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Martins, in stark contrast, started working Elmont, Floral Park, Franklin Square and Stewart Manor in a surgical way on a daily basis. Politically, the organization of Joseph Cairo, Joe Ra, John Ciotti and Assemblyman Tom Alfano joined forces and developed a street based campaign that was termed by one Elmont PTA leader as “shock and awe.” Working in concert with the political leaders were Caribbean leaders, Elmont Memorial, Sewanhaka and College students who walked in neighborhoods daily and started to go to New Cassell, Westbury, Carle Place, New Hyde Park to walk door to door.

Martins low-key approach and Cairo’s style of shake every hand and talk to everyone style of campaigning was beginning to work. Alfano’s campaign organization made up of young people and college students were highly motivated. When asked why they were involved one student noted, “Craig Johnson has done nothing for Elmont. Instead all he does is cause problems and drama. He’s a bull that brings his own china shop with him. People were sick of him.”

There were several turning points for the Martins Campaign momentum in Elmont, Franklin Square and Floral Park:

1. Caribbean Leaders outside of Civics met Martins and felt comfortable with making the switch. One Haitian leader noted, “he thanked me for sitting down with him. Craig made me feel that I owed him.”
2. Johnson choosing Civic Leader Mimi Pierre Johnson for Assembly, losing the Primary, having petition fraud, signatures of dead people and forged petitions.
3. Martins not promising school leaders anything and everything, instead saying- “give me a chance to do what’s right and you will always have an open door.”
4. The Cairo campaign organization sending troops into North Hempstead and fighting the election Port Washington, Manhasset and the Southern Tier for 4 straight solid weeks of daily door to door.
5. The Alfano College and High School organization walking, polling staking, email, Facebook and Twitter campaign that targeted hundreds of college students from Elmont Memorial, Floral Park, New Hyde Park and Sewanahaka High School. Hundreds of young people were contacted and Id’d from start to finish.
6. Martins hard hitting mail on the STAR Rebate Check, School Aid Loss, MTA Tax and Haiti Hurricane Relief brought notice from community members.
7. Martins outreach to Haitian and Jamaican voters on breast cancer issues at local events. House parties with Caribbean families in the Dutch Broadway and Clara Carlson School neighborhoods had a devastating effect.
8. AEG, Belmont and Johnson Twitter of Porn Tapes. It was icing on the cake. Members of St. Vincent DePaul and St. Boniface Church were horrified when shown the Johnson Twitter posting of “Porn Tape Titles” that proved how out of touch he was with the community.
9. Martins having prominent Caribbean, Latino and Jewish members of the campaign team who helped lead Martins battlefield strategy in Elmont, Franklin Square and Floral Park while at the same time forging a strong alliance with the strong Cairo Organization.
10. The biggest turning point locally in the campaign was a Town Hall Style Meeting at the Elmont VFW where some 160 Elmont residents and college students in an invitation event came to meet Martins and Senator Dean Skelos. The meeting was run by College students with speakers and a question and answer period that was designed to let people ask whatever they want. Martins commitment to winning was shown that night when it was revealed that he left his brother’s wedding to go to the meeting and stayed for 2 hours to meet people one on one.  “Skelos and Martins motivated me to get out there and do something for Elmont,” said a prominent Jamaican leader who added, “I never met a Senator before and Martins listened a lot and didn’t just talk to talk. He convinced me that night.”

That evening over 75 lawn signs and thousands of fliers were taken along with “do me a favor cards” that were mailed throughout the district.  “When I left the VFW I knew Martins was going to win” said a member of the Sewanhaka High School football team. Another prominent Elmont PTA leader added, “the only Republicans in that room that night were Dean Skelos, Jack Martins, John Ciotti and Ed Ra. After they spoke, Martins had the place locked up. That was when I knew Craig was going down.”

Speakers and community members also stood up and were direct in their comments. Almost half a dozen audience members spoke at length about the Election. What was most damaging to Johnson however was the indictment handed down by college students who spoke movingly about their interactions with Johnson and his behavior at the 3-on-3 basketball tournament and Johnson’s office. “The damage was done to Craig. These young people were ready to fight and he nobody to blame but his staff and himself.”

As the campaign came to a close, Martins and Johnson’s campaign styles were very different. Johnson would invade neighborhoods with people outside of the community who would argue at doors with people over their votes. Martins campaign targeted people and constantly followed up with Martins himself making personal calls.

As Election night began the tremors for Martins in districts where Martins was picking up 40 and 50 votes in some districts over Edward Ra were the first sign that the switch was very real. “When we saw one district at Elmont Memorial that Martins picked up 50 votes in Parkhurst we knew we had done it.”

At the same time, the Cairo organization spearheaded the greatest assault in North Hempstead ever seen by local observers. Some 500 people mobilized and walked districts in North Hempstead the full week before Election Day and ID’d voters. The walkers rang doorbells with Assemblymembers like Bob Barra, Tom Alfano, County Legislators Ciotti, Nicollelo, Muscarella, Councilmembers Jim Darcy and Ambrosino led groups into what was thought to be Democrat territory in Port Washington. Former Valley Stream Mayor John DeGrace led assault after assault of Valley Stream volunteers into Port Washington ringing doorbells for Martins on weekends. Phone banks and “personal contact” were the watchwords hammered by local leaders.

Here are some asides from political observers on both sides Democrat and Republican.

“Craig Johnson had a lot of promise. His problem is that his staff and Craig’s immaturity did him in. He constantly wanted to fight with community members,” said a prominent Democrat Civic Leader.

“When Craig couldn’t get along with Assemblyman Alfano and seemed to be competing with him it was really funny to watch. Alfano would swat him away like a fly and Craig’s staff would go crazy. What Craig’s staff didn’t realize was that when they bad-mouthed Alfano they were bad-mouthing a person that was like a part of the Elmont family. He should of told his staff to shut up. Instead they showed how immature they were,” said a School Board Member.

“Craig would come into the community and simply cause a problem from the time he arrived until the time he left. The only person who seemed to enjoy his company was Pat Boyle of GYO who pulled out every stop for Craig to get re-elected,” said a PTA Leader.

“I felt bad for Craig because it was obvious to me that he didn’t know half of what his people were doing. I kind of liked him but it was hard to get through to him. Abdul really hurt him locally and when they would do the rumor stuff it was just so high school that people got sick of it,” said a Civic Leader.

“The fire department got the Craig treatment many times. When he wants something he called. When you called him you had a better chance of getting through to Obama,” said a prominent Elmont firefighter.

“I never saw Johnson. I saw his staff and they always were talking about people and cutting people down. I never felt comfortable with a guy who attacks people and sees everything as skin color. I felt like I needed to take a shower after I talked to him,” said a prominent Elmont community leader.

“Johnson used Elmont and treated us like we were beneath him. Martins was the exact opposite of this guy. That’s why people liked him,” said an Elmont college student active in the campaign.