Meet The Candidate: Laura Gillen For Congress

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.

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Laura Gillen, 57, is running for re-election to represent New York's 4th Congressional District in the U.S. House of Representatives on the Democratic line against challengers Jeanine C. Driscoll, running on the Republican and Conservative lines, and Blay Tarnoff, running on the Libertarian line.

The district encompasses a portion of Long Island's South Shore, including Baldwin, Bellmore, the Five Towns, Floral Park, Freeport, Long Beach, Lynbrook, Malverne, Merrick, Oceanside, Rockville Centre, Seaford, Uniondale, Wantagh, and more.

How old will you be as of Election Day?

57

Does your campaign have a website?

lauragillen.com

What city or town do you live in?

Rockville Centre

What office are you seeking?

U.S. Representative

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

New York's Fourth Congressional District (NY-04)

Party affiliation?

Democrat

Education

I graduated from Sacred Heart Academy in Hempstead and Georgetown University as a George Baker Scholar. I later attended law school at Georgetown Law Center and NYU School of Law.

What is your occupation?

Member of Congress for NY-04

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

I have deep roots in this district. As one of five children, I grew up in Baldwin with my three brothers and a sister. My parents also grew up in Baldwin. I am now married and raising my four children in Rockville Centre. My grandfather immigrated to Long Island from Italy to build a better life for his family. He worked hard as a sanitation worker for the Town of Hempstead to make ends meet. I'm proud to carry on my grandfather's example of hard work and resilience.

Does anyone in your family work in politics or government?

No

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

Before being elected to Congress, I served as Town of Hempstead Supervisor, the first Democrat in that role in over 100 years. As Supervisor, I was proud to right the fiscal ship and get the Town's finances back on track. Taxes went down both years during my tenure as Supervisor.

I also managed a nearly $500 million budget and led the operations of all town departments. I introduced a package of ethics reform legislation to battle corruption in Town politics, specifically nepotism in hiring. In that role, I also passed critical legislation relating to sexual harassment and veterans' benefits.

Why are you seeking this office?

Before I was elected to Congress, I promised to be an independent voice for Nassau County and focus on solving problems, not partisan politics. I am proud to have delivered on that promise.

I have brought back more than $59 million in federal funding for Nassau County for public safety, clean water, flood protection, safer roads, public transportation and improving our libraries and public parks. Multiple independent organizations have named me one of the most bipartisan members of Congress because of my record of working across the aisle. In the minority party, I also passed my first bill introduced in Congress to extend TPS for law-abiding Haitian recipients on a bipartisan basis.

I am running for reelection because I believe Congress needs representatives who are focused on solving the problems facing the American people, not engaging in partisan politics. I hope to continue my record of bipartisanship in the next Congress to bring down costs for working families, protect Social Security and Medicare, put our nation back on the right track and keep delivering for this district.

The single most pressing issue facing constituents is:

The cost of living. Nassau County families are being crushed by rising costs of everything from gas to groceries, utilities, housing and healthcare. My top priority is to work across the aisle to make life more affordable on Long Island.

That's why I wrote the bill to permanently restore the full SALT deduction and save New York families tens of thousands of dollars. While Republicans rejected it in this Congress, I will keep pushing to fully restore SALT in the next Congress.

I also introduced the bipartisan Cost of Living Tax Cut Act to slash federal taxes for Long Islanders. I have cosponsored the Lower Grocery Prices Act, the Stop the Rate Hikes Act, and stood up against GOP cuts to essential programs like Medicaid and SNAP in the One Big Beautiful Bill Act (OBBBA). I introduced the bipartisan Stop Auto Fraud Act to crack down on "crash-for-cash" schemes, which would help lower auto insurance rates by up to $300 per year. I also voted to pass the bipartisan 21st Century ROAD to Housing Act to lower rising housing costs. To help Long Islanders save on their commutes, I introduced the Lowering Commuting Costs Act to create the first tax break for commuting costs up to $4,080 per year, including gas, public transit, and the congestion tax.

To help bring down the cost of gas and everyday goods, I've repeatedly voted to end the war in Iran and stop the administration's reckless tariffs.

What needs to be done to address water quality issues on LI?
Nassau County has long been plagued by water contamination, including lead and cancer-causing "forever chemicals" like PFAS.

Since taking office, I've delivered over $1 million to the Village of Hempstead to upgrade its century-old water treatment plant. I've also delivered over $1 million to the City of Long Beach to replace its outdated sand water filters. This year, I advanced $125 million in a bipartisan water project package for Long Island water infrastructure project authorizations, including $11 million for the Village of Garden City to replace legacy lead water service lines and $25 million for the City of Long Beach to upgrade its aging water mains.

I also introduced the bipartisan Protect Clean Water Act to ensure our local governments have the funding they need to eliminate PFAS and clean up our water without raising utility bills or taxes.

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

As a proud member of the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee, I'm laser-focused on bringing more infrastructure dollars home to mitigate flooding, harden our coastline and repair our highways, roads and bridges.

I've secured $42 million in new federal funding to upgrade Nassau County's NICE bus service, improving transportation options for residents. I also secured more than $580,000 for the Village of Hempstead to improve road safety and over $1 million to mitigate flooding in Freeport long-term. I'm fighting to deliver millions more to improve our infrastructure, including to replace the Mallow Reach Bridge, one of Nassau County's three failing bridges.

