With five months to go until primary day in late June, three Democratic congressional candidates introduced themselves and outlined their stances on pressing issues to a packed house of voters at a forum hosted by Together Long Island at the Sayville Congregational Church on Jan. 31.
In the NY-02 Congressional District, three candidates are running: deputy chair of the Islip Democrats Garrett Petersen, real estate professional Jessica Murphy, and former Suffolk County executive Pat Halpin. The winner of the Democratic primary will likely face incumbent Republican congressman Andrew Garbarino in November.
Heading into February, each campaign is preparing to bolster volunteer, financial, and organizing support as petitioning season starts.
And with the recent deaths of protestors in Minneapolis following increased U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement activity across the country, the candidates, event organizers, and attendees all said they were energized to publicly and safely advocate for their beliefs.
“People are engaged, people are angry,” Petersen said at the event.
A native of Islip Town, Petersen said he’s running for office because he isn’t sure if his two children can afford to live on Long Island given the current cost-of-living crisis.
“I don’t think I could buy my house now- and that’s now,” Petersen said. “So let’s extrapolate that 10 to 15 years from now, when my son’s out on his own working a job, how is he going to be able to afford to live here?”
Petersen describes himself as “unapologetically progressive” and says he wants to see policy issues such as universal health care, Medicare for all, and universal childcare placed under the umbrella of a 21st-century “New Deal.”
Petersen added that if these goals don’t materialize if he’s elected to Congress, he would at least want to bring back the Affordable Care Act’s public option.
Regarding potential ICE reforms and immigration issues, Petersen said that the Department of Homeland Security is not needed, and that sections of the department “that are useful,” like the Coast Guard, should stay and that there should be a new “civilian-run” immigration service.
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