing and prompted vows from Democrats to appeal. After the disappearance, they selected another candidate, community advocate James Hodge, for the seat, but they waited for months to avoid upsetting Krommidas' family.

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Ellen Lederer-DeFrancesco, a friend who ran for a state assembly seat last year, tells the Times that Krommidas "really believed in the system, and was running to make a difference and help people." She says he'd be "horrified that people were using him this way." She believes the publicity that case has received could result in Krommidas winning, preventing Republicans from gaining a supermajority in the 19-member county legislature. "I'd love to see him win," she says. Corbett says a special election will be held to fill the seat if Krommidas gets the most votes.