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Fair Lynbrook's mayor says yes to Assembly run
Republicans nominate Brian Curran to fill Barra’s seat
Lynbrook Mayor Brian Curran has been named the Nassau County Republican Party’s choice to fill Assemblyman Bob Barra’s seat in the November election. Curran, 41, a longtime Lynbrook resident, began a four-year term as mayor in 2007.
“Bob has indicated that he was stepping down, and some people asked me if I was interested,” Curran said. “This is a great opportunity to help the local communities with funding. We saw what [Assemblymen] Barra, [Jim] Darcy and [Greg] Becker did with bringing state aid funding to schools and local municipalities.”
Barra represents the 14th Assembly District, which encompasses Lynbrook, Valley Stream, Rockville Centre, South Hempstead and portions of Baldwin, Oceanside, East Rockaway, Malverne and North Lynbrook.
Curran said that his first order of business, if elected, would be the state’s finances. “The deficit on the state level is at $9 billion now ... and could be more than $12 billion next year,” he said. “The absolute, primary goal is to deal with this deficit. That should be everyone’s main goal.”
Curran added that he appreciates being considered for the Assembly seat. “I would like to thank the Nassau County Republican Party for giving me this opportunity to run for this position,” he said.
The Democratic Party has not named a candidate.
After a decade in the Assembly, Barra, a Republican from Lynbrook, announced May 19 that he would not seek a sixth term, citing health concerns. “I did not reach this decision lightly, or abruptly, but I knew it was time for me to leave,” he said. “It is now time to pass the torch to a new generation of lawmaker.”
In his tenure as an assemblyman, Barra worked on legislation to restore state funding for Long Island schools, hospitals and health care centers. He was also instrumental in strengthening sex offender laws and helped pass Father Larry’s Law, which toughened restrictions on the purchase of gun licenses and firearms. He sought the legislation after the Rev. Larry Penzes was murdered at Our Lady of Peace in Lynbrook in 2002.
