Candidate Profile: Bridget Fleming For NY's 1st Congressional District

SUFFOLK COUNTY, NY — Election Day is Tuesday and Suffolk County Legislator Bridget Fleming, a Democrat, and GOP candidate Nick LaLota are waging a fierce race to win the New York State 1st Congressional District seat vacated by Rep. Lee Zeldin, who is running to unseat incumbent New York State Governor Kathy Hochul

After redistricting, New York's 1st Congressional District includes both the North and South Forks, Riverhead, the northern part of Brookhaven Town, all of Smithtown and all of Huntington.

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

Bridget Fleming

Campaign website

https://bridgetforcongress.com...

City or town of residence

Noyac

Office sought

U.S. House of Representatives NY-01

Party affiliation

Democrat

Education

BA from Hunter College; University of Virgina Law School

Occupation

Suffolk County Legislator

Family

Husband Bob and Son Jai

Does anyone in your family work in politics or government?

No

Age

62

Previous public office, appointive or elective

I have been a Suffolk County legislator since 2016 and was on the Southampton Town Board from 2010 to 2015.

Why are you seeking this office?

I am running for Congress to ensure that every child, no matter their race, religion, or gender, has the opportunity to succeed and live out the American Dream. As an established local legislator, I have delivered real results for Long Island families time and again. I will use this experience and knowledge to bring federal dollars back home to improve the quality of life for our community and put money back in the pockets of working families.

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

As an established local legislator, I have delivered results for Long Island families time and again. I will rely on my experience to secure federal dollars to improve the quality of life for our community, protect our environment and the local economy, and put money back in the pockets of working families.

What distinguishes me from my opponent is that voters have confidence in me to protect and defend fundamental American freedoms while looking out for the needs and concerns of Long Island families, like removing the cap on our state and local tax deductions. My success as a county legislator and the growing support from local leaders allows me to represent all Long Islanders and not just those who voted for me.

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

If elected to Congress, I will address the fundamental American freedoms that are at stake in NY-01. Medical care and decisions for women, voter protections, and the right to safe communities are paramount to the success of our democracy. As a former sex crimes prosecutor, I am acutely aware of the dangers to women and their doctors and health care providers posed by the Dobbs decision and would make codifying the protections of Roe a top priority. We must also stop the trend of states making it hard to vote and make sure that those in office who wish to disenfranchise voters are not reelected. And finally, I know firsthand how important the police are to keeping our communities safe. With crime rates far below the national average, Suffolk County continues to be one of the safest places in the country to live. As a county legislator, I have worked to ensure our police have the resources they need to keep our crime rates low, and in Congress, I will do the same.

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

Highlights of my environmental work at the legislature include a program to develop long-term planning around coastal resiliency, in response to increasing impacts of climate change, including localized flooding, coastal erosion, and loss of critical wetlands, to proactively invest to protect against climate change impacts, and to develop guidelines and best practices for nature-based solutions. At the same time, I have worked to reduce the fossil fuel emissions that contribute to the changing climate. My team and I have focused on developing a reliable and cost-effective public transportation system, developed maps to drive private investment in mid to large-scale solar development without adversely affecting green space and wildlife, and continue to advocate for energy efficiency initiatives in government, and expanded renewable energy production from our electric utility, which currently relies on 90 percent fossil fuel for energy production. I also recently sponsored the creation of a renewable energy jobs task force that will further the transition to clean energy on Long Island while creating and supporting good-paying union jobs. I am a leading voice in a working group that has devised and implemented the first sanitary code reform in decades, to combat degradation from nitrification caused by antiquated wastewater policy, and have advocated for environmental justice in the siting of waste facilities, as well as delivering public water options to homes where perfluorinated compounds have contaminated groundwater.

What is the best advice anyone ever gave you?

Be your authentic self