Andrew Garbarino

for NY’s 2nd Congressional District

Andrew Garbarino had immensely large shoes to fill with the retirement of Peter King (R-Seaford) in 2020. Since then, however, Garbarino has fit into the role well and continually proves why he is worthy of the office.

Garbarino, a Republican of Bayport, has been able to bring back almost $100 million in funding for local projects, like sewers for downtowns like Patchogue and North Bellport. He played a pivotal role in halving the $3 billion shortfall that was supposed to hit the 9/11 First Responders’ healthcare fund. His prerogative in cybersecurity is a needed one, as the U.S. continues to be a national target, and Garbarino needs no more homework than what happened here in Suffolk to help safeguard our nation against a similar attack.

Garbarino is also a leader in climate solutions, namely as it relates to natural gas, hydrogen, and nuclear power. He’s worked bipartisanly to help meet the surging energy demands across his district and the country. He also provides pragmatic solutions to the migrant crisis, such as reinstating the Remain-in-Mexico policy, making the border more physically and technologically secure, and overhauling the asylum program to facilitate faster court hearings.

Garbarino offers a good defense of his vote in favor of President Biden’s infrastructure package, a vote for which he received quick criticism from voters at home. His logic, with which we agree, is that since New York’s governance has robbed us of the infrastructure upgrades we’ve needed. Voting for the federal package was a way to bring home our tax dollars when Hochul has been “terrible” on roads, according to the Congressman, and when Cuomo wasn’t interested in having talks on sewers during his tenure. Moreover, Garbarino’s creed that he makes the votes best for his district, but not necessarily for politics, is one we respect and wish there was more of in our legislative institutions.

Garbarino’s opponent, Rob Lubin, 29, is making his run for public office. The Lindenhurst Democrat is impassioned in the fight against lower-cost prescription drugs, as he suffers from a rare condition that took his vision in his left eye and deals with the effects of costly medication. We’re not sure his plan for a price cap will be the best plan, but we sense his passion and earnestness on this issue.

While Lubin is certainly well-intentioned, we feel that Garbarino offers much more in terms of specificities and already has the job down well after just four years in office. Lubin might be more suited for an advisory role on prescription drug costs, but we don’t feel he’s ready for Congress.

The Messenger endorses Garbarino.

Monica Martinez

for Senate District Four

Two years ago, Monica Martinez returned to the Senate after her 2020 defeat, and she was (re-) elected to the body by a thin margin.

In the past two years, Martinez has fought against the proposed Foundation Aid cuts to school districts – owing to her teaching and principal experience in the Brentwood School District – sponsored legislation to make fentanyl testing strips more accessible to help combat the ongoing opioid scourge, and sponsored the Water Quality Restoration Act, which is in the form of Proposition Two on this year’s ballot to institute an eighth-cent sales tax increase to fund water quality upgrades across Suffolk.

Martinez has also been a maverick from the majority of her caucus in calling for increased judicial discretion amidst the fight against bail reform. She contended in her interview with us that she still upholds the underlying intention of bail reform, that “people should not languish in jail for minor offenses simply because they cannot afford to make bail.” It’s certainly not a bad principle, and we’re glad to see a member of the majority party in Albany coming to the table to figure out where work is needed to not only implement the original intent of the law, but to also combat the aspects of the legislation that have given rise to quality-of-life crimes and a revolving-door criminal justice system on those merits.

Martinez also rightly identifies that “affordability” is a relative term across a state like New York, with Long Islanders usually punching above the state’s weight in that regard. Martinez points out that affordability standards must be reevaluated if State policies single out the uniqueness of living on Long Island.

We’ll disagree with the Brentwood Democrat on her take on the even-year elections law. We have held since last year, and continue to do so, that it is nothing more than partisan damage control instituted by the Albany machine to disguise the hemorrhaging of support her party has seen, primarily in local elections. This is evidenced by a red wave in 2021 and a more-or-less stable red current in 2023. Martinez says she was “disappointed” by the recent Court of Appeals ruling that deemed the law unconstitutional, and she says that “when the law is implemented, it will strengthen democracy in our local government throughout New York.”

Although we disagree with the Senator on that issue, it might be a moot point if the law is not reinstated on appeal. For what we do have in stone, Martinez has bucked her party on bigger-picture issues, has been a presence in her community, and has contributed common sense laws during her tenure in Albany, such as one that criminalized revenge porn and another that expanded health insurance coverage for mammograms. Her work against the ill-fated Sloth Encounters also produced a bill that set a legal definition for exotic animals and prescribed legal penalties for the importation and sale of such animals.

Martinez’s opponent, Dr. Theresa Bryant, is not actively campaigning. The Central Islip Republican ran for the Ninth District of the Suffolk County Legislature last year, but was unfortunately benched from this year’s campaign due to a medical concern. We wish her a full and speedy recovery.

