The Nassau County PBA is placing its weight behind Democrat Tom Suozzi in his Home re-election bid — after backing his GOP opponent in a particular election earlier this 12 months.
The native police union’s pivot to Suozzi, 61, is taken into account a boon for the reasonable — who’s confronted claims of being comfortable on crime — in his race in opposition to Republican rival Mike LiPetri, 34, for the aggressive Lengthy Island-Queens District 3 seat.
“Tom [Suozzi] is a person of his phrase. He’s prepared to battle in opposition to his personal get together,” Nassau PBA president Tom Shevlin mentioned in a press briefing.
“Tom is a confirmed chief. He has confirmed to us that he’ll symbolize us and his district very effectively.”
Native regulation enforcement unions have sided principally with Republican candidates since Albany Democrats authorised bail reform in 2019 — the controversial regulation that nixed cashless bail for a lot of crimes.
The Nassau PBA has already endorsed former President Donald Trump.
“It is a large deal,” Suozzi mentioned of the endorsement. “I’ll all the time assist the cops. … We’ve got to fund the police.”
Suozzi slammed calls to “defund” the police as “probably the most wrong-headed, stupidest thought I ever heard.”
In February, the Nassau police union backed GOP candidate Mazi Pilip over Suozzi in a particular election following George Santos’ expulsion from Congress — a race Suozzi simply received.
The previous Nassau County government served three phrases within the Home however didn’t search re-election in 2022, as an alternative shedding handily in a Democratic major for governor to Kathy Hochul.
The LiPetri marketing campaign disregarded the endorsement.
“Let’s not be fooled, Tom Suozzi isn’t any pal of regulation enforcement — he voted to remove certified immunity, he kicked ICE out of Nassau County, and he’s greatest buddies with pro-crime Democrats like Kamala Harris, Tim Walz, and Kathy Hochul,” mentioned Mike Falk, LiPetri’s marketing campaign supervisor.
“Police Officers and regulation enforcement households know who actually backs the blue and who solely reveals up when it’s election time.”
Republicans consider LiPetri, a former member of the statehouse, has a shot at toppling the incumbent.
The Nationwide Republican Congressional Marketing campaign Committee, which works to elect Republicans to the Home, final week added LiPetri to its “Younger Weapons” program — indicating the seat will probably be a precedence.
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