Great Neck Businessman Announces Bid For Congress

GREAT NECK, NY — Robert Zimmerman, a longtime Democratic National Committee member from Great Neck, has announced that he is running for New York's 3rd Congressional District.

The seat is being vacated by Rep. Tom Suozzi (D-Glen Cove), who has his sights set on the governor's office. If elected, Zimmerman, 67, would be the first openly gay representative to Congress from Long Island and Queens.

In a statement announcing his bid for office, Zimmerman said too many people "feel overlooked and unseen," and that it's up to elected officials "to restore people's confidence that our government is there for them."

"It is my commitment to lift up the voices of those who are not being heard," he said. "Whether it's veterans, middle-class families trying to balance the pressures of everyday living, or our senior citizens, people in our communities deserve to have a Member of Congress that they can trust will have their back."

The issues he sees as priorities include LGBTQ+ rights, Medicare for all, women's reproductive health, gun safety, a two-state solution in the Middle East, climate change, and addressing the state and local tax deduction on federal taxes.

Zimmerman is no stranger to politics or the communities he'd represent if elected to Congress.

After graduating from Brandeis University, and while earning an MBA from Fordham, Zimmerman worked as a Congressional aide on Capitol Hill for Reps. Lester Wolff and James Scheuer — who represented parts of Long Island and Queens. He continued to help lawmakers in the district by advising longtime Rep. Gary Ackerman.

As his national voice grew, Zimmerman was nominated by President Bill Clinton to serve on the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts Presidential Commission on the Arts and by President Barack Obama to serve on the National Council on the Humanities.

Now the co-president of ZE Creative Communications, Zimmerman said the "role of Congress has never been more crucial for our nation's future" and that "the time to act is now."

Zimmerman, who pledged to not accept any corporate PAC contributions, joins a growing field of Democrats running for Suozzi's seat. The race includes former North Hempstead Town Supervisor Jon Kaiman, Nassau County Legislator Joshua Lafazan, Port Washington's Melanie D'Arrigo, and Oyster Bay's Reema Rasool.

New York's 3rd Congressional District encompasses Nassau County's North Shore, parts of northeastern Queens, and parts of northwestern Suffolk County.