Martinez has demonstrated her ability to create common sense legislation and work productively across the aisle. It is our sincere hope that Senator Martinez continues to do so and we hope she is an even more vocal emergency brake on runaway legislation in the future.

The Messenger endorses Martinez

Michael Fitzpatrick

for Assembly District Eight

A fiscal stalwart as ever, Michael Fitzpatrick is regularly a much-needed voice of reason in the Assembly.

His decades of pension experience lends well to his red-pen run-throughs of bloated spending packages, the needs for pension reform in New York, and his understanding of government being run as a business to ensure the lights stay on and the customers are satisfied. Unfortunately, customers haven’t been satisfied with Albany in several years, necessitating a voice of reason like Fitzpatrick.

Fitzpatrick’s idea of rebranding the SUNY system to a University of New York (UNY) system is one we believe could completely overhaul not only the State’s higher education system, but also our standing in national athletics. Such an idea would be an economic boon to the state, especially Long Island with our prominent college towns, and would likely allow the state to finally profit off of the age-old New York skyline in a prestigious national sports conference.

Fitzpatrick’s opponent, Steven Basileo, 24, offers a respectable amount of work in lobbying school staff across the country to join their respective unions, but he contended to us in our interview that the need isn’t as apparent in New York. Nonetheless, he asserts that his skills are transferable. However, Basileo spoke more of his grievances with Fitzpatrick than he did of his plans for the Assembly. The St. James Democrat is concerned primarily with Fitzpatrick’s apparent lack of public appearances, no press release updates to his Assembly website since 2021, and his lack of social media presence.

We see Fitzpatrick around plenty and his management of his campaigns over the years certainly hasn’t translated into negative energy at the ballot box. The St. James Republican is and has been well-known in Smithtown for years and we don’t see that changing any time soon.

Fitzpatrick also brings a different flavor of Republican values to the capital. Regularly considered the most conservative member of the lower chamber, it’s inevitable that sometimes, he is a maverick compared to his caucus. His membership shows that Republicans can bring a wide variety of perspectives upstate and can produce good results and commonsense goals with decorum and a lack of embarrassing intraparty feuding. Additionally, his warm relationship with the Governor makes us optimistic that he can continue being a firm voice for his constituents in Albany.

The Messenger endorses Fitzpatrick.

Alexis Weik

for Senate District Eight

About half of Islip is represented faithfully by Alexis Weik in the State Senate and we would urge those residents to give the Senator another two years in Albany.

Senator Weik has been fully involved in the many large moving parts in her community. From being a fervent partner in the ever-expanding economic clout of Islip MacArthur Airport, to being in the know about the gargantuan Midway Crossing project; from defending West Islip residents from a cell phone tower proposed under dubious circumstances, to holding the line on much-needed infrastructure upgrades in her district, Weik has been there for it all.

The Sayville Republican is a much-needed conservative voice in the legislature. Her understanding of the south shore’s ecological problems regarding water quality solutions and wetland protections will also come in handy as remediation in these areas gets underway.

Weik’s opponent, Francis Dolan (D), is not actively campaigning.

The Messenger endorses Weik.

Jarett Gandolfo

for Assembly District Seven

Islip’s portion of the South Shore has been front-and-center in conversations of water quality, coastal resiliency, and flooding, all issues that Jarett Gandolfo has taken to Albany with him since 2020, and will continue to for another two years, at least.

The Sayville Republican rightly notes that sewers are a “huge” priority, noting the need for sewer lines for Oakdale and Bayport. He was also a huge part of the crosswalk safety improvements in Sayville, something he hopes to bring to other downtowns across his district with more State funding.

He’s also attuned to cost of living for families and childcare costs, a game in which he has significant skin, being a father to two young children. One of his bills that he introduced would regionalize median income eligibility for State childcare subsidies, an issue that, under the current eyes of the State, is unbalanced and does not accurately reflect exorbitant living costs faced here that are not experienced elsewhere in the state.

He’s also provided some common sense changes to the state’s immigration laws, vis-à-vis “Laken’s Law,” a bill he sponsored earlier this year in response to the brutal murder of Lake Riley, a Georgia student killed by an illegal migrant who had first committed crimes in New York, for which he was released and for which federal authorities were not properly notified. His bill would have also revoked sanctuary status for the State and New York City.

Gandolfo’s opponent, Garrett Petersen, has a wealth of experience as a clinician working with developmentally disabled individuals. He’s been a part of a study to help acclimate patients to real-life scenarios that might be stressful for those who are easily overstimulated or stressed by certain settings, such as a dentist’s office. His top priority is working to properly fund his current field of study, a worthy endeavor, but also essentially the end of his specific knowledge of his district.

Petersen also stated to us that the State and City’s sanctuary statuses do not need to be repealed, an issue about which we fully disagree with him.

Moreover, the East Islip Democrat’s view of politics in Albany is interesting, to say the least. He believes that the “perception” of New York government and politics is weak, and that Democrats have not been “leading as a party.” He criticizes Hochul’s indecisiveness and ineffectiveness as a leader, but also says that Long Island is “brain-poisoned” by New York Post headlines.

