Candidates agree Albany needs fixing, but disagree on approach

There is one thing Assemb. Andrew Raia and his opponent Democrat Christopher Dempsey agree upon: the dysfunction and bickering in Albany must end. How they would achieve a shift in attitude is where they differ in the battle for the 9th Assembly District seat.

"The game of chicken in Albany has to end," said Raia, a Republican from East Northport running for his fifth, two-year term. "Laws that were specifically passed in 2007 to get an on-time budget - and open the process up so rank-and-file legislators have a say, as well as let the public see what we are voting on - we've been ignoring them for the last couple of years, and we have to return to them."

He said those measures include budget conference committees and revenue forecasting.

A learning process

Dempsey, making his first run for public office, declined to be interviewed for this story. But in a previous interview with Newsday, he said he is unsure of precisely how to go about achieving change, saying "it would be a big learning process for me about how things work."

Raia, 42, also running on the Independent and Conservative lines, said the state needs to maximize spending.

"Nevermind capping spending right now, we need to freeze spending until we can understand where our structural deficits are and where we need to make the necessary cuts to balance the budget," Raia said. "We can't afford our bills anymore."

Raia said he has been traveling the state for the last couple of years, talking about the need to reform the state's Medicaid program.

"We spend $17,000 a year per Medicaid patient, and the national average is only $7,000 a year," Raia said. "On a $136-billion budget we spend close to $60 billion on just Medicaid."

He said he believes much of the states and federal Medicaid budgets are rooted in "waste and fraud."

"The governor said we need to slow the growth in Medicaid, but honestly I think we need to freeze the growth in Medicaid and also look to other areas to cut without devastating services," Raia said.

Candidate backgrounds

Raia received a bachelor's degree in political science from SUNY New Paltz in 1991. Raia is the former ranking minority member of the State Assembly Committee on Aging. He is now the ranking minority member of the Assembly Committee on Banks. He is also on the Assembly Committee for Education, Housing, Corporations, Authorities and Commissions.

Dempsey, 55, is a lifelong resident of Greenlawn. He said the conflicts between the parties in Albany has to be reduced so more energy can go toward solving problems and serving the people. He said the normal course of business, such as finalizing the state budget after its deadline - which can complicate things for school districts planning for the academic year - must end.

Dempsey also said money and lobbyists have too much influence. In navigating Albany, Dempsey said he would listen to his opponents and the people to "come up with the best-laid plan."

He graduated from Harborfields High School. He has worked for Suffolk Regional Off-Track Betting Corp. for 35 years and started in the building and grounds department. He's retiring as deputy director of operations and customer service. For 30 years, he has been a volunteer firefighter with the Greenlawn Fire Department.

Dempsey was uncontested in the Sept. 14 Democratic primary.

District facts

The district runs north to south through Huntington into parts of Babylon and Islip. The eastern border of the district includes the towns of Smithtown, Babylon and Islip.

The western border runs from East Shore Road in Huntington Bay, down to the Southern State Parkway in the Town of Babylon.

According to the Suffolk County Board of Elections, as of Oct 1, 86,397 residents were registered to vote, including 30,136 Republicans, 27,411 Democrats and 22,573 unaffiliated.

According to the state Board of Elections, Raia raised $48,331.00 and has $23,939.34 in cash.

Dempsey, according to state records, raised no money.