4th Congressional District race comes to life -- finally

The battle lines finally appear to be drawn in the race for the 4th Congressional District seat being vacated by U.S. Rep. Kathleen Rice (D-Garden City).

Laura Gillen

Democratic candidate Laura Gillen, a former Hempstead Town supervisor, seemed to disappear from public view for weeks after she won a four-way primary on Aug. 23 for the right to run on the Democratic line for Congress this November.  

At the same time, Republican candidate Anthony D'Esposito, a retired New York City detective who is a member of the Republican-controlled Hempstead Town Board, kept chugging away.

Anthony D'Esposito

But there were no fireworks. No hot button issues.

D'Esposito sent out a photo of himself at the Southern border -- but this was before Republican Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis outraged Democrats by sending 50 migrants into the posh, elite vacation island of Martha's Vineyard.

D'Esposito also sent out several ho-hum mailers, calling Gillen a "tax and spend" liberal while identifying himself as a former Island Park fire chief.

Another mailer characterized D'Esposito as a "tax fighter" and Gillen as a "tax hiker," who will join with Democratic President Joe Biden to unleash 87,000 IRS agents "to harass Nassau families."

Meh.

But this week they both established their main campaign credentials.

Gillen is focusing on abortion rights.

She claims D'Esposito wants to "jail doctors for helping women who make their own health care decisions." 

D'Esposito links Gillen to bail reform. "Thanks to Laura Gillen dangerous criminals are being let out of jail without cash bail."

Gillen's piece was paid for by the state Democratic committee.

D'Esposito's campaign committee paid for his mailers.

Pollsters say abortion rights has risen as an issue among voters since the Supreme Court overturned Roe vs Wade and sent abortion rights back to the states to determine.

But anger over Democratic approved bail reform -- the elimination of cash bail for all but the most violent of crimes -- helped Republicans defeat Democrats across Long Island last November.

So when does either candidate tie their opponent into inflation and a sinking economy?

That's the top issue for all voters, according to pollsters across the political spectrum.

Here is the Gillen mailer: 



 Here is the latest D'Esposito mailer:

                                                                                

                                                                                  



                                                                                    




 

                                                                                

                                                                     

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

CSEA retirees file suit to stop new contract insurance change (Updated)

Image
Civil Service Employee Association retirees today were in court attempting to stop a change in health insurance included in a new union contract scheduled to take effect Jan.1. The "Nassau Retirees Legal Fund" and eight other CSEA employees argue in a class action lawsuit filed today against Nassau and County Executive Bruce Blakeman in Nassau Supreme Court that they face  " imminent and irreparable medical, emotional, and financial harm because the County intends to deprive them of promised health benefits in 2024." The new contract negotiated between the union and Republican County Executive Bruce Blakeman and ratified by members in August changes the health insurance from New York's Empire plan -- which provides platinum coverage -- to the New York Excelsior plan. The Excelsior plan is more costly for union members but less expensive for the county.  Update:  The state, meanwhile, has increased rates for the Excelsior plan -- in come cases by more than 40 pe
Read more

Nassau CSEA contract deal -- talk of the county for two days -- finally announced (UPDATED)

Image
Talk around Nassau County for the past two days has been that Republican County Executive Bruce Blakeman had struck a new labor agreement, signed Monday, with the county's largest union, the Nassau Civil Service Employees Association. The CSEA, which include most non-law enforcement county employees, has been working without a contract since the end of 2017. As of June, there were 3,359 fulltime CSEA members. An announcement went out late today but it didn't say much: A spokesman for Republican County Executive Bruce Blakeman did not respond to an email today asking when the CSEA deal would be announced. Everyone is looking at the CSEA because exempt employees -- county workers who are hired and fired at will -- traditionally are given the same benefits as the union members. But the exempts are not happy with some of the rumors about the agreement: one is that the CSEA will take a lesser health insurance plan in return for an upfront payment, perhaps of $1,500, for each member.
Read more

Eisenhower Park restaurant to be run by D'Amato client

Image
                                                                                A Manhasset group with ties to the food service business has won its bid to run a county-owned restaurant, cigar club, and golf concessions in Eisenhower Park,  replacing longtime operator Anthony Capetola. Capetola, a colorful Republican lawyer, has operated Carltun on the Park since 1995 through various license agreements and extensions under four different county executives, Republican and Democrat. But the county selected EGB Hospitality LLC of Manhasset from two proposals for a new 15-year operating license that begins this fall, with another five-year option, according to the deal submitted to the county legislature for approval on Monday. Lawyer Elias Trahanas, of Great Neck appears to be the lead principal in the five-member EGH group, along with his brother Bobby.  EGB Management Team Both Elias and Bobby trace their food service roots to the family-operated Golden Reef Diner in Rockville Centre, s
Read more