In two bipartisan transportation and water infrastructure packages, I passed multiple bills to combat drunk driving, keep our families safe on the road and prevent future erosion of our beaches.

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

Local businesses are the backbone of Long Island's economy. I'm committed to increasing access to capital, cutting red tape and backing the Small Business Administration 7(a) loan program to help them grow and create more jobs.

The administration's reckless tariff policies are driving up costs for businesses and pushing many to the brink. I've consistently voted to reverse the administration's tariffs, which are fueling price increases across the board.

To keep Long Island's economy and workforce growing and competitive, I've remained committed to lowering taxes and cutting costs so businesses and families can afford to stay here.

How are federal issues impacting local government?

I have worked hand in hand with our local leaders to ensure Long Islanders see that more of their tax dollars are invested in their communities.

Since taking office, I've fought for and secured more than $59 million in federal funding for this district. This includes investments for our police and fire departments, public transit, clean water, flood prevention and improving our public parks and libraries. I've made it a priority to stay aware of what our local communities need, be their voice and bring home more federal resources. Every federal investment I bring home lowers the costs taxpayers would otherwise face to improve our communities.

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

Before I came to Congress, I promised to work across the aisle to fix our broken immigration system. One of the first bills I cosponsored when I was elected was the bipartisan Dignity Act. This bill will secure our border, fix our broken asylum system and create a pathway to legal status for working, law-abiding immigrants.

I'm deeply concerned by the lack of training and accountability for ICE agents. Anyone who wants to enter the NYPD or Nassau County PD must go through a training academy for at least six months. The same is not true for ICE. Having untrained ICE agents has made our communities as a whole less safe, both for citizens and law enforcement. We need guardrails on ICE, including body cameras, no masks and increased de-escalation training. We must also protect sensitive locations from targeted operations, such as churches, schools and hospitals. Ultimately, ICE should be focused on deporting violent criminals.

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

As one of the most bipartisan members of Congress, I have always put politics aside and put the people I represent and good government first. By comparison, my opponent has said that her "number one priority is to make sure that the president's agenda continues."

My opponent is completely out of touch with the real pain that Nassau County families are facing. In recent interviews, she has inexplicably claimed that "people are not really complaining about the price of gas." My opponent has also pledged "100%" support of the president's policies, including his war in Iran that has fueled price hikes. She has called the president's tariffs "the price of doing business," and said that she hasn't seen a negative impact on Long Islanders. She has called his agenda "wonderful", including the One Big Beautiful Bill that made the largest cut to healthcare in our nation's history. These comments show she will be nothing but a partisan rubber stamp.

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

Since taking office, I've been committed to lowering Long Islanders' taxes and keeping more of their hard-earned money in their pockets.

One of my first actions in Congress was to write the bill to permanently restore the full SALT deduction. Restoring it would end unfair double taxation and save New York families tens of thousands of dollars. I will continue to fight to restore the full SALT deduction next Congress. I've also introduced the bipartisan Cost of Living Tax Cut Act to lower federal taxes for Long Island families based on our high cost of living, which is 32% above the national average. My bill would save an individual filing with a $105,000 annual income on Long Island as much as $1,100 a year on federal taxes.

I have also been focused on addressing the mental health crisis on Long Island and across the country. I introduced the bipartisan Officer Wellness and Peer Support Act to reduce the stigma of seeking care among law enforcement and ensure they have the support they need. I've also championed Tyler's Law, a bill to address the underlying causes of youth suicide. I will continue working to get these bills across the finish line in the next Congress.

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

In my term in Congress, I've fulfilled my promise to be an independent voice for Nassau County. Despite the hyperpartisanship, I've worked across the aisle to find common ground and deliver for this district.

I have worked closely with our local leaders from both parties and law enforcement to ensure our first responders have the best training, supplies and support to keep Long Island safe. I've delivered more than $4.5 million for police and fire departments in the Fourth Congressional District.

In office, I have been responsive to constituents, helping them navigate bureaucratic federal agencies. I'm proud to have recovered more than $4.2 million dollars for Nassau County taxpayers from the federal government, including Social Security benefits, delayed IRS returns and veterans benefits. This includes returning over $500,000 in COVID-era tax savings to Chaminade High School from the IRS.

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

If reelected, I will remain hyperfocused on lowering Long Islanders' costs and ensuring they have access to affordable healthcare. One of our first actions must be to reverse the $1 trillion Medicaid cuts in the OBBBA and lower healthcare costs.

I will also fight to restore the ACA premium tax credits that saved Nassau County families thousands of dollars a year on their health insurance. Shortly before the tax credits expired in 2025, a constituent from Floral Park contacted my office to share that her healthcare premiums would triple from $600 per month to $1,900 per month. That is unsustainable and unacceptable. That's why I proudly helped pass a bipartisan extension of these ACA premium tax credits in the House and will keep fighting to restore them in the next Congress.

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

The best advice I ever received was to listen more than you speak. The best part of my job is sitting down with Nassau County residents, hearing about their lives and their challenges and figuring out how to help. That advice guides my work every day, keeping me focused on delivering real results on the issues that matter to Long Island families.