2 Democrats, 2 Republicans challenging for party nominations in NY's 2nd District

Ten different primary races will be on the ballot Tuesday, including the Democratic candidate for president and the race for Rep. Pete King's open seat in Congress.

News 12 Staff

Jun 22, 2020, 9:41 PM

Updated 1,567 days ago

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Ten different primary races will be on the ballot Tuesday, including the Democratic candidate for president and the race for Rep. Pete King's open seat in Congress.
Four people are hoping to replace the Seaford Republican, after King announced his retirement.
On the Republican side, the battle features two state assemblymen: party nominee Andrew Garbariano, of Sayville, and challenger Mike LiPetri, of South Farmingdale.
Garbarino says his priorities include restoring local taxes as a federal income tax deduction and fighting gang violence.
"Three years ago, MS-13 they were killing people. You had bodies found in the parks, on the side of the road. The feds came in with some money for the local police, an anti-gang task force, and now there hasn't been a murder in three years," says Garbarino.
But LiPetri says he is better suited to fight for Long Island in Congress.
"We've been a champion of middle class family values. We've encouraged strong families, strong communities and leads by action," he says.
On the Democratic side, former Babylon Town Councilwoman Jackie Gordon is among those seeking her party's nomination. The 29-year Army veteran did four tours of duty overseas before becoming a teacher.
"I'm looking forward to going to Congress to serve, to help protect health care, to create good paying jobs," says Gordon. "And right now we have a country that's divided and we need a leader who is able to bring people together. That leader is me."
Gordon's challenger is Patricia Maher, a recent graduate of Touro Law School, who was the Democratic nominee for this same seat six years ago.
"What I really think I want people to know about this election is that they have to vote for the person they believe that can do the best for them in Washington," says Maher. "And I don't think the party system and the regular system that's been going on in Washington works for most people."
Because of Long Island's ever-changing population, the 2nd Congressional District has altered drastically. When King took office in 1993, the district was entirely within Nassau County. Now, more than two-thirds of the district are in Suffolk.
Though the vote closes Tuesday night, results in some races may not be known for a couple of weeks because there are so many mail-in votes that have to be hand-counted.