Meet The Candidate: Mike LiPetri For Congress, 3rd Congressional District

LONG ISLAND, NY — Long Island residents will be heading to the polls on Tuesday, Nov. 3.

Ahead of election day, Patch asked candidates to answer questions about their campaign — and the results will be published as candidate profiles in the days leading up to the vote.

Mike LiPetri, 36, of Farmingdale, is running on the Republican line to represent the 3rd Congressional District in the U.S. House of Representatives in Congress against challenger and incumbent Tom Suozzi, running on the Democratic line.

The 3rd Congressional district of Long Island encompasses northeastern Queens, parts of the North Shore of Nassau County, and northwestern Suffolk County. Some towns include Glen Cove, Oyster Bay, Port Washington, Jericho, Plainview, Hicksville, Roslyn, parts of Farmingdale, Huntington, parts of Huntington Station, Lloyd Harbor, and more.

LiPetri, backed by the Nassau County GOP, won the Republican primary race for the 3rd Congressional District against Greg Hach, after votes were tallied during primaries on June 23. LiPetri defeated challenger Hach with 10,898 votes compared to Welch's 2,294 votes.

Name

Mike LiPetri

How old will you be as of Election Day?

36

Does your campaign have a website?

www.mikelipetriforcongress.com

What city or town do you live in?

Farmingdale, NY

What office are you seeking?

Congress

If you are running in a district, you can specify the district here.

NY-03

Party affiliation

Republican

Education

BA, SUNY Albany

JD, Albany Law School

What is your occupation?

Attorney

Do you have a family? If so, please tell us about them.

Engaged

Does anyone in your family work in politics or government?

None. I do not come from a political family.

Have you ever held a public office, whether appointive or elective?

Former NYS Assemblyman. 2019-2020. 9th District.

Now we'd like to ask a few questions about your reasons for running for election and your general views on politics and government. First, why are you seeking this office?

I’m 36 years old. I rent an apartment. I’m engaged. I’m watching generations of Long Islanders flee this state and I refuse to give up without a fight. I have skin in the game and I want to make Long Island a place all generations can continue to call home.

Please complete this statement: The single most pressing issue facing constituents is:

Affordability. We have to lower costs, cut waste, fraud, and abuse and let taxpayers keep more of what they earn.

What needs to be done to address water quality issues on LI?

We need to address our aging water infrastructure and continue to monitor and manage emerging contaminants. As a NYS Assemblyman, I Co-Chaired a Water Quality Task Force to identify and problem solve these issues and in Congress I’ll look to continue that work.

What do you think can be done to help improve our infrastructure, highways, etc.?

Work with our partners in local government to identify what’s needed and prioritize projects that not only improve safety and efficiency but improve our quality of life. We pay a lot of taxes and we deserve better infrastructure.

How would you plan to help local business owners, who are struggling because of high rents, inflation and labor shortages?

During the pandemic, I was the #1 supporter of small businesses pressing Governor Cuomo to let them open. We had big box stores open, but mom and pop shops were forced to close their doors. It’s not right. I’ll continue to promote small business, look to cut red tape and restrictions that make doing business harder, and advocate for policies that get government out of the way of job creators and innovators.

How are federal issues impacting local government?

All politics are local. Plain and simple. What happens in DC impacts us here on Long Island, and what happens locally drives policy in DC.

What is your stance on how ICE enforcement has impacted local communities?

I support federal law enforcement to go after those criminals here illegally. We are a nation of laws, and we need to enforce those laws.

What are the major differences between you and the other candidate seeking this post?

Tom Suozzi has been in office for 30 years and doesn’t have anything to show for it. He’s raised taxes at every level of government, and just recently this year he voted against no tax on tips, overtime, and social security. He voted against a resolution to condemn socialism. He voted against common sense voter ID. He said, in his words, he wants to legalize 7-10 million illegals. Tom Suozzi says one thing to get elected but does the exact opposite once in office.

What other issues do you intend to address during your campaign?

I want to keep our communities safe and will always support our local law enforcement. I’m proud to be endorsed by many local police unions who know that I’ll have their backs in Washington just like they have ours in the community.

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

I took on an incumbent Democrat in 2018 to win my seat in the NYS Assembly. I knocked on over 20,000 doors. Once in office, I made tough choices. I was lauded by the Suffolk PBA for being the only state legislator from Long Island to 100% Back The Blue during the height of the ‘Defund the Police’ movement. I stood up to the Albany machine and in Washington I’ll stand up to anyone who gets in the way of helping the residents of NY-03.

Is there anything else you would like voters to know about yourself and your positions?

I’m a pro-choice Republican. I trust women to make choices that are right for them. What I am against are late term abortions - that’s too extreme - but I’ll always trust women to make decisions for themselves.

What is the best advice anyone has ever given you and why?

If you want to make a difference you have to get involved. Simple but true. My grandfather told me that and this advice led me to first run for the NYS Assembly to help our community and I continue to hear those words each day during this campaign to remind me what it’s all about.