Anthony D'Esposito to vie for congressional seat he lost to Laura Gillen, sources say

WASHINGTON — Former Long Island Republican Rep. Anthony D’Esposito is preparing to announce as early as this week or next he will seek a rematch for the U.S. House seat he lost two years ago to Democrat Laura Gillen, people familiar with his planning tell Newsday.

He’ll first formally submit his resignation from his job as inspector general at the U.S. Labor Department, according to Republicans in Washington and on Long Island aware of those preparations. They asked not to be identified in order to speak freely about D'Esposito's plans.

A potential D’Esposito-Gillen contest would be their third showdown for New York’s 4th Congressional District seat, which lies entirely within Nassau County. D’Esposito, of Island Park, defeated Gillen, of Rockville Centre, when the seat opened up in 2022; she then defeated him in 2024.

"Long Island families need someone who will fight for them, not abuse their power for personal benefit," the Gillen reelection campaign responded in a