Petersen also gave credit to Gandolfo, saying he’s done a “great job” with the resources he’s been provided, but is effectively kneecapped by his role in the minority to get more than “what he needs” for his district. On the former point, we’re inclined to agree with him.

The Messenger endorses Gandolfo.

Michael Durso

for Assembly District Nine

After just four years in Albany, Assemblyman Michael Durso is gearing up for a third term.

A recent success was that of protecting State tax credits for those living in certain senior housing developments from expiration. The Massapequa Park Republican has also been vocal about increasing the State’s reimbursable aid to BOCES teachers, translating to higher salaries. Durso has also been vocal on universal school meals, an idea that has attracted bipartisan support but has yet to make its way to the Governor’s desk.

Durso was also one at the table for Suffolk’s seminar on human trafficking held at Stony Brook in August. His proximity to such a prominent issue will be appreciated furthermore.

Durso’s opponent, Steven Dellavecchia (D), is not actively campaigning.

The Messenger endorses Durso.

Doug Smith

for Assembly District Five

If the Fifth Assembly District had its own mayor, that title would undoubtedly go to Doug Smith.

Since his special election victory in 2018, the Holbrook Republican has not only been an effective leader in the minority, but also one that has elevated the near-universal working-class voice of his district, one that used to be a Democratic bastion not that long ago.

Smith sits as the highest-ranking Republican on the Education Committee, leveraging his years of teaching experience, coupled with his years of experience as an aide to his predecessor. Smith was one of the loudest voices against the proposed reduction in Foundation Aid to school districts, organizing a March rally at the H. Lee Dennison Building against the cuts. Smith has already met with Robert Megna, a budget guru heading the Rockefeller Institute of Government’s updates to the state’s formula for Foundation Aid. He’s already working on what could be another contention budget season regarding the issue. Smith also proposes a new metric to evaluate a school district’s worthiness of state aid, namely as it relates to what constitutes a student as “successful.”

Smith also sits on screenings for Board of Regents nominees. Smith told us that some nominees “should be nowhere near making education policy,” proving to us that he’s a valuable opinion on who determines the metrics of educational success in our state.

Smith has also been a revered partner on the local level, including, but not limited to, ensuring the cleanup of Lake Ronkonkoma, the quality-of-life crimes for which law enforcement’s responses are stifled due to the bail reform laws, and the construction of a state-of-the-art playground and community square in downtown Holbrook.

Smith’s opponent, Michael Reynolds (D-Lake Ronkonkoma), is actively campaigning, but made no appointment to screen with us for this race.

The Messenger endorses Smith.

Keith Brown

for Assembly District Five

Despite being in the minority, Keith Brown has not only figured out how to navigate the halls of Albany to bring about change in his district, but has also carved out a niche for himself on a highly prominent issue: substance abuse.

As Ranking Member of the Alcoholism and Substance Abuse Committee, Brown has worked on improving services for those with co-occurring disorders, that is, an individual experiencing both a mental health issue and a substance abuse issue concurrently. His legislation would help clinicians be dual-licensed in handling both issues and would ensure that practices are reimbursed on both budgets in the eyes of the State. It’s a soberingly realistic take on a very grim reality for many New Yorkers.

Brown has also worked to close the gap between law enforcement and making roadside arrests/searches regarding drug impairment and to restore judicial discretion and treatment in lieu of jail time at the arraignment stage for those convicted of substance-related crimes.

Brown has also delivered funding for the Brentwood Library, $150,000 in grant money for the D.A.’s office to install ShotSpotter technology in Brentwood, and has obtained funds for the Halesite Harbor Walk, a new esplanade for housing and businesses around the harbor.

Brown is a much-needed voice of reason in Albany and his expertise on substance abuse issues will continue to go far when our State is in the throes of a deadly opioid epidemic.

Brown’s opponent, Spencer Cox (D), is not actively campaigning.

The Messenger endorses Brown.

No Endorsement

in Assembly District Six

Voters in the Sixth Assembly District can choose between incumbent Assemblyman Phil Ramos and Republican Daniel Mitola, who is not actively campaigning.

Ramos, a Brentwood Democrat, has, to his credit, gotten millions for a spray park and waste removal for Roberto Clemente Park, helped facilitate the badly-needed clean up of Ross Park, pejoratively dubbed “Needle Park” in its former state, and secured nearly $400,000 for repairs to Washington Avenue.

But Ramos is also Deputy Speaker of the Assembly, a role we associate too closely with Albany leadership that has run our state aground during a most difficult time. A big demerit for Ramos is his approval of Hochul’s attempt to override home rule to institute the State’s affordable housing expectations. Ramos’ reason: local zoning codes have historically been used to exclude minorities. We don’t find that reason itself to be the demerit, rather his endorsement of superseding municipalities’ rights and prerogatives on the matter.

The Messenger makes no endorsement in this race.