Missing Greek-American Stays on Long Island Ballot After Court Battle

Petros Krommidas went missing past May. Credit: Instagram

Even aft vanishing 5 months ago, Petros Krommidas remains a campaigner for a spot connected the Nassau County Legislature connected Long Island, New York.

The 29-year-old’s sanction volition enactment connected the ballot pursuing a tribunal ruling that sided with Republican voters, who argued that it would beryllium preferable to look a missing opponent, perchance deceased, alternatively than a replacement candidate.

Krommidas went missing past May aft going for a nighttime aquatics successful the Atlantic Ocean and ne'er returned. His phone, keys, apparel and car were aboriginal recovered successful Long Beach. An experienced rower and triathlete successful training, helium was nary alien to the ocean.

Krommidas is missing, not dead

When the Democratic Party attempted to regenerate him, Republicans took the substance to court, successfully arguing that since Krommidas is officially classified arsenic missing, not deceased, his sanction could not beryllium removed from the ballot.

Under New York State law, a idiosyncratic cannot beryllium legally declared dormant until 3 years aft disappearing, a clause the Republicans invoked.

In his ruling, the justice cited a precedent from decades earlier successful Alaska, noting that a “missing person” presumption does not automatically make a vacancy that tin beryllium filled.

As a result, voters connected predetermination time volition person 2 choices: to enactment the incumbent Republican candidate, oregon to ballot for the missing Democrat who vanished into the ocean.

Local Democrats assertion the suit was a strategical manoeuvre aimed astatine securing an casual Republican victory and extending their bulk successful the region legislature. They besides reason that the lawsuit has prolonged the suffering of Krommidas’ family.

Speaking to the Associated Press, Democratic Party subordinate James Hodge urged voters to enactment Krommidas’ candidacy, saying that if helium wins, a peculiar predetermination would past beryllium held — 1 successful which Hodge hopes to tally arsenic the Democratic nominee.