Nassau GOP taps Hempstead tax official to challenge Gillen

WASHINGTON — Nassau County GOP leaders on Tuesday endorsed a local tax official as their substitute choice to unseat Democratic U.S. Rep. Laura Gillen, after months of speculation that former Rep. Anthony D'Esposito would run.

Jeanine C. Driscoll, a Bellerose attorney and the elected Town of Hempstead receiver of taxes, had been little mentioned as someone who might join the race, much less gain party leaders’ backing in the June 23 primary.

County GOP chairman Joseph Cairo and his lieutenants faced a deadline Tuesday to formally fill a primary ballot vacancy, as D’Esposito decided not to run. He had won the seat in 2022 against Gillen but lost to her in 2024.

In a statement, Driscoll pledged to deliver "tax relief, fiscal responsibility and common-sense leadership to Washington."

This year’s contest to represent New York’s 4th Congressional District — located entirely within Nassau County — has been seen by nonpartisan political handicappers as potentially competitive and even key to which party will win control of the U.S. House.

Some non-partisan political analysts point out it’s not been a particularly strong start for Republicans. "Yes, Driscoll has been elected before but now she has limited time to introduce herself to a much larger congressional district in the most expensive media market in the state," said Jacob Rubashkin, deputy editor of the independent political handicapper Inside Elections.

"She has no experience raising congressional money and has lost out on nearly a year's worth of time to build a network due to D'Esposito freezing the field," Rubashkin added.

Another Republican running for Gillen’s seat, retired United States Air Force lieutenant Marvin Suber Williams, of Garden City, says voters and not party insiders will decide the GOP primary. 

Gillen was quick to attack Driscoll Tuesday. "Jeanine Driscoll has emerged from the shadows as the handpicked candidate of the Nassau GOP chair — not the voters," the Gillen reelection campaign said in a statement. "Her participation in this sleazy and corrupt bait and switch is a clear indicator that Driscoll will continue to do the bidding of the bosses who anointed her."

Labor Department job

The GOP’s wait for D’Esposito dragged on even after he took a new job in early January as President Donald Trump’s inspector general at the U.S. Department of Labor. A federal law prevents him from holding that job and campaigning for political office.

But D’Esposito himself continued to publicly tease he might still run. Three days after being sworn in the Labor Department job, he was dropping hints during a Jan. 9 New York City radio program about his potential candidacy, saying, "There is no question that we’re exploring it," and suggesting Cairo's polling was "pointing in the right direction." 

Cairo sought to buy more time. In an unusual but legal workaround last month, Cairo and the county GOP announced they had chosen former Valley Stream Mayor John A. DeGrace as their favored candidate in the primary for Gillen’s seat. 

But Thursday, DeGrace declined a ballot spot. 

On Tuesday, Cairo described Driscoll in a statement as "the clear choice to fight for lower taxes and greater affordability for Nassau County families."

Longtime attorney

Driscoll’s background as described on the Town of Hempstead website includes 28 years of experience as an attorney, including a focus on aviation law. She is also listed as having served recently as associate village justice of Bellerose Village.

Raised in Middle Village, Queens — her father emigrated from Caracas, Venezuela — she has lived with her husband and five children in Bellerose for nearly 20 years.

Driscoll is also listed as having degrees from The Catholic University of America in Washington, D.C., and the Fordham University School of Law.

Gillen has a big head start in raising campaign cash. Her reelection campaign says it has raised over $1.3 million in the first three months of 2026, bringing her total to $4.2 million since last year, and that she has about $3 million remaining in her coffers.

The GOP is counting on a strong performance by Nassau County Executive Bruce Blakeman as its nominee for governor to help the party's congressional candidates, particularly in his home county.

But Trump's slumping ratings are becoming a trickle-down worry for the GOP. The president’s rating for handling the economy has fallen to a new low of 31%, according to a CNN poll released two weeks ago.