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Who should control the US House of Representatives?
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Democrat Laura Gillen leads incumbent Republican Rep. Anthony D’Esposito by 12 percentage points, 53 to 41 percent, among likely voters in New York’s 4th District, according to a Siena College/Newsday poll released Tuesday, Oct. 22
D’Esposito has represented the 4th District, which includes central and southern Nassau County, since 2023. The race was considered a tossup by The Cook Political Report.
Meanwhile, there's some encouraging news for Republicans over in the 1st District, where incumbent Nick LaLota holds a slight edge over Democrat John Avlon, 47 to 44 percent, the same poll found.
The 1st District, which includes the eastern two-thirds of Suffolk County, has been represented by LaLota since 2023. The race is considered “likely Republican” by The Cook Political Report.
Naturally, pollsters also asked respondents about their choice for president. Vice President Kamala Harris leads former President Donald Trump 51 to 41 percent in the 4th District. Things are much closer in the 1st District, with both candidates tied at 46 percent, the poll found.
Asked whether the United States is on the right track or headed in the wrong direction, 57 percent of 4th District voters answered in the negative, compared to 52 percent who said the US is on the right track.
In the 1st District, 59 percent said the wrong direction, compared to 34 percent who said on the right track.
The poll was conducted among 532 likely voters between Sunday, Oct. 13, and Thursday, Oct. 17.
4th District: D’Esposito vs. Gillen
A native of Island Park, the 42-year-old D’Esposito was a police officer with the NYPD’s 73rd Precinct Detective Squad, Military and Extended Leave Desk. He worked for the department from 2006 until his retirement in 2020.
In 2016, he was appointed as a councilman on the Hempstead town council and won a full term the following year. He served on the council until his election to Congress in 2022.
D’Esposito has stated he’s seeking re-election to continue fighting for “commonsense Long Island values,” and that voters see him as “more moderate” compared to Democrats.
"Many people feel the Democrats in New York have gone too far to the left. They’ve seen the implementation of cashless bail,” he told Roll Call. “They’ve seen the state legislature really try to change suburban communities into what we see in the five boroughs.”
In September, D’Esposito denied reporting by The New York Times that he gave his mistress and his fiancée’s daughter jobs in his district office.
He allegedly paid them nearly $30,000 in taxpayer funds in a violation of House ethics rules, the outlet reports.
D’Esposito’s opponent, Democrat Laura Gillen, served as Hempstead town supervisor from 2018 to 2020. The 55-year-old has worked as an attorney and as an adjunct law professor at Hofstra University.
She stated she’s running to “reclaim” Long Island’s tradition of bipartisan representation after criticizing D’Esposito as “more focused on partisan voters, rather than working for the district.”
1st District: LaLota vs. Avlon
The 46-year-old LaLota is a US Navy veteran who received a law degree from Hofstra University. He previously worked as the chief of staff to the Suffolk County Legislature, commissioner of the Suffolk County Board of Elections, and chief of staff to a New York State Senator.
Responding to a survey for Ballotpedia, LaLota said his top priorities are securing the border, withholding federal funding from sanctuary cities, like New York City, that intend to use funds on non-US nationals, and restoring the State and Local Tax (SALT) deduction.
The 51-year-old Avlon is a former political analyst at CNN who previously served as a columnist and associate editor for The New York Sun. He was also the chief speech writer for former New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani.
Avlon has vowed to defend abortion rights at the federal level in the wake of the Supreme Court overturning the constitutional right to abortion in 2022.
He also called for addressing the affordability crisis by increasing the Child Tax Credit and proposed more investments in climate change mitigation and water quality protection in Suffolk County.
Avlon has called for Congressional action to address gun violence, including violent history checks before all gun purchases. He also wants to restore the assault weapons ban and crack down on untraceable “ghost” guns.
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