Candidate Profile: Mario Mattera For NYS Senate District 2

SUFFOLK COUNTY, NY — Election Day is right around the corner, and voters will choose between incumbent Republican state Senator Mario Mattera and Democratic challenger Craig Herskowitz in the general election on Nov. 5 for New York State Senate District 2.

The 2nd State Senate District covers the townships of Huntington and Smithtown.

In anticipation of the election, Patch asked candidates in the contested races to answer questions about their campaigns and will publish candidate profiles as election day draws near. Here are their answers, lightly edited for clarity.

Name

Senator Mario R. Mattera

Campaign website

https://www.matteraforsenate.com/

City or town of residence

St. James, New York

Office sought

Currently New York State Senator for 2nd Senate District

Party affiliation

Republican/Conservative

Education

NYS Apprenticeship Program

Occupation

Business Agent for Plumbers Local #200

Family

Wife Terry and two daughters

Does anyone in your family work in politics or government?

No

Age

61

Previous public office, appointive or elective

None

Why are you seeking this office?

Having dedicated much of my adult life to helping my community and the hardworking men and women of labor, when asked to continue that service by serving the residents of the 2nd Senate District in 2020, it was and is an honor to do so. The past four years, I have been privileged to help the constituents that I represent with a whole array of issues and, along with my staff, have helped many resolve their issues.

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

I tend to focus on what I bring to the position and what I am looking to do for our residents. I am running as a longtime labor leader, a community leader and a two-term incumbent who has worked throughout his whole life to provide opportunities to all and to organize the unorganized.

In my time in the Senate, I have worked with my colleagues on both sides of the aisle when it helps those I represent and that is something I will continue to do.

I do, however, recognize that the one-party rule in Albany has not served the residents of the 2nd Senate District and we need a return of common sense for the good of all New Yorkers. Change in the Senate is sorely needed.

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

I have been laser-focused on working with our law enforcement leaders to fight the rise in crime in our area, the need to invest in our infrastructure to better our community while also creating jobs for our hardworking men and women, the future of energy costs in our state and the overall cost of living.

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

I have long organized the unorganized and worked with various parties to achieve the outcome that helps everyone. This past year, I worked with my Senate colleagues on both sides to get PLAs for SUNY projects, advanced the issue of squatting to get changes to the law that protect our state’s property rights and was extremely vocal about making sure our schools were protected from the harsh cuts in state education aid.

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

The cost of living is impacting the way of life for our families, and we need to protect our residents from one-party control policies in Albany like the elimination of natural gas and the rush to ban fuel choice in New York State. While the effort to find more renewable energy sources is worthwhile, New York State must always move forward with a clear plan that protects our ratepayers and our workers.

Put simply – our state needs a plan, not a ban, and I will work with labor leaders, energy experts and ratepayers to find the solutions we need. Again, one-party control in Albany is not listening clearly to those who live in our state and that is why we must have change.

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?

To put it simply – anything and everything. My office hosts breast cancer screenings in the community because early detection is so important. We must always do whatever we need to do with funding and research.

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

The economy in our state and our nation is damaged and we need to move in a commonsense way to find solutions to fix it. One thing that will help is to cut the tax burden that our small businesses face and that would require sanity to reign in Albany.

Our state is spending $2.4 billion on illegal immigrants this year alone and that money could be better used to lessen the burden our businesses face. With crime out of control due to soft on crime policies in Albany, our small businesses are facing increased insurance and supply costs and changing these policies will help.

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

I have been working with local officials from before I was an elected official to bring sewers to our communities and will continue to do so. As a plumber and a former member of the Suffolk County Water Authority board, I know that we must protect our water supply and one way is to make sure that we keep waste and pollutants out. At the SCWA, I worked with my fellow board members to install Advanced Oxidation Process (AOP) water treatment systems throughout the system to protect the residents from 1,4-dioxane and protect our precious water aquifer for future generations.

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

Simply put, this is a problem created by the Biden Administration, with Vice President Kamala Harris at the helm, and it has been invited into our state by New York City Mayor Eric Adams and Governor Kathy Hochul with sanctuary policies. Now, our localities and our taxpayers are being asked to shoulder the overwhelming burden of these failures and they should not be asked to give anymore.

Our nation needs to secure our borders and our state needs to rescind the sanctuary policies immediately. Those who are coming across our border are not vetted properly and our first priority should be our residents’ safety.

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

While price gouging is a problem in some instances and should be dealt with strongly, this tactic of blaming businesses for the failures of leadership on the state and federal level is truly troubling and problematic for me. Prices are high on every single item when you go to the store so we need to look at the causes of inflation.

Energy costs are up due to illogical energy policies and that is leading to increased costs in stores and everywhere. The Hochul administration was pushing for congestion pricing so that would have increased costs. Insurance on small businesses is up due to soft on crime policies. And then add in the illegal migrant crisis and costs are up.

Policies in Albany and Washington must change and that needs a change of leadership.

How do you tackle inflation?

You lower the cost of doing business in the state and the nation by implementing policies that allow small business owners to operate freely. We have some leaders who seek to blame companies or others instead of realizing their policies are causing the issues.

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

I am always in favor of local control and incentivizing to spur affordable or workforce housing. The housing mandates that Governor Hochul has been pushing for are problematic because they removed local control and eliminate the voice of the residents.

One key to this issue is investing in the infrastructure of our localities to handle any new building. I have worked closely with Town of Huntington and Town of Smithtown leadership to ensure that our infrastructure is being improved because, with my background in construction, I know that is the key to all development.

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

I am in favor of restoring SALT.

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

Simple – repeal bail reform, stop the one-party soft-on-crime mentality in Albany and give our men and women in blue back the tools they need to do their jobs. Too many laws that have come from Democrat control in Albany have tied the hands of our police and that needs to change – drastically.

This is another situation where one-party control in Albany is hurting all New Yorkers. We need better balance and that can only be accomplished by changing Senate leadership.

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

Number one, the state’s decision to legalize marijuana was a mistake. It is simply too easy for those who use this substance to drive while under its influence and that is why you smell it everywhere you go – including on our roadways.

I will support any effort to fight this scourge. I support measures like my colleague Senator Dean Murray’s “Nick’s Law” legislation which will increase penalties for those convicted of leaving the scene of an accident involving a death.

We need to make it clear that those who recklessly drink or do drugs and cause accidents will pay a heavy price.

What is the best advice anyone ever gave you?

As cliché as it sounds, the best advice I have ever received is to always be honest in any matter. Regardless of whether the information is positive, dealing with an issue with honesty will allow you to work with others in a free and open manner. That will result in the best outcome every single time.

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

I am elected official not a politician. This was not a career I chose but rather one that I was asked to do after years of community work. I am proud of that and proud to work with anyone – regardless of party – to improve the lives of those I serve in the 2nd Senate District and throughout New York State.