Long Island Liberal Democrat leadership election, 2006

The ballot to decide the leadership of the Long Island branch of the Liberal Democratic Party of the United Islands will be held on October 4, 2006. The winner of the ballot will become the 27th Chief Minister of Long Island after incumbent Thomas Nathan steps down for family reasons.

Potential candidates

 * Victoria Englehart, state Treasurer and the loser in the 2003 race to become Chief Minister. Englehart has been a long-term rival to Nathan and is considered "very likely" to nominate to succeed him. If she wins the ballot, Englehart will become Long Island's first woman Chief Minister and only the fourth female Chief Minister in the country's history.
 * Charles Jones, long-considered to be Nathan's preferred choice, the state's Finance Minister is the likely opponent to Englehart.

Declined to run
Patrick Luhowsky, interim Chief Minister preceding Nathan and deputy leader. Luhowsky will relinquish the deputy leader's position and stand again for it at the leadership ballot. He has said he does not wish to run for the leadership "at the present time."