Voter's Guide 2010: The Candidates

It's Election Day tomorrow, Nov. 2, and polls everywhere will be open from 6 a.m. to 9 p.m. Visit this website to find your local polling location. Most registered voters in Bayport and Blue Point will either vote at the Bayport-Blue Point Public Library (use back entrance, polls are in the community room) or Bayport-Blue Point High School, in the gymnasium. 

Before you vote, read the following, which provides a final summary of the major party candidates for 2010 Election Day.

New York State Governor:

D  – Andrew Cuomo  – As New York Attorney General, Cuomo investigated the state pension fund, the student loan industry and Wall Street corruption. As governor, Cuomo says he will consolidate state government and focus on revitalizing New York by bringing in new jobs. Republican opponent Carl Paladino and others blame Cuomo's expansion of mortgage loans when he was secretary of the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development under President Clinton for fueling the housing crisis.

R  – Carl Paladino  – Paladino defeated Rick Lazio and pushed out Suffolk County's own Steve Levy for the Republican nomination. The focus of Paladino's campaign is overhaul in Albany. He says he plans to declare a fiscal state of emergency and will cut the state budget by 10 to 20 percent by freezing compensation of state employees, among other budget trimming measures. Paladino, a lawyer and businessman from Buffalo, has faced controversy during the campaign, accused of sending explicit e-mails and making offensive statements towards the homosexual community.

U.S. Senate:

D - Sen. Charles Schumer - Schumer, New York's senior senator, was elected in 1998. Prior to being elected Senator, Schumer spent nearly 20 years in the House of Representatives. His voting record includes support for measures that discourage offshoring of American jobs, the creation of the Small Business Lending Fund Program, and the health care public option (which he drafted).

R - Jay Townsend - Townsend is a businessman who formed The Townsend Group, an advertising agency based in Orange County, in 1993. He has lashed out against what he has called "the Obama spending spree" and has been an outspoken critic of the recent health care plan supported by Schumer. If elected, Townsend has said he plans to vote to repeal it.

U.S. Senate:

D - Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand - Gillibrand says job creation and economic development are her highest priorities. She voted in February to support the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act and supported measures that provide tax cuts for middle class families. She also believes in increased access to healthcare, controlling medical costs, and she supported the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, the so-called public healthcare option. 

R - Joseph DioGuardi - DioGuardi believes government spending is out of control and is running on a platform of fiscal responsibility and budget reform. He also supports increased access to healthcare and controlling medical costs, but does not believe it should be legislated. Instead he believes that it should be accomplished within the private sector.

Attorney General:

Eric T. Schneiderman (D), Democrat, Working Families party lines – Schneiderman received his Bachelor's degree from Amherst College, where he majored in English and Asian studies.  His law degree is from Harvard Law School.  He served as Deputy Sheriff in Berkshire County, Massachusetts and from there went on serve as an anti-crime, anti-drug advocate as an attorney and in the New York State Senate, getting elected in 1998.

Dan Donovan (R), Republican, Conservative party lines – A Staten Island District Attorney, Donovan received his Bachelor's degree from St. John's University, where he majored in Criminal Justice. He received his law degree from Fordham University Law School.  He was a prosecutor for eight years in Manhattan and served as a Staten Island Borough President in 2002.

State Comptroller:

Thomas DiNapoli (D), Democrat, Working Families party lines – A Nassau County resident, DiNapoli became state comptroller in 2007.  In 1972, when he was elected to the Mineola Board of Education, he was only 18 years old.  He then served in the New York State Assembly for 20 years. He has also been an adjunct professor and a manager in the telecommunications industry. DiNapoli earned his Bachelor's degree from Hofstra University with a major in History. He received his Master's degree Management and Urban Policy from The New School University.

Harry Wilson (R), Republican, Independence, Conservative party lines – Harry Wilson, a native of Johnstown, New York, has been comptroller for Goldman Sachs, Clayton, Dubilier & Rice, The Blackstone Group, and Silver Point Capital. Wilson was the only Republican to serve on the President's Auto Task Force, where he advised both Presidents Bush and Obama on how to proceed with the overhaul of General Motors. He was opposed the corporate bailout of car company Chrysler.  Wilson is married with four children and lives in Westchester.

U.S. Congress, New York State's First District:

Rep. Tim Bishop, D- Southampton, Democratic, Independence, Working Families party lines – Bishop has admitted this year's race is the toughest of his four re-election bids, though he believes it's due to a "reflection primarily of the times" more so than anything he has or has not done. Bishop has labeled Republican candidate Randy Altschuler as an outsider and an outsourcer, pointing to his relatively new move to the district three years ago and founding role in Office Tiger, a company that provides jobs overseas. As a native of Southampton and former Provost of Southampton College, Bishop is hoping his track record getting federal funds to the area and past experiences with voters help win him a fifth term.

Randy Altschuler, Republican, Conservative party lines – Altschuler took many of the same punches Bishop is throwing now to win a 3-way September primary and land on the November ballot. While he says people respond better to a positive message, Altschuler has linked Bishop to an unpopular Congress and Democratic party both in his ads and in an interview with Patch. Altschuler is a self-made multi-millionaire who has spent $2 million of his own money on the campaign, and is marketing himself as someone who can manage a budget without asking taxpayers for more money.

