A Long Island congressional race Considered one of the closest elections in the state, the election could have ramifications well beyond November — as local Democrats and Republicans struggle to score a messaging win.
First-time election contest between Republicans Anthony D'Esposito and Democrat Laura Gillan It's an opportunity for Democrats to regain their strength on the island after being defeated in three election cycles — while Republicans are looking for a win that proves the region is becoming reliably red.
Democrats — who have taken some hits in the region in recent years because of a backlash to the state Legislature’s liberal criminal justice reforms — are hoping this time Gillan will unseat D’Esposito in the 4th District, even though Gillan defeated D’Esposito by more than 10,000 votes just two years ago.
D'Esposito is ahead by 6 percentage points in the reelection bid, according to an internal election poll conducted in mid-August by McLaughlin Associates, and leads 48% to 42% in the district that borders New York City.
“Laura Gillan has been rejected twice. She will be rejected a third time,” D'Esposito said of his opponent, who lost her own re-election bid in 2019 despite becoming the first Democrat to win the seat in a century.
Gillan said she is campaigning as an “independent” pro-security Democrat who has denounced a state law that prevents judges from setting cash bail for many crimes. She also said she supports tighter border security.
“We need to seal our border. (D'Esposito) failed to do that,” he said.
The congressman said he supports policies to deport immigrants who enter the country illegally, particularly those who commit crimes — and he criticized Gillan for her support for President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris, whom he called “the two people who created a disaster at the border.”
Gillen is taking a strategy similar to some other Democrats in this year's election, saying she will defend abortion rights in the first election since the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade. She has criticized her opponent for allegedly changing his stance on the issue.
“I've been a consistent supporter of reproductive rights,” she said.
D'Esposito responded, “I would never support a nationwide abortion ban. I have never supported it and I never will.”
He said he supports in-vitro fertilization and called Gillen's anti-abortion effort “her entire campaign.”
The 4th district includes parts of Nassau County bordering Queens, including Hempstead, Valley Stream, Uniondale and Freeport. Approximately 40% of voters in the district are registered Democrats, 30% are registered Republicans and 30% are registered independents.
Jewish residents make up 20% of the total electorate, according to the analysis, with the number of Orthodox residents in the five towns voting Republican also rising.
With the presidential race heading into the race, some insiders say Democratic candidate Harris is a “wild card” if she gets strong support from the district's large Black population against GOP candidate Donald Trump.
D'Esposito's internal poll showed Trump and Harris with 46% of the vote, while independent candidate Robert Kennedy Jr. — who has since dropped out of the race — had 5%.
President Biden carried the district over Trump 55% to 45% in 2020, but trailed Trump by 7 percentage points in the last internal campaign survey in June. The survey showed Harris has narrowed that gap since Biden dropped out of the race.