Wednesday, December 11, 2024
Patricia Canzoneri-Fitzpatrick was elected to represent Senate District 9 in 2022. Now she’s seeking a re-election for a second term.
Canzoneri-Fitzpatrick, 58, began her career in public service well before becoming a senator. She’s spent time as a trustee in the Village of Malverne — where she lives — as Malverne’s police and fire commissioner, and as the village’s deputy mayor and budget director. Her late husband, Jim, was the inspiration for launching her political career, and her memories of him continue to drive her.
“He was the commissioner of emergency management for Nassau County, and he died very suddenly in 2011,” she said. “I was appointed to the Malverne Village Board, and I took his spot as a trustee. It launched my political career. He had a mission of public service, of helping people, and he truly is an inspiration.”
She’s proud of the work she’s done so far, but has things she would also like to tackle in a second term. One of them is supporting police.
Canzoneri-Fitzpatrick says police need more funding, training, and trust based on their training. She feels her experience as Malverne’s police commissioner gives her insight and experience that makes her valuable in offering them support. Along those lines, one of the issues that motivated her to run two years ago, which is still a major discussion point, is bail reform and judges’ discretion, and she wants to continue to work on it.
“One of the first bills I proposed was allowing judges to have discretion,” she said. “I understood that there was a need for the bail laws to change, and I applauded that, but I think they went too far. So we need to bring it back a little bit toward the middle, so to speak, and give judges discretion.”
She also wants to support small businesses. She says they should be allowed to go on without increased utility rates and increased taxes from the state. “Small businesses are the backbone of our community. It’s very important to support small businesses,” she said.
She also hopes to offer more support to veterans, more mental health support in schools, and to stop Nassau County from becoming a “sanctuary county” for illegal immigration. She’s also not opposed to offshore wind energy options, but thinks they have to be implemented in a more efficient way than previously attempted. Above all else, though, Canzoneri-Fitzpatrick wants people to know who she is.
“I'm a real person, I'm a mom, I'm a business owner, I'm a person who's lived here my whole life,” she said. “I am trying to help people, listen to their concerns. I do not vote on standard party lines; I vote based on what I think my district needs. My door is always open. If you need help, please come to me.”
