Meet The Candidate: Ryan Johnson For District 17 Nassau County Legislator

DISTRICT 17 NASSAU COUNTY, NY — Nassau County residents will be hitting the polls soon to elect local representatives.

Election Day this year will be Tuesday, Nov. 4.

Patch asked those running for office to answer questions about their campaigns and will be publishing candidate profiles in the days leading up to the election.

Ryan Johnson is the Democratic candidate and running against Republican candidate Rose Marie Walker in the race for County Legislator of District 17. Walker is the current County Legislator of District 17.

Name

Ryan Johnson

How old will you be as of Election Day?

33

Does your campaign have a website?

Nassau County Democrats

What city or town do you live in?

Bethpage

What office are you seeking?

Nassau County Legislator

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

District 17

Party affiliation.

Democrat

Education

JD from Hofstra Law

What is your occupation?

Attorney

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

I am married to Kimberly Johnson and together we have two children, Logan and Zackary. My wife and my children are why I am running. I want to make sure the county is a better place for them.

Does anyone in your family work in politics or government?

No one in my family works in politics or government.

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

No

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

I am seeking office because I always wanted to do something where at the end of the day, I know that I helped make a difference. I want to ensure that Nassau is a great place to live for my children and for all of our residents. I see so much going wrong around me and I know I cannot sit on the sidelines and watch it happen.

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

The rising cost of living. Across the nation we are feeling the economic pressures, which are only amplified living in Nassau County. The rising prices of housing, rent, and inflation are and will continue to drive so many people into untenable situations.

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

Being a Bethpage resident, this is one of the most important issues to me. I know through settlements the Bethpage Water district is above and beyond, however the plume and the increase in cancers in my district is a huge issue that needs to be addressed. Another big concern is the use of lead pipes on Long Island, including several houses on my block. We need to continue to do more to address these problems and keep an open line of communication with all residents.

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

We as a county need to invest in our infrastructure to a greater degree. With global warming and major weather events becoming increasingly common we need to ensure that all of our residents are protected, and our infrastructure can withstand natural disasters. This involves working with our drainage systems, burying our power lines where possible, and investing in projects that will protect people. We also have some of the least safe roads in the country which need to be addressed between the towns, the county and the state to ensure that all roads and adjoining roads are being taken care of.

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

Labor shortages and the rising costs first will be impacting local small businesses, which are the backbone of our communities. It is important for us to invest in housing options that increase the labor pool through affordable housing. We also should be helping our small businesses through community outreach programs and through tax incentives or tax relief for small businesses.

How are federal issues impacting local government?

The federal government continually is attacking our state, our county and the people in the county. The economy is an issue that will be felt by all, and the federal governments reckless tariffs and trade policies hurt and will continue to hurt all consumers with raising prices. Additionally, the removal of SNAP benefits and the decreases to funding for Medicaid will result in hungry families in Nassau and thousands of people without health insurance.

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

I am running to be a leader. I am running to make a difference. I am running to bring forth change and work to help every Nassau resident. I will be working nonstop to ensure a better Nassau County. My opponent will continue to be a rubber stamp doing anything her party tells her to do.

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

Ensure that Nassau will provide vital services, including services in mental health, addiction treatment, and support for victims of domestic abuse. Federal cuts along with the current county administrations failures have left vulnerable populations without adequate support. The current administration failed the people of Nassau County when they stopped funding the Safe Center in Bethpage without any plan in place to have a new shelter for victims of domestic violence. They also continue to fail us by not spending the close to $100 million dollars they received in the opioid-related settlement. This money can and should be used to address the opioid epidemic facing Nassau.

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

I think my experience as an attorney, as a public servant and as a husband and father all make me a great candidate for office. At Hofstra I was awarded a Public Service Certificate for the highest level of hours spent working for the public, so public service is nothing new to me. I worked as general counsel for two companies where I revamped their internal policy and worked on negotiating several contracts. The thing that all people in public office need is a sense of empathy, a basic understanding of the struggles that we all face. As a young parent, he understands the struggles families in Nassau face every day.

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

I worked with the House of Representatives Committee on Oversight and Government Reform and the idea of oversight from a legislative body is something we need to bring into Nassau County. We need to address the corruption in the County. We are wasting so much taxpayer money on hiring outside legal counsel, redoing signs to have elected officials’ names, and sending taxpayer funded direct mail campaign literature. We need a full accounting of the spending, and we would need to make the difficult decisions to cut spending where the programs are not working and reinvest in programs that work and help deliver a better Nassau County. We should be using taxpayers’ money for things that truly matter like fixing our roads and infrastructure.