Affordability, public safety and protecting Long Island’s drinking water are central to Mike LiPetri’s campaign for Congress, the former Republican state assemblyman said.
LiPetri, 36, of Farmingdale, discussed a variety of issues during a roundtable interview with Herald reporters. A SUNY Albany and Albany Law School graduate, he has worked as an attorney representing New York City agencies. He credited his late grandfather Angelo LiPetri, a Korean War veteran, with encouraging his involvement in public service.
“He said, ‘You want to make a difference, you have to get involved,’” LiPetri recalled.
After losing his 2024 congressional bid to incumbent Tom Suozzi, LiPetri said he continued attending civic events and speaking with district residents. Concerns vary by neighborhood, he said, from airplane noise and water quality to housing costs and crime.
“It’s not a broad base, broad strokes,” he said of concerns from residents.
On housing, LiPetri proposed adjusting capital gains calculations on home sales for inflation, potentially reducing sellers’ taxes. He also wants a five-year federal income tax exemption for first-time homebuyers to help pay for renovations.
The challenge is personal. Being engaged, he hopes to buy a home and start a family. LiPetri also proposed tax deductions for child care and expenses such as diapers, formula and strollers.
“I think all those monies that families incur should actually be written off and deducted from their taxes,” he said.
He advocates for preventive screenings, greater price transparency and insurance arrangements that let patients retain their preferred doctors when changing jobs.
“I think in 2026, we need to modernize the system where it actually moves with the person, with the doctors they like” LiPetri said.
He opposes the Propel NY Energy project — the 90-mile underground and submarine electric transmission initiative designed to modernize Long Island’s power grid, which has drawn strong opposition from residents. He said he would speak with federal permitting agencies about stopping it, although he did not identify a specific regulatory mechanism.
“I think it’s important that we do it from the bottom-up organic solutions,” he said, “but we work with the community and find the solution that will work best for everybody.”
He also pledged to consult the U.S. Postal Service on requests for home mail delivery in Glenwood Landing.
For drinking water protection, LiPetri proposed expanding federal infrastructure grants rather than relying on loans, with funding for recharge basins, injection wells and lead-pipe replacement.
He supports enforcement against people without legal status, emphasizing public safety and resources for citizens and legal immigrants. LiPetri noted he was with federal immigration agents, when in the assembly, and saw people arrested for serious crimes.
LiPetri also supports the continued pressure on Iran to prevent it from obtaining nuclear weapons. He identified his support for abortion rights as an area of disagreement with President Donald Trump.
He said his decisions would depend on their effects on constituents. “If it helps the 3rd Congressional District, I’m all for it,” he said. “If it hurts the Congressional District, I’m against it.”
