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Brian Lehrer: Brian Lehrer on WNYC. Now we'll hear from the Democratic and Republican candidates in one of the hotly contested congressional races in our area. It's New York, second congressional district on the South shore of Long Island where Republican Congress, then Peter King is retiring and the question is, will this be in another American suburb that flips from red to blue, as many did in 2018.

This is the district basically from Massapequa to Islip in the South and Farmingdale to Lake Ronkonkoma a little further north. The Lake itself is nestled in the Northeast corner of the district. Demographically, it's about 75% white, 23% Latino, 10% Black and 3% Asian- American. It's also got a higher than average median household income for New York State around $82,000 a year. As I say, we will talk with both the Democratic and Republican candidates coming up second, it'll be Andrew Garbarino running on the Republican, libertarian, conservative, and serve America movement party lines. Up first, it's Jackie Gordon, the democratic working families party and independence party candidate.

Jackie Gordon's campaign website bio says she's a combat veteran, an educator, a public servant and a community leader born in Jamaica, West Indies and grew up in Queens, spent three decades working in New York public schools and had a 29-year career in the US Army Reserves including as a platoon leader in Germany during Operation Desert Storm, as an operations officer at Guantanamo Bay during the global war on terror, as a battle captain in Baghdad during the US-led invasion of Iraq and as commander of the 310th military police battalion in Afghanistan. In 2012, she retired from the Army Reserve with the rank of Lieutenant Colonel in 2014. Ms. Gordon, thanks for coming on. Welcome to WNYC.

Jackie Gordon: Thank you, Brian. Thank you for having me. I look forward to the conversation.

Brian: As I will ask, the two of you to start out these conversations, what would you say are the top three needs of your district right now that you would want to address as a member of Congress?

Jackie: The top three needs of this district haven't really changed. I've been in the race since last May and top of line for voters here is healthcare, making sure that we preserve and protect the Affordable Health Care Plan, ensuring that we bring down the cost of prescription drugs and protections for folks with pre-existing conditions, especially now with COVID we don't know how that's going to impact preexisting conditions. Veterans is also an important issue for me.

Here on Long Island, we have the largest concentration of veterans in New York State and so we have to make sure that we take care of those who serve us and we now have to serve them. Nationally, 22 veterans every day, take their life, so we have to make sure that we have the mental health resources for veterans and they have access to them. Homelessness is also an issue for veterans and here in the district it's no stranger as well and we have to ensure that we keep the VA healthcare system intact because veterans get good quality healthcare that's nuanced to them through the VA healthcare system.

Those are some of the issues that are important as well as climate change. I remember when I came home from Afghanistan, just two weeks later, Superstorm Sandy hit this area. This district was devastated by the Superstorm Sandy and we still have families now recovering and so we know that climate change is real as that is a direct result of our warming planet and changing weather patterns. We need representatives who are going to go to Washington and prioritize these things and that's what I hope to do for the folks in this district.

Brian: In what ways do you think you would be most like the outgoing Republican Congressman Peter King who won 14 straight elections there? And in what ways would you be the most different?

Jackie: Our roots are the same. We are both from Queens and our outlook in a sense as the same as well as I've sat on this Congressman King Service Academy, nomination board since 2014 so we do have a good working relationship where we help to choose the future leaders in our military. Additionally, Congressman King worked tirelessly to ensure that 9/11 responders got the support that they need, and of course, he brought great resources to the district for Superstorm Sandy. He also fought against the state and local tax cap for voters in this district.

I think where we part ways is probably the health care plan. Congressman King voted to repeal more than once the affordable health care plan, and in my experience in the district and what voters want is that we need to preserve this. It's a healthcare plan that we have now-- I remember speaking to a mom who her and her daughter are cancer survivors and she told me without the affordable healthcare plan, she wouldn't have made it and now she and her daughter has pre-existing condition.

She asked me to go to Washington and to fight for that because without it she didn't know where she would be. That's probably one place where we would part ways. Also, some of Congressman King's anti-immigrant stance as an immigrant myself, those words on the Statue of Liberty means so much to me, huddled masses yearning to breathe free, America being the beacon of hope outside of this country, where people come here to find opportunity and to be better. I'm a little girl born in the Island nation of Jamaica and I'm being interviewed by you, Brian, as a congressional candidate. If that's not a symbol of the American dream, I don't know what is.

