James Lynch seeks District 9 election

James Lynch was a longtime psychiatrist, helping those struggling with severe mental illness. He saw firsthand what it was like to be poor, at risk of homelessness and underserved.

That made him want to help even more.

Lynch, 59, moved to Stewart Manor in 2007. He spent time as a trustee and deputy mayor for the village, and enjoyed it, but decided he wanted to do more. He thought of Senate District 9, and threw his hat into the ring. Now, he has seen and met people he hadn’t known before, and it has opened his eyes.

“I've gone to places in my district that I have not known at all, streets I've not known at all, talked to people I've not known at all,” Lynch said. “This whole thing has been an eye-opener.”

He hopes to “end one party domination” in Nassau County politics. He hopes to join their ranks, and hold them accountable.

“I'd like to see a change in the tone and the dynamics that don’t exist in Nassau County,” he said. “I don't think some people are serving us as well as they should.”

Lynch plans to combat climate change and the effects it has had on local communities. He supports the development of wind farms, but said he understands there’s work to be done in terms of community response. He has met with residents of communities — such as Long Beach — who have pushed back against wind farms, and after meeting with them, he said they have agreed be open to potential wind farms in the future.

He also plans to work to keep taxes from increasing. That’s easier said than done, but he says he is in support of instituting tax caps for homeowners and businesses.

“I support a tax cap,” he said. “Nassau County, Town of Hempstead, my school district, has a tax cap. New York state government, that's a separate thing to deal with, but that's how you solve it. It's only slowing the rate of increase; it's not stopping or lowering it. So I expect my taxes to stay the same.”

Lynch is also against the development of the Sands Casino, and wants to create more jobs around our local universities. Some of the best ideas come from students, he says, and those ideas should be built up and given more opportunities to thrive. He wants to improve the livelihoods of those in the next generation, and wants voters to know he plans to work for everyone.

“I’m a public servant,” he said. “I love where I live, and I'd like to make it better for my kids, not for me. I'm hoping to turn the tide, and I'm not a politician. I'm hoping that that resonates with people.”