Nassau GOP leaders' pick to take on Gillen faces primary fight

WASHINGTON — Jeanine Driscoll knows she’s being depicted as a substitute candidate who was pulled from nowhere by Republicans to run for the Nassau County-based U.S. House seat now held by Democratic Rep. Laura Gillen.

"I did see something, some negative commentary — ‘Oh, they were desperate. They pulled her out of the shadows,’ ” said Driscoll, the twice-elected sitting Hempstead Town receiver of taxes. But she added, "I’m not in the shadows. I’ve never been in the shadows. I’ve always been out in the public."

"I don’t feel like a backup," Driscoll said.

Driscoll, 59, of Bellerose Village, won the backing of Nassau County party leaders in April after former Rep. Anthony D’Esposito decided not to run and instead kept his job as inspector general of the U.S. Labor Department.

Driscoll faces minister Marvin Williams, a retired Air Force lieutenant colonel, in the June 23 GOP primary.

The race for Gillen’s seat was initially seen by nonpartisan handicappers as a top competitive contest in the battle for party control of the narrowly divided House. But it has since slipped in some views after the monthslong wait for D’Esposito’s decision — and is depicted mostly as leaning Democrat.

Williams said he does not view himself as an underdog in the primary, even if he was not the party leaders’ choice.

"Because I’ve been in this community. I’m grassroots. I know the people," said Williams, 64, of Garden City, of why he thinks he can buck the Nassau GOP establishment and win. He emphasized it was the party’s establishment leaders — not voters — who picked "a tax collector" as their favored candidate.

Both primary candidates talked with Newsday about their campaigns, their motivations and expectations — including why they think they can win in November versus Gillen, 56, of Rockville Centre.

Faceoff with incumbent

Both Driscoll and Williams said they believe that once the GOP primary is decided, national party focus on the seat will intensify and voters will begin paying more attention to them and what they say about Gillen.

Both acknowledged that the freshman incumbent has built-in advantages, like fundraising and the lack of a primary opponent. Gillen has reported raising over $4.2 million since last year, with about $3 million remaining as of last month.

Both Driscoll and Williams predicted they would need to raise roughly $4 million in a general election campaign to be competitive.

Driscoll and Williams both traveled to Washington in April, visiting with GOP campaign officials or other potential backers. Both reported encouragements and more planned trips there, but neither reported any definite commitments from House Speaker Mike Johnson’s lieutenants at the National Republican Congressional Committee or other committees geared to financial and other candidate support.

In New York, however, Driscoll has the endorsement of Nassau County Executive Bruce Blakeman, the Republican candidate for governor.

Much of Driscoll's and Williams' criticisms of Gillen center on such things as her legislative output or her "no votes" on mostly party-line bills offered by the current House Republican majority. Those include President Donald Trump’s huge tax relief package that included raising the cap on the state and local tax deduction — a big deal on Long Island.

All House Democrats voted against that tax bill. But Gillen has actively pushed for fully repealing the SALT deduction cap — and offered an amendment to entirely remove that limitation. However, the same GOP bill also contained items Democrats saw as harmful to constituents, such as sweeping restrictive cuts to Medicaid eligibility and spending.

Both Driscoll and Williams claimed to be a MAGA candidate. Asked directly if she considered herself one, Driscoll said, "I do support the president’s agenda, yeah." The district is not only full of "working-class people," she said, but she’s the type of candidate who will appeal to independents as well.

Similarly, Williams said he identifies as a MAGA Republican. But he and his campaign also portrayed him as an independent voice who will stand up for the district.

Driscoll touts experience

In discussing how she came to be a candidate in the race, Driscoll said running had not really been on her radar this year. But she said, "In the back of my mind, I guess I always thought I could make a run for this seat."

When party leaders called and said they were interviewing candidates to run because D’Esposito was not going to, she obliged. And when they afterward asked her to run, "I accepted," she said.

Driscoll said her candidacy has some early advantages in the effort to unseat Gillen. She noted she was twice elected receiver of taxes in an area that meshes or overlays with 96% of the 4th Congressional District. Far from the shadows, Driscoll said, she has had years of interactions and familiarity with its constituents.

As for swipes at the idea a local tax official is a good choice of a candidate, Driscoll said it’s "a great job" and that it has given her the opportunity to frequently talk and meet with residents on tax issues.

"I do feel like I have a lot on institutional knowledge about taxes and affordability, and I think right now that is probably the biggest issue for CD-4," along with safety, Driscoll said.

Jacob Rubashkin, deputy editor of the independent political handicapper Inside Elections, said Driscoll needs a number of things to go her way to ultimately win the seat. He pointed to fundraising and the state and national political environment as key factors.

"The race certainly has the potential to get more competitive than it is currently," Rubashkin said in an email. "And I would say it's fairly competitive at the moment."

Williams: Challenges faced

Williams said he, too, is focused on taxes, including pushing for a tiered tax system, to abate some taxes for seniors and others.

He said that while Driscoll still has her tax duties, he is on "a 600-mile strategy," walking the district. His platform as a self-described conservative includes a focus on congressional term limits, and emphasizing he is not a career politician.

He also mentioned that what "has shaped my life significantly" was that, as a young man, he was forced to alter some plans — including turning down a full ride at a West Coast university — to serve as the caregiver for his mother in Virginia during serious illness. "Life happens," he said.

But instead of looking at things in a negative sense, he said, he accomplished his educational, military and professional achievements. And now, he said, "I want to make a difference for my community."

Williams’ candidacy comes at a time when all four Black Republicans in the House are retiring. He said he does not make race, or the fact he is a Black man, a campaign issue or part of his platform.

But he said people "have kind of mentioned, you know, it’s good to see a Black conservative."