Seth Koslow (D-Merrick) insists he's just a regular Long Island guy.

"I'm just a guy who lives in Nassau County," Koslow told News 12.

"I've been here my whole life," said Koslow. "I grew up here. I live with my wife and kids. I'm a dad. I'm a coach. I'm a small business owner. And I just got fed up about the way the county was being run."

Koslow - a Nassau County legislator, attorney and small business owner - is running for Nassau County executive. He's challenging Republican incumbent Bruce Blakeman.

"People are concerned about their safety. And we have a militia that Bruce Blakeman is running, which is absurd," Koslow said. "That's why I'm telling people on day one, I'm getting rid of that militia. We don't need it. It's not safe."

If elected, Koslow also said he'll take steps to make the county more affordable.

"The first thing we have to do is figure out where our money is actually being spent, right? So that's why I'm going to audit the county to find out where our money is actually being spent," Koslow said.

Republicans and rape victim advocates have criticized Koslow for an article he authored while he was a student at Tauro Law School in 2013. In the article, Koslow cited language that speculates about the reasons why a rape victim might falsify accusations.

"The reality is good people don't get into politics because of ridiculous attack ads like the one Bruce Blakeman has been sending out about me. He's lying, and it's disgraceful," Koslow said. "I was arguing two sides of a law and how to fix the law. It wasn't my statement. It was cited to another paper written by a female judge, no less."

Koslow said his focus remains on the kitchen table issues that matter most to Nassau residents.

"Taxes have gone up. Fees have gone up. Crime has gone up. Everything in Nassau County has gone up because of Bruce Blakeman, and it's a problem," Koslow said. "And that's the main reason why I'm running here."

EDITOR'S NOTE: News 12 will profile Nassau County Executive Bruce Blakeman on Oct. 21.