OAKDALE, NY — With Election Day approaching on Tuesday, Nov. 3, Patch is asking candidates running for public office to share their backgrounds, priorities and positions on issues affecting Long Island residents.
Trish Kopp, 52, of Oakdale, is running on the Democratic and Working Families Party lines for New York's 7th Assembly District. She faces Republican and Conservative Party candidate DawnMarie D. Lentz-Kuhn in the general election.
Kopp is a retired public school teacher who spent 20 years teaching in the Half Hollow Hills and Brentwood school districts.
Here are Kopp's responses to Patch's candidate questionnaire:
Name: Trish Kopp
Does your campaign have a website?
Trishkopp.org
How old will you be as of Election Day?: 52
Town of residence: Oakdale, NY
What office are you seeking?
New York State Assembly, District 7
Party affiliation: Democratic and Working Families Party
Education:
Kopp earned a Bachelor of Fine Arts from SUNY Oswego and a master's degree in education from Hofstra University. She also pursued studies in educational leadership at Stony Brook University.
Occupation:
Retired public school teacher and union member. Kopp spent 15 years teaching art in the Half Hollow Hills School District and five years in the Brentwood School District.
Family:
Married for 31 years and mother of four.
Does anyone in your family work in politics or government?
None.
Have you ever held a public office, whether appointive or elective?
Democratic Committee Member for Election District 78.
Why are you seeking this office?
I believe the South Shore has been misrepresented by partisan Republican politics. I think hardworking families deserve a representative who understands their struggles.
Please complete this statement: The single most pressing issue facing my constituents is _____, and this is what I intend to do about it.
The single most pressing issue on the South Shore is that families are being squeezed financially in many different ways, including healthcare, childcare, gas prices, and groceries. All of these increases that Suffolk County families are struggling with have been inflicted on them by Trump's policies. As an Assemblymember, I would vote with the majority to mitigate the damage that Republicans and the federal government have inflicted on South Shore families.
What needs to be done to address water quality issues on Long Island?
Suffolk County needs to move faster on completing the sewer projects that have been discussed for the past ten years but have yet to be completed. Second, Suffolk County needs to resist billionaires' overtures to build data centers and warehouses in our heavily populated neighborhoods, which would add stress to our sole-source aquifer. Whether it is a warehouse that would clear 132 acres of land or a data center that would use our water resources, Long Island is a unique environment with a sole-source aquifer that is not guaranteed to last forever and cannot support these types of stresses.
What do you think can be done to help improve our infrastructure, highways, etc.?
As Assemblywoman, I will fight to bring more state funding back to Long Island to repair deteriorating roads, improve drainage and flood prevention, and address traffic congestion. We must also invest in upgrading our water and sewer systems to protect our drinking water and the environment. These projects should prioritize skilled union labor, creating good-paying jobs with strong wages and benefits while ensuring infrastructure improvements are completed safely and to the highest standards.
How would you plan to help local business owners who are struggling because of high rents, inflation and labor shortages?
New York State should find the will to give small business owners the same types of advantages, tax breaks, and incentives that they provide to billionaires. That is what makes running a small business really hard, and I know that better than anyone since my family owned small delis.
How have federal issues impacted local government?
Federal overreach, the dismantling of our institutions, and the destruction of our American norms have impacted institutions across the country. It is our local institutions that end up bearing the brunt of backsliding democracy. Examples include ICE and immigration enforcement, immigrant labor leaving our communities, public schools losing funding, tariffs, and rising gas prices. All of these issues are felt directly in our local communities.
What are the major differences between you and the other candidate seeking this post?
I am not a professional politician. I am a candidate with lived experience who understands the struggles of hardworking families. I have no patience for partisan talking points. I am a pragmatic Democrat who wants to deliver real results for hardworking families.
What other issues do you intend to address during your campaign?
Union protections, public school protections, and using taxpayer dollars to fund programs that benefit hardworking families, such as universal childcare.
What accomplishments in your past would you cite as evidence that you are qualified to serve in this office?
Raising four children on Long Island, I understand what parents struggle with. As a teacher for over 20 years, I bring the perspective of our school districts and communities. A decade of committee work on the South Shore has also given me an understanding of community organizing and extensive knowledge of South Shore communities.
What is the best advice anyone ever gave you?
Show up early, work harder than anyone else, stay late, and find what you are good at.
Is there anything else you would like voters to know about yourself and your positions?
Trish Kopp has earned endorsements from 1199SEIU, LIUNA, NYSUT, AFL-CIO, Building and Construction Trades, CWA Local 1109, Steamfitters Local 638, Eleanor's Legacy, Planned Parenthood Empire State Votes PAC, the Suffolk County Democratic Party, the Working Families Party, New York Progressive Action Network, Sierra Club, Campaign for New York Health, and Congressman Jamie Raskin.
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