Candidate Profile: Stephen Kiely For NYS Assembly District 1 Seat

SUFFOLK COUNTY, NY — Election Day is Tuesday, November 5, and voters will choose between incumbent Republican Stephen Kiely and Tommy John Schiavoni, a Democrat, in the race to fill longtime New York State Assemblyman Fred Thiele's District 1 seat.

Thiele, who served since 1995, announced he would not be running again in February.

Assembly District 1 covers the East End towns of East Hampton, Southold, Shelter Island, and Southampton, as well as some of eastern Brookhaven Town.

In anticipation of the election, Patch asked candidates in the contested races to answer questions about their campaigns.

Here are their answers, lightly edited for clarity.

Name

Stephen F. Kiely.

Campaign website

kielyforassembly.com .

City or town of residence

Mattituck

Office sought

New York State Assembly - District 1.

Party affiliation

Republican, Conservative.

Education

J.D. – Hofstra University School of Law, magna cum laude, 2004.

Occupation

Attorney: Shelter Island Town Attorney, Mattituck Park District Attorney, and East End weekend and holiday arraignment attorney.

Family

Married, father of four.

Does anyone in your family work in politics or government?

No

Age

49

Previous public office, appointive or elective

Former Southampton, Southold, and Brookhaven Assistant Town Attorney. Former Sr. Deputy County Clerk.

Why are you seeking this office?

In order to bring common sense centrism to Albany, which is sorely needed.

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

I want to stop the overdevelopment of the East End. My opponent supports the type of development which would usher in urban sprawl. This overdevelopment would further damage our aquifer and water bodies, make terrible traffic worse, and destroy our community character. I also have a healthy respect for the New York State Constitution, which vests control over property (housing) affairs to the towns and villages. My opponent feels the State "has a role to play" in local housing and appears to support the Hochul housing mandate, which would require 3 percent more homes to be built on the East End every three years (e.g. Southold 472 new homes/3 years).

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

Keeping our families safe by reforming the ill-conceived bail reform. Bail reform, for example, prevents a judge from holding someone on bail who was arrested for arson, stalking, grand-theft auto, possessing enough fentanyl to kill 114,000 people, or dismembering a corpse to hide a crime. We need to allow our judges to have the discretion to hold someone on bail if the judge feels they are a danger to the public (like every other state in the nation). Also, we need to rescind the sanctuary state status so we can allow our local police to cooperate with federal authorities to remove convicted criminal migrants.

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

I am the only candidate that has 20 years of experience writing, interpreting, and enforcing laws, which is exactly the job of an assembly person. As a legislator, I would have to read, understand, and sponsor bills that could become law. These laws have a direct impact on constituents. My unique experience working in both land use and zoning (similar to Thiele) and criminal defense has provided me with unique skills to address the major housing, environment, and public safety issues this district is facing.

What problems facing your district would you look to solve if you are elected?

Overdevelopment, water quality, health of our bays, and public safety.

Cancer is a prominent health issue for Long Islanders and is a leading cause of death for children. What measures would you take to help lower cancer rates and bolster research in the field?

Significantly increase grant funding opportunities for septic system upgrades to address cancer causing nitrates in our drinking water, sponsor bills to ban the use of toxic food chemicals, and increase cancer research funding to SUNY.

What would you do to help small businesses struggling with inflation and the cost of goods needed to manufacture their products?

Fight congestion pricing, sponsor bills to decrease regulations and taxes on small businesses.

Water quality is critical to the region. What plans do you have to help improve water quality and keep it safe for generations?

Stop the overdevelopment of the East End, including housing sprawl, which would lead to more septic systems, which leads to more nitrates in the drinking water. Provide grant money to replace conventional septic systems with I/A systems which reduce the amount of nitrates infiltrating into our aquifer. Sponsor a bill to reduce the use of fertilizers and provide grants for the replacement of lawns with meadows. Lastly, I would sponsor a bill to provide funding for water testing.

How can the immigration crisis be addressed at the federal and local level? Can federal and local officials work together?

The state needs to immediately rescind the sanctuary state status which: 1. Causes border states to bus migrants here, thereby costing the taxpayers 2.4 billion in next year’s budget (or $250/taxpayer); and 2. Prohibits our local police from cooperating with federal authorities in the removal of convicted criminal migrants, thereby making our communities unsafe. We also have to rescind the green light law, which allows migrants to get a New York driver’s license, even if they have a warrant for their deportation.

What can be done about inflation, which some say can be attributed to price gauging?

Inflation is a federal issue; however, if we cut regulations on businesses that create cost savings, that savings can be passed along to the consumer. As far as price gauging, it is already prohibited in New Yok and I would push to give more resources to the Attorney General to fight it during budget season.

The median cost of renting on Long Island falls between $2,000 and $3,100. How can more affordable housing options be created?

I was instrumental in the adoption of the Community Housing Fund and Plan on Shelter Island, which provides monies for the creation of small-scale affordable rental opportunities on the island. I would support such an initiative from Albany, and also pass legislation to restrict the short-term rental market that has replaced the year-round affordable rental market on the East End.

What is your stance on SALT (State and Local Tax Relief)?

Not having the SALT deduction has placed a tremendous financial burden on homeowners in my AD, and I will work with members of Congress to ensure that the SALT deduction is brought back.

What needs to be done to keep Long Island streets safe from crime?

Bail reform needs to be reformed to keep dangerous criminals off the street, as well as the rescission of the Sanctuary State status, which only provides sanctuary to criminal migrants. Also, the Death by Dealer law needs to be passed, so drug dealers who cause the OD death of a person may be held criminally liable. The police nions in Suffolk County have also resoundingly endorsed me as the law and order candidate.

The DWI/DWAI rate is escalating island wide. What measures can you fight for, to address the escalating addiction crisis?

I will fight for the Death by Dealer law to make a dealer think twice about poisoning people and also ensure that the East End receives a fair share of resources to treat drug addiction and mental health issues. As far as the DWI/DWAI rates, I have seen first-hand the dramatic increase in cases, particularly among the migrant population, and we need to better educate that population and remove recidivist migrants who make our streets unsafe. Also, we have to provide our local police with the tools to address driving while smoking marijuana and prohibit the smoking of marijuana in public spaces, like sidewalks.

What is the best advice anyone ever gave you?

Be yourself and the rest will follow.

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

I am running because I feel I am the right person at the right time. I am committed to continuing the good work of Fred Thiele in protecting the East End, while also supporting reform to keep our families safe. Good or bad, I have a big mouth and a loud voice. These qualities are needed to ensure that the entire East End is heard up in Albany so that we get our fair share in resources.