NY Primary Election 2020: Melanie D'Arrigo Hopes To Unseat Suozzi

PORT WASHINGTON, NY — Voters in parts of northern Queens, Nassau and Suffolk Counties will head to the polls this month to cast their ballots for state and federal offices in New York's primary election. That includes the 3rd Congressional District, where Democratic U.S. Rep. Tom Suozzi will defend his seat against challengers Melanie D'Arrigo and Michael Weinstock.

The election is slated for June 23, with early voting available June 13-21. Under Gov. Andrew Cuomo's order, all registered voters in the state must receive a mail-in ballot application to apply for a postage-paid absentee ballot amid the coronavirus. All ballots postmarked by June 23 will be counted.

Suozzi, an attorney and CPA, is a member of the House Ways and Means Committee, the chamber's chief tax-writing committee. He also serves on both the Oversight and Tax Policy subcommittees, and previously served as both mayor of Glen Cove and Nassau County executive.

The 3rd Congressional District includes the Nassau County municipalities of Port Washington, Great Neck, Manhasset, Roslyn Heights, East Hills, Sea Cliff, Glen Cove, Oyster Bay, Syosset, Jericho, Hicksville, Plainview and Bethpage. The district includes the Suffolk municipalities of Melville, Huntington, Northport, Kings Park, and Commack, as well as the Queens communities of Little Neck, Glen Oaks and Whitestone.

Patch has reached out to all the candidates in the primary election. Here are their responses, lightly edited for clarity.

Melanie D'Arrigo

Age as of Election Day (Nov. 3)

39

Town of residence

Port Washington

Position Sought

U.S. Congress

Party Affiliation

Democrat

Family

Husband, Doug; daughters Alexa, 9, and Kyla, 3; son, Ryan, 3.

Does anyone in your family work in politics or government?

No

Education

Bachelor of Arts from Barnard College, Master of Science from LIU Brooklyn.

Occupation

Allied Health professional for about 14years.

Previous or Current Elected or Appointed Office

N/A

Campaign website

www.DarrigoforCongress.com

Why are you seeking elective office?

I am a mom and an organizer. I could no longer sit by and watch politicians promote half measures in response to the serious issues that affect people’s lives — so I decided to do something about it.

Since the Citizens United ruling, we have seen a tremendous amount of corporate money funneled into political campaigns. These corporate donors are solely looking for a return on their investment. When they come knocking, many of our politicians start legislating for them at the expense of us. My opponent has taken over a million dollars in corporate PAC money in the last two cycles and has broken with the Democratic party to roll back banking regulations, support ICE and support legislation to spy on Americans. He also supports a health care plan that would leave millions uninsured and keep costs high. I also do not believe he is fighting hard enough to combat climate change. Right now, I do not feel represented and I do not believe our district is being represented either. I’m running to fight for the common sense solutions that meet the scale and urgency of the moment.

Right now, there are many priorities. The fact is we have to solve many simultaneously. We won’t do that until we start putting people at the center of all policy. We won’t get any of this accomplished if we continue to elect representatives who enabled bad behavior and dragged their feet on key legislation. If you want a fighter for District 3, I hope that you will vote for me by June 23.

The single most pressing issue facing our nation/state/community is _______, and this is what I intend to do about it.

Currently we are in a global pandemic and the issues many in our district were struggling with prior to the coronavirus have been exacerbated. Millions of people in our country have lost their jobs and their employer-based health care. Medical debt is the single largest cause of U.S. bankruptcies and now we have thousands of people in our district without health care coverage, which will only exacerbate medical debt or cause people to not seek the care they need at all. We are one of the wealthiest countries in the world and should provide health care to all as a human right, which is why I support universal healthcare.

Climate change is the existential crisis of our generation. We need bold change if we are going to stave off irreparable damage. As we look to reopen the country, we should do so by reopening with environmentally responsible priorities and as we rebuild, do so in a way that works to transition to renewable energy, reduce greenhouse gas emissions, create new green jobs and focus on communities most impacted. I am fighting to create a sustainable planet for all our children.