U.S. Congress, New York State's Second District:

Rep. Steve Israel, D- Dix Hills, Democratic, Working Families party lines -  Israel, first elected to New York State House of Representatives in 2000, has focused on veterans services, securing $3.7 million in payments, and wrote the Small Business Lending Fund Act.  In his re-election bid, Israel proposes tax incentives for businesses that hire unemployed works, a $5,000 tax credit for families with kids in college, a comprehensive green energy plan while holding BP accountable for the spill in the gulf. Israel criticized his opponent John Gomez's proposed tax plan to eliminate the mortgage interest deduction, claiming it will mean tax hikes for middle-class Americans. New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg has endorsed Israel.

John Gomez, Republican, Conservative party lines -  Gomez is a local businessman at a Bayport telecommunications firms who is running because Israel, whom he calls a career politician, lacks the necessary experience in the private sector during these economic hard times. Gomez proposes cutting the Capital Gains and Estate taxes, to restore the 2001 and 2003 cuts; seeks to repeal Obama's healthcare reform; and looks to local issues of affordable housing and rising gang violence on Long Island. Gomez's campaign for office is endorsed by Suffolk County Executive Steve Levy.

New York State Senate, Third District:

Brian X. Foley, D- Blue Point, Democratic, Working Families party lines - Foley as served in the New York State senate since 2008, and now seeks re-election to a second term. Prior to the Senate, Foley served 12 years in Suffolk County Legislature following in the footsteps of his father, John Foley, before becoming Town of Brookhaven supervisor in 2005. In New York State Congress, he serves as the chairman of the Senate Banking Committee in addition to sitting on the Education, Commerce, Higher Education, Crime Victims and Corrections, Environmental Conservation, Transportation, and Elections committees. Foley's campaign is focused on cutting taxes, as he is advocating a property tax cap of 2 percent. He has also led the fight to save John J. Foley Skilled Nursing Facility by creating a Public Benefit Corporation to take over its operations. Foley will also be running on the Working Families line.

Lee Zeldin, Republican, Independence, Conservative – Zeldin is a captain in the United States Army Reserves who is both a member of the Veterans of Foreign Wars and American Legion. His professional career is as a lawyer with a Juris Doctorate from Albany Law School, passing the bar exam to become a federal prosecutor. During his time in the military, Zeldin served as a military magistrate at Fort Bragg. A Shirley resident, Zeldin is campaigning to reduce property taxes, repeal the MTA Payroll tax, reform state education funding to greater benefit Long Island schools, and create jobs. He also recognizes the need to address gang and crime issues in neighborhoods from Brentwood through Mastic.

New York State Assembly, Fifth District:

Ginny Fields (I, WF- Oakdale), Independent, Working Families party lines– The upset of incumbent Ginny Fields by Ken Mangan in the Democratic Party primary for the 5th State Assembly District back in September turned what was expected to be a two person race into a three person contest. Fields, an Oakdale resident who has held this office since 2004, said she is running for another term in Albany on a record she said shows that she has led by example and supported the best interest of those residing in her district. Fields stressed the importance of voting "with" her constituents, rather than "with" her colleagues. The incumbent noted the impact of the cost of living is on families in the 5th Assembly District and said she "directly helped lower property taxes by bringing in $98 million in additional school aid in the six years [she has] been in Albany." She voted against the budget that was the highest budget in the history of New York.

Al Graf, Republican, Conservative party lines – This NAVY veteran, retiree of the New York Police Department and small business owner said the reason he entered this race is because he thinks New York is becoming unsustainable. He emphasized that he doesn't see a future for the kids here, and the state keeps throwing money at the problems. Graf served as Town Supervisor of a small upstate area, and claimed he ran the town for two terms on $500,000 per year.

Ken Mangan, Democrat – This outside candidate, as he referred to himself, said after winning the primary, he gained a newfound respect for the people who have gone through this "demanding process" before him. He said he grew up in a difficult financial situation and had to begin working at 13-years-old to help support his family. He has owned and operation five businesses, which he said created numerous jobs. Unlike Fields and Graf, Mangan said he doesn't predict a "mass exodus" of Long Island. The natural resources, school system, and other entities in the state provide a higher quality of life than other locales. The candidate- a Sayville resident with four daughters- emphasized that Long Island needs to take a serious look at options for mixed-use buildings, including residences and businesses, and low income housing.

New York State Assembly, Third District:

Rob Calarco, Democrat, Independent, Working Families party lines – Calarco, who currently serves as chief of staff for Suffolk County Legislator Jack Eddington, emphasized the value of public service, which he said his family exemplified throughout his life. Calarco would like to secure jobs for Suffolk County's "driving unemployment force", which he defined as construction workers. The candidate insisted on the importance of finding ways of getting this group back to work as soon as possible. "The state should accelerate infrastructure projects, and look to find places to use public investments to spark private projects," he said.

Dean Murray, (R-Patchogue), Republican – Murray was officially sworn into office on Feb. 22, 2010 after winning a special election on Feb. 9. Murray said he brings his business experience to the table, as well as his handling of the many issues his district is facing, such as property taxes. Murray also said he wants to make New York more business-friendly to attract companies that provide career opportunities. "We need to change the tax and spend philosophy of government and take a sensible, fiscally responsible approach, he said.