The Sixth District includes East Shoreham, Miller Place, Ridge, Rocky Point, Shoreham, Sound Beach, Upton, Yaphank, and parts of Coram, Middle Island, and Mount Sinai.
Two years ago, we argued that Chad Lennon would make for a unique and needed niche on the horseshoe.
We think we’ve been vindicated in that stance.
But it’s not us who stands to benefit from his freshman term as a Legislator; the Veteran population certainly does.
The Rocky Point Conservative is a Marine Corps Veteran who led troops in combat in Afghanistan, for which he received a Purple Heart. Lennon still serves as a Reservist. Lennon has made Veterans’ issues the top priority of his tenure, including sponsoring a successful bill to have Suffolk County recognize the Veterans Suicide Awareness and Remembrance (SAR) Flag – a nation-leading initiative. While the issue was contentious among Veterans, Lennon was able to work the legislation into a palatable proposal that now sees the SAR flag waving proudly at Armed Forces Plaza at the County Center in Hauppauge.
One of Lennon’s first bills signed by County Executive Ed Romaine (R-Center Moriches) was that of designated September 22 as Veteran Suicide Awareness and Remembrance Day.
Lennon has also been an ardent researcher in human trafficking, hosting roundtables and ensuring a tight relationship with the District Attorney’s office to help curb the issue in the more troubled parts of his district.
Lennon also makes national news for his demonstrations in support of the SAR issue, including kayaking across the Long Island Sound from Connecticut to Port Jefferson, and embarking upon a sixty-six-mile hike with the SAR flag from Orient at the tip of the North Fork to Hauppauge.
Vice Chair of the Veterans Committee, he was also recently promoted to USMC Lieutenant Colonel.
Soft-spoken, yet firm in his stances, Lennon is perhaps the strongest voice for the second largest Veterans population in the nation in Suffolk County. The Veterans groups and non-profits have stable footing with someone like Lennon lobbying for them in Hauppauge. With just two years under his belt, we’re interested to see how he continues his current path.
Lennon faces Kevin B. O’Shaughnessy, a Miller Place Democrat who is not actively campaigning. One of two Conservatives on the Legislature, Lennon is also carrying the Republican line.
The Messenger endorses Lennon.