There have been mass peaceful protests in the streets for over two weeks. The overwhelming majority of our community is peacefully marching in solidarity to proclaim Black Lives Matter. This is not a partisan issue either. Democrats, Republicans, independents and unaffiliated voters have shown up to demand change, transparency and accountability. Implementing legislation and evidence-based policies to reduce police use of force have been shown to reduce violence against black people by 72 percent. I support ending the defense of qualified immunity, ending the federal government's 1033 program providing military weaponry to local police departments and reducing use-of-force measures.

Right now, there are many priorities. The fact is we have to solve many simultaneously. We won’t do that until we start putting people at the center of all policy. We won’t get any of this accomplished if we continue to elect representatives who enabled bad behavior and dragged their feet on key legislation. If you want a fighter for District 3, I hope that you will vote for me by June 23.

What are the critical differences between you and the other candidates seeking this post?

Ideologically, I believe that our government should legislate to put people first. Rep. Tom Suozzi talks about finding "common ground" on issues, which moves us further away from meaningful, people-first solutions. If you start negotiating from the center with the right, you will always end up on the right.

Unlike Rep. Tom Suozzi, I am rejecting all corporate PAC money because I believe the policies that shape our lives should be written to reflect the needs of the people and not to maximize the profits of corporate campaign donors. I support universal health care because I believe everyone should have high quality health care. My opponent supports a health care option that would keep costs high and leave millions uninsured. I am an advocate of reproductive rights while my opponent has long supported the Hyde Amendment (which blocks aid for poor women to access abortion). I support a humane and dignified path to citizenship, disbanding the Enforcement and Removal Operations division of ICE and closing the detention centers. My opponent broke with the party to support ICE, called a path to citizenship "a third rail," issued a proposal charging refugees/migrants $2,000 each to fund Trump’s border wall and rushed a vote on a bill that would expand detention centers.

If you are a challenger, in what way has the current board or officeholder failed the community (or district or constituency)

In my opinion, our representative has not been fighting hard enough for our district. Rep. Tom Suozzi is the vice chair of the Problem Solvers Caucus, a group evenly comprised of Republicans and conservative Democrats. Under his tenure, SALT deductions were taken away, banking and environmental regulations were rolled back and marginalized communities have been under attack. What good is caucusing with another party if he cannot get consensus when Long Island and Queens families need it most? He came to support impeachment very late, just prior to Speaker Nancy Pelosi bringing an impeachment inquiry and was reported in Newsday saying he hoped for a quick trial with no witnesses.

Most recently, the New York delegation was called out by Gov. Andrew Cuomo for not doing enough to fight for New York. The first four stimulus packages overwhelmingly favored corporate bailouts. Even the money designated for small businesses was pillaged by larger companies. There was no bailout for people or to replenish state aid. As millions across our country lose their jobs and their employer based healthcare, Congress was focused on bailing out corporations. There is no health care treatment for those who might get sick and very little financial assistance for those who lost their jobs. Choosing corporations over people was a colossal failure. We are in one of the most fragile moments in history and we need a representative that will stand up for democratic values.

Describe the other issues that define your campaign platform

I am running to fight for universal health care, a Green New Deal to save our environment, immigrant rights, reproductive rights, common sense gun safety legislation, LGBTQIA rights, criminal justice reform and equality for all people

What accomplishments in your past would you cite as evidence you can handle this job?

I have found great success in my career winning stakeholder buy-in by using evidence-based approaches to problem solving. When I obtained my master’s degree in science, we were taught to identify a hypothesis and build an evidenced-based plan to prove the hypothesis. I have applied this method to behavioral change programs both in my career and in my community. In order to get someone to take an action, you have to meet them where they are, clearly identify your position and goals and then work together to take action. I have spent years building consensus and coalitions and would be honored to do that in Washington, D.C., as the representative for District 3.

The best advice ever shared with me was:

A veteran organizer once told me that organizing and coalition building is messy work. You won’t know everything. You will make mistakes. But as long as you commit to showing up with the best intentions and growing from your mistakes, we can make real change.

What else would you like voters to know about yourself and your positions?

I am the only candidate in the race prioritizing the needs of the people of our district. We do not have to accept status quo governance, nor governance for corporations and not us. We can pass legislation that will save our planet, provide health care for all, reduce gun violence, save black lives, let individuals have autonomy over their own bodies and create a truly just and equitable world. We just have to believe it is possible and then elect representatives who are fighting for it.

See also:

• NY Primary Election 2020: Michael Weinstock Eyes Suozzi's Seat