Ex-husband makes political race 'War of the Roses'

NORTH HEMPSTEAD, New York (WABC) -- A political battle on Long Island could now become Long Island's own "War of the Roses."

A bitter divorce has gone from the bedroom to the ballot box, with a man taking on his estranged wife for a state office.

Her office said she was in Albany, but Monday morning, state Assemblywoman Michelle Schimel was in her very own Great Neck driveway, dodging our questions about her unexpected opponent this November.

Mark Schimel, Michelle's now-estranged husband of 32 years, has been nominated by county Republicans to try to topple the three-term Democrat in the state's 16th Assembly District.

"He was a Republican committee member back before his wife started to run for office," North Hempstead GOP Chairman Frank Moroney said. "And then at that point, he changed over to the Democratic party. And earlier this year, apparently he changed back over to the Republican party."

Moroney insists Mark Schimel is not a flip flopper, just a soon-to-be ex returning to his roots.

But in the overwhelmingly Democratic district, Mark Schimel's candidacy would seem doomed before it even gets off the ground, as many constituents were unhappy that he was running.

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