Meet The Candidates: Peter Fishkind Runs For TONH District 5 Seat

GREAT NECK, NY — Election Day is Tuesday, Nov. 2. And with voting just around the corner, Patch is reaching out to candidates across Nassau County to find out why they're running for office, and what they hope to achieve for residents.

Peter Fishkind, 29, is running as a Democrat for North Hempstead's District 5 town council seat. This is his first time running for office and he has received an endorsement from the current District 5 representative, Lee Seeman, who will be retiring.

The district covers a handful of communities, including Saddle Rock, Saddle Rock Estates, Harbor Hill, Great Neck Estates, Great Neck Plaza, Russell Gardens, University Gardens, Lake Success, North New Hyde Park, and parts of Garden City Park and Floral Park.

Before kickstarting his election campaign, Fishkind was an associate at Proskauer Rose LLP, an international law firm based in New York City.

You can learn more about Fishkind below, and by clicking here.

Why are you seeking elective office?

Peter's priorities are to ensure that the town government continues to operate in a fiscally responsible manner and maintains its Aaa bond rating to save taxpayers money. He will work to deliver town services and programs to residents in an efficient and high-quality manner and be a proactive representative in working to support local businesses and our commercial downtowns. Above all else, Peter will be an accessible representative for every resident of North Hempstead’s 5th District.

The single most pressing issue facing our (board, district, etc.) is _______, and this is what I intend to do about it.

In local government, you need someone you can call when you need an issue addressed in your backyard. I'm proud to say that I have been running an active campaign, knocking on doors, attending community events, and making myself available to residents. This is the sort of representative I will be and I am working during my campaign to make that clear to voters.

What are the critical differences between you and the other candidates seeking this post?

This is hard for me to determine because my opponent does not have a website and has done limited press to spell out his priorities such that I can differentiate our positions. In my interactions with him, he seems like a good person that is bright and also wants to do well for the community. I am focused on getting my ideas out there and letting voters know that I will be there for them as their representative.

Describe the other issues that define your campaign platform.

I am happy to provide some more details on the issues discussed above.

1) Taxes: Residents across the town pay significant sums of money in taxes. It is for this reason that our representatives must run the town in a fiscally responsible manner and work to maintain the Town's AAA bond rating, the highest a municipality can hold. This focus will allow us to achieve cost savings and avoid passing further costs on to taxpayers.

2) Supporting our local businesses and commercial downtowns: The pandemic has presented unprecedented difficulties for local businesses in our community. To meet these challenges, our local leaders must work to modernize Town Departments to better meet the needs of local businesses and put forth creative strategies to support our downtowns. Specifically, I plan to lead efforts to identify and support destination-focused venues that can anchor our downtowns and attract more consumers to our commercial areas.

3) Delivering high-quality services and ensuring the efficient operation of Town departments: Core to my mission as a representative will be to maintaining and, where necessary, improving the operation of the services the town provides and increasing the efficiency with which town departments operate. I have spent a great deal of time during my campaign attending events sponsored by our most effective programs like Project Independence and hearing from residents about some of the improvements they are seeking from the town in areas like the building department. I know that if elected, I will be prepared to address the needs of our residents and be there for them when they need an advocate on the Town Board.

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

Peter was raised in the Town of North Hempstead and now lives in Great Neck Plaza. Prior to launching his campaign, Peter worked as a litigation attorney at a prominent New York law firm. Peter's practice included the representation of individual, institutional and municipal clients in complex commercial litigations. He also handled several pro bono cases involving civil rights issues and immigration applications.

Peter will utilize skills he developed as an advocate for his clients and as a leader in several Jewish non-profit organizations to achieve consensus and deliver results. He is also a member of a number of local organizations, including the Great Neck Business Circle, the Great Neck Chamber of Commerce, and the Lakeville Estates Civic Association and has authored several articles addressing community affairs that have been published in the Blank Slate, Anton Media, and Newsday newspapers.

Editor's note: The candidate's responses have been lightly edited for clarity.