Brian: How does that translate into policy briefly in a way that distinguishes you from your opponent, in your opinion?

Jackie: I think it's perspective and its representation. It's understanding that coming to America is a place where I can be to make my life better and not because I'm trying to get over or I'm trying to steal jobs from anyone, but America has always had a humanitarian place in the world where it takes care of others where it opens its doors for others.

Our immigration policy, isn't perfect and it certainly needs work, but what we need to do is create a comprehensive immigration policy so that we can create a path to citizenship for the immigrants who are here and make sure that moving forward, our policy doesn't create a situation that we have now. We need to, yes, shore up our borders and we need to tighten up the way we allow immigrants to come into the country, but we cannot lock our borders from immigrants coming in because this country is a diverse tapestry.

Brian: Let me move on, on the pandemic. How do you think you would be the most different from your opponent on the Coronavirus Relief Bill if one ever gets through Congress?

Jackie: My heart goes out to families who are struggling and suffering right now without any support at this moment. I think that the difference for me would be being able to sit down and work and wanting to work with colleagues to ensure that we come up with a solution for families. Families are suffering and I think that needs to be forefront in our minds.

We need to make sure that we have direct relief for families that we extend the unemployment benefits and that we give support to small businesses so that they can keep their businesses open and thrive, which will also help the economy. It's a matter of wanting to make sure that we create solutions and wanting to be at the table [crosstalk].

Brian: So far, I don't think your opponent would disagree on those provisions of the bail. Is there anything you would distinguish yourself from him on? Ms. Gordon did we loose your line?

Jackie: Yes, I am. I think the amounts are different. I think the last Republican plan that came out, there was a reduced amount and I think that families need the $1,200 relief. I think the unemployment insurance needs to remain at $600. I think families need this amount of support.

Brian: Okay. President Trump is running in part on the argument that Democrats will destroy the suburbs as we know them because of the way they want to enforce the Fair Housing Act, especially the policy that Trump on did that required local governments that receive federal aid to study and find solutions to discriminatory housing practices. Trump says that would destroy the suburbs as we know them, including by requiring more density. Many people take Trump's language and action as code for keeping people of color out, are you for or against that way of enforcing the Fair Housing Act, and what do you think its effects would be?

Jackie: I am against, I think that though that language is inflammatory within our districts, we have Levittown. Levittown was one of the first suburbs who has inflammatory language, just like that actually written and its covenant. We've been moving past that, especially right here on Long Island, just recently Newsday released the results of it's three-year investigation about unfair housing practices right here on Long Island. What we need is to move forward and not move backwards. We need to help young families be able to get into a home with homeownership. We need to start to create solutions for those problems and not move back in time.

Brian: Is it about stoking racial fears among white people in your opinion, president's position?

Jackie: I think so. I do believe so and fears is a right word because it's not realistic fears. Just my candidacy alone shows that those fears are unrealistic. I won my primary with 73% of the vote. I was a councilwoman in the town of Babylon for 13 years. You just said the numbers as far as the racial differences in this area, in this district, and so it's not only Black people voting for me. People are voting for me because they know who I am. They know the work that I do and so it is fear and it's unrealistic fear.

Brian: Last question, then we're going to bring on the Republican candidate in this race Andrew Garbarino, can you name one issue on which you tend to disagree with many people in your own party?

Jackie: I would say healthcare. I think that we should preserve and protect the Affordable Care Act. I remember when I was in Afghanistan, I overheard two colonels talking and one Colonel said to the other, "Oh, we'd been here 12 years and I don't know how much we've gotten done," and the other Colonel said, "We haven't really been here 12 years. We've been here one year, 12 times because each year that we have new command, we start over and we restart and we start [crosstalk].

Brian: My question was an issue on which you tend to agree with many people in your own party. I don't think there are many people who disagree with keeping the Affordable Care Act who are democrats.

Jackie: There are many people who would want Medicaid for all. I think that we should preserve and protect the Affordable Care Act and work on expanding that and making that better as opposed to dumping it and moving onto something new.

Brian: Got you. We will leave it there with the democratic candidate for the second congressional district seat on Long Island that Peter King is vacating retiring after 28 years as the Republican representing that district. Will it flip from red to blue after all these years? Jackie Gordon, thank you very much for joining us.

