Gillen, Thomas to compete in June primary

Democrats on the south shore of Long Island are preparing for the June primaries with five candidates seeking contest against U.S. Rep. Anthony D’Esposito in New York’s Fourth Congressional District.

Laura Gillen, a former Hempstead Town Supervisor and Rockville Centre-based attorney, who lost to D’Esposito by a less than four percent margin in the 2022 midterm elections, is feeling confident about the primaries and has already started to meet with community leaders about the race.

“We are not taking anything for granted and will be out working for every vote, in both the primary and the general election,” Sarah Carlson, the campaign manager for Laura Gillen, said. “Laura has a strong record as supervisor of fighting corruption, protecting the environment, and working to lower costs for Long Island families. Laura will be campaigning around the district highlighting her past work and how she’ll work in Congress on the issues that matter most.”

Carlson said that Gillen’s team is laying the ground work to build a strong campaign, with the main objective of flipping the seat from red to blue and making sure that people come out to vote in the June primary.

Based on a district-wide survey of 464 Democratic primary voters, conducted by Public Policy Polling in October 2023, Gillen is favored 43 percent higher than her opponents.

New York state Sen. Kevin Thomas, a Levittown native who represents the sixth district on Long Island, announced his intentions back in July. Since then, his campaign spokesperson said, they have hit the ground running.

“In our first fundraising quarter we outraised our primary opponent,” Alexa Kennedy, campaign manager for Kevin Thomas, said. “With our proven track record of delivering for the NY-4 and winning tough races in this district, we are confident and committed to winning this race and better serving Long Island.”

Thomas will be putting it all on the line for the opportunity to run against D’Esposito in November, leaving a vacancy in the sixth Senate district, which covers Rockville Centre, Baldwin, Freeport, Uniondale, Hempstead, Lakeview, Roosevelt, Westbury, West Hempstead, Garden City, Carle Place and a portion of Oceanside.

Two candidates have already thrown their hats into the ring—Assemblywoman Taylor Darling and Nassau County Legislator Siela Bynoe—who have both expressed an interest in running for the Democratic Party line in the June primary.

During his time in office he has worked with a Democratic majority in Albany to cap property taxes, protect drinking water for Nassau County residents, funded veteran services and mental health care, and codified the right to an abortion into New York law.

Leading up to the Democratic primary on June 25, three other candidates have thrown their hats in the ring seeking the party endorsement including Patricia Maher of Baldwin, Gian Jones of Rockaway Beach and Lawrence Henry. Olympic gold medalist figure skater Sarah Hughes, a native of Great Neck who had initially expressed an interest in running for the Congressional seat, announced in September that she decided to bow out, citing a frustration with politics.

Gillen and Thomas are currently the front-runners seeking to contend against the incumbent for his seat in Washington.

D’Esposito, despite having the support of the Republican majority has had to navigate many unexpected challenges within the GOP during his first year in office, including the removal of former House Speaker Kevin McCarthy and the expulsion of George Santos. He has also represented the south shore communities of Long Island against plans for an offshore windfarm project, the implementation of congestion pricing, and efforts to repeal the $10,000 State and Local Tax Deduction cap.