Communities represented in the 6th District include portions of the Town of Hempstead, including the villages of Hempstead and Garden City, and the hamlets of Levittown, East Meadow and stretches and parts of southern Oyster Bay, including the hamlets of Plainedge and Bethpage.
(Photo courtesy of John Brooks)
John Brooks (D)
If elected: My top three priorities are addressing the gun violence epidemic in this country by passing common-sense gun safety legislation, fighting to defend access to safe and legal reproductive healthcare and lowering property taxes on Long Island. I am a lifelong resident of Seaford and have advocated for Long Island’s unique interests in Albany since 2017.
I have a comprehensive plan to lower property taxes up to 20 to 30 percent for overburdened homeowners by reducing the reliance on property taxes to fund our public education system, as well as a bill to automatically grant senior homeowners a 30 percent cut in school taxes. I cosponsored the original Reproductive Health Act and further passed a package of bills to protect reproductive healthcare in response to the overturning of Roe v. Wade. I authored the law to ban guns that are manufactured to look like toys and have cosponsored numerous pieces of legislation to protect our children and communities from the scourge of gun violence and mass shootings that have become commonplace.
I will continue to stand up for the people of Long Island against any misguided plans that fail to take into account our distinctive regional differences and our contributions to New York State.
Bio: Since he was elected six years ago, Senator John Brooks has delivered for Long Island as a champion for our veterans, an advocate for vulnerable communities and a problem solver for complex issues that have impacted Long Island for years. With more than 150 bills passed in the Senate, he has found success in government by focusing on his roots as a public servant, leaving partisan politics out of the equation.
As chair of the Veterans, Homeland Security, and Military Affairs Committees, he has led efforts to improve veterans’ services, including the statewide expansion of the Joseph P. Dwyer Peer-to-Peer Veterans Counseling Program and the elevation of the Division of Veterans Services to a full-fledged cabinet-level department. He delivered on the community’s first responders’ 16-year effort to pass the EMS Cost Recovery Act, saving upwards of $100 million in taxes.
Senator Brooks has been a volunteer firefighter for 53 years and is ex-chief of the Seaford Fire Department. He previously served as vice president of the Seaford Board of Education, executive director of Risk Management for Nassau County and had a long career in the insurance industry. He is a veteran, a proud father and grandfather, and a lifelong Seaford resident.
(Photo courtesy of Steven Rhoads)
Steven Rhoads (R)
If elected: I’m running for State Senate with a proven track record of supporting police and opposing soft-on-crime policies that put families and seniors in danger. While most politicians break their promises, I kept my pledges as your County Legislator. I never increased taxes. Instead, I cut taxes and I always support our police with the resources needed to fight crime. As vice chairman of the Public Safety Committee, I boosted the ranks of the police department by putting more officers on the streets to protect our loved ones. As your next State Senator, I will vote to repeal dangerous bail laws that free killers, rapists and thugs shortly after arrest. I will enhance school safety technology to protect our kids. You can count on me to expand tax relief programs, stop the planned commuter tax for motorists entering Manhattan and protect our quality of life by investing in police to keep our neighborhoods and schools safe. I will oppose the Clean Slate bill that erases criminal records from the books. My positions stand in stark contrast to the incumbent, John Brooks, who approved dangerous bail laws and voted to erase the criminal records of those convicted of arson and domestic violence.
Bio: A volunteer firefighter, County Legislator and public safety advocate, Steve Rhoads is running for State Senate with a proven track record of protecting the safety and wallets of families and seniors. While most politicians break their promises, Steve keeps them. Steve has never voted for a tax hike, and always backs the men and women in blue. As our next State Senator, Steve Rhoads will vote to cut Albany taxes, repeal dangerous bail laws that free thugs shortly after arrest, protect our quality of life and invest in police to keep our neighborhoods and schools safe. Steve Rhoad’s priority as Senator will be fighting to repeal dangerous bail laws that free killers, rapists, drug dealers and violent felons from jail. Steve will prioritize public safety, backing police and ensuring they have the resources needed to fight crime. He will work tirelessly to ease the crushing property tax burden by expanding the STAR program, protecting the property tax cap, and enhancing rebate checks—all while restricting spending in the State Budget. Because there’s nothing more important than the future of our children, Steve Rhoads will be a champion for parent rights in education and increase funding for local schools.