Jackie: Thank you, Brian. Have a great day. Thank you.

Brian: We'll meet the Republican candidate, Andrew Garbarino next.

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Brian Lehrer on WNYC as we're hearing from both candidates and one of the hotly contested congressional races in our area. It's New York, second congressional district on the South shore of Long Island where Congressman Peter King the 28-year Republican from that district is retiring after 14 successful elections, will this one flipped from red to blue, as many did in 2018 in American suburbs?

As I said before, we heard from the democratic candidate. This is the district basically from Massapequa to Islip in the South and Farmingdale to Lake Ronkonkoma a little further north, demographically about 75% white, 23% Latino, 10% Black, 3% Asian American. Now to Andrew Garbarino running on the Republican, libertarian, conservative, and serve America movement party lines.

The bio on his campaign website says, "I went to Sayville High School where I participated in student government and worked at the local hardware store. I received my communion and confirmation at St. Lawrence where you can still find me in the Pews on Sunday mornings. After graduating from high school, I attended college at the George Washington University in Washington, D.C. before receiving my Juris Doctor from Hofstra, and practicing law at a local law office in my hometown of Sayville, I've made it my mission to preserve the Island lifestyle, we are so fortunate to enjoy.

Since 2013, I've represented much of the South shore in the New York state assembly, where I fought to increase state funding for area school districts, worked to protect our Island's environment, including the Great South Bay, oppose tax hikes, and supported our local heroes in law enforcement. I've taken on the liberal Albany machine." Assemblyman Garbarino thanks for joining us. Welcome to WNYC.

Andrew: Thank you for having me, very excited to be here.

Brian: I'll ask you basically the same question that I asked her opponent after reading from her campaign website, bio, what would you say are the top three needs of your district right now? She cited healthcare, veteran’s needs, including preserving the VA healthcare system as she put it, and climate change.

Andrew: Veterans is a great issue and we definitely need to not just preserve the healthcare, but system that the VA offers, but increase it. Sitting on the health committee in Albany, I've heard a lot from veterans about what the improvements of VA needs. That is definitely an issue that's important to the district, I would specifically, something I've heard about a lot on the campaign trail, I've heard a lot about the full tax deduction, getting that back that was something that was passed two years ago.

It's in my opinion and opinion of a lot of other Long Islanders losing that full tax deduction really hurt a lot of people and they want it back. Public safety is another one, just four years ago, you opened up a Newsday almost every week you were reading about an MS-13 murder, through increased funding, not just for policing, but also for after school programs that came in through the federal government MS-13, there hasn't been a murder in 13 years, we've got them on their heels and so keeping that funding coming.

That's always a huge issue especially in central Brentwood in my district, as well as a couple other areas in Massapequa there was also-- They were finding bodies in Massapequa, the park over there. Making sure that funding continues and we have public stakes. The last, if it's not done before I get down there in January, COVID Relief Bill, we're facing a huge deficit in New York state, we're facing deficits in Suffolk and Nassau County or townships where there's going to be-- We're here right now-- New York State, there's 20% cuts across the board based on the governor's proposal.

I did support federal money coming in and helping us with those deficits. We got hurt a lot harder than other States, but in the original bills, we were treated equally with the other States. I feel like in the next one which should treat COVID similar to a natural disaster where you go to the epicenter, similar to what we do in hurricanes. There's a hurricane in Louisiana, you don't get the same amount of money in New York, you send the money to where it's needed most.

Brian: Should I take that as your answer to the question of naming an issue on which you would disagree with many members of your own party because a lot of Republicans oppose that state and local government aid as part of the COVID relief bill.

Andrew: Absolutely. I'm not saying write a blank check. Governor Cuomo is asking for a $55 billion blank check. I'm not saying do that. Work with the local governments, similar to what we did with when Sandy came in. FEMA came in worked with town of [unintelligible 00:19:13] in Suffolk County and they made sure the money went to where it was needed. They didn't just write a blank check. They worked hand in hand making sure that the money wasn't wasted, that it put the government in the position they were before the storm. We need to do that now, put the governments in the position that they were before. Absolutely [crosstalk].

Brian: Yes to the idea, but less than Cuomo is asking for.

Andrew: Yes, we were eight billion in the hole before COVID happened in New York State that definitely could be some belt-tightening in [crosstalk].

Brian: Same question I asked your opponent, President Trump is running in part on the argument that Democrats will destroy the suburbs as we know them because of the way they want to enforce the Fair Housing Act, especially the policy that Trump did that required by local governments that receive federal aid to study and find solutions to discriminatory housing practices.

Trump says that would destroy the suburbs as we know them, including by requiring more density. Many people take Trump's language and action as code for keeping people of color out. Are you for or against that way of enforcing the Fair Housing Act and what do you think its effects would be? Is it about stoking racial fears among white people, in your opinion, when President Trump talks about it the way he does?

Andrew: As you said, I work at a local law firm. I do land use. I work with local municipalities doing subdivisions. I don't think it's about racial issues, especially when you talk to neighbors, and you have these plans. I think it's about people not wanting apartments in areas where there are single-family homes. I've done applications, specifically with a ton of [unintelligible 00:20:59] were underneath these rules, the town will give you an extra lot for-- If you're doing a six, five subdivision, they will give you a seven-slot. You'll be given a seven-slot for low-income or workforce income housing.

There are ways that municipalities are already working to expand affordable housing in and on Long Island. I don't think the federal government should come in and say, "We think you should put an apartment here in the middle of single-family homes." I think the federal government should work with the locality and it should be local zoning should be run by the local people, by the people that live in those areas.

The federal government shouldn't come and say, "Okay, put a apartment there," but they should give the localities the resources they need to make sure that affordable housing is available, but not come in and say, "Okay, you have to put apartments." I think the municipality is doing a good job now expanding affordable housing. You go to town of Brookhaven, you go to town of Islip, Babylon, they all have affordable housing projects that they work in with subdivisions. It's something that seems to be, in my opinion to my private practice, that I've seen working normal now.

Brian: Your opponent mentioned climate change as one of the top three issues for her. As I mentioned, your website mentions your work to protect the islands environment, including the great South Bay. I'm curious if you think you're different than she is on issues of climate change. First, do you think it's real that there is manmade climate change? She cited Sandy as an example of how the South Shore is particularly being affected. What anti-climate change policies would you most support in Congress if you're elected?

Andrew: Well, there's two things. There's the increased carbon emissions that have to be tackled on a international level. If we cut all our carbon emissions out, I don't think it put a dent compared to what India and China are putting out. Anything that we're doing on an international level in Congress, we need to make sure that the worst actors are doing what they can or we have to hold their feet to the fire to make sure that they cut their emissions and they cut in some places and that because if we do it just by ourselves, it might not change anything.

We all have to be working towards the same goal. As for a specific provision, locally, something that we can do in the US, there's a bill out there, it's called the trillion trees that Kevin McCarthy, minority leaders put through. I actually love it, trying to plant a trillion trees, not just in US, but getting other governments to go on with it through incentives, giving them to local people to get a tax credit for every tree that you plant, something like that to get more trees.

We're doing this but then we have to also have to make sure that in South America where they're cutting down the rainforests, they stop doing that because it doesn't help if we're putting a trillion trees in and they're taking them out. Nationally working like that. I ran, my first election was two weeks after Sandy back in 2012. I know the devastation on the South Shore that Sandy did. We have to make sure that never happens again, whether that's through increased tax credits for renewable energy. Like I said the trillion trees program those are issues that I'd like to work on when I get down in Washington.

Brian: Andrew Garbarino, the Republican candidate in New York second congressional district. We heard earlier from the Democratic candidate, Jackie Gordon. There is also a Green Party candidate in this race Harry Burger. Assembly Member, thank you very much.

Andrew: Thank you so much. Thanks for having me.

Brian: Brian Lehrer show is produced by Lisa Allison, Mary Croke, Zoe Azulay, and Amina Srna, and Carl Boisrond, Zach Gottehrer-Cohen works on a daily podcast. Our interns are Dan Girma and Erica Scalise this fall. Megan Ryan is the head of live radio. Juliana Fonda is that the audio controls most days, along with Liora Noam-Kravitz, Matt Marando, and Milton Ruiz. I'm Brian Lehrer.

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