Friday, October 9, 2026
Republican Assembly candidate Conner Dunleavy is running for office for the first time. He lives in Glen Cove with his wife, Gabriella, and their son, Matteo. He listed public safety and the cost of living as two of the main reasons he is running, and said that New York is “in a state of decline,” pointing to crime as a major reason.
“When I was a kid, you could go into a CVS and there were no glass panels,” Dunleavy, 31, said. “You didn’t have to ask for an assistant to get a razor blade, right? That’s an example of actual decline in our quality of life.”
He said he opposes the Local Cops Local Crimes Act, a state law banning state and local law enforcement agencies from entering into agreements with Immigration and Customs Enforcement. “I think our communities are safer when law enforcement works together,” Dunleavy said.
He added that he believes banning agreements between ICE and local law enforcement is unhelpful, especially for “the most vulnerable people” in the community. As of September, more than 1,400 people had been detained by ICE at the Nassau County Correctional Center in East Meadow.
The Propel NY Energy project, a $3.26 billion underground and submarine powerline project that received approval from the state Public Service Commission last month, remains a major concern for many Long Islanders. Before it was approved, Dunleavy said the project should not move forward because too many questions remained unanswered. He described it as “putting the cart before the horse” because no specific source had been chosen to provide power to flow on Propel’s lines.
“People don’t know what’s going on,” he said. “They hear conflicting messaging, and they’re afraid because they don’t want their town to be torn up for giant, high-voltage energy transmission cables to be built right below their street, and I think it’s important for elected officials in the area to really speak out.”
As affordability and cost of living continue to be widespread concerns as well, Dunleavy said he supported County Executive Bruce Blakeman’s plan to eliminate state income tax on the first $50,000 of income for single filers and the first $100,000 for married filers. Dunleavy added that he believes in increasing the Empire State Child Tax Credit, which currently provides up to $1,000 per qualifying child under age 4 and up to $500 per qualifying child aged 4 to 16.
Dunleavy is a communications specialist for the Town of Hempstead, and his work includes planning events like Narcan trainings, senior scam-prevention seminars, car seat safety checks and cultural events. He described the job as “rewarding.”
This year he was appointed to the City of Glen Cove’s Planning Board. He explained that he believes local planning and zoning boards should maintain control of development.
“Whether it’s Sea Cliff or Hicksville,” Dunleavy said, “the local municipalities should be in control of what their character of the community looks like, what the style of the community is.”
Dunleavy has also worked for the Town of North Hempstead, helping with projects like tree removal and planting, pothole repair and paving. He said he believes it is important to be “in tune” with constituents and responsive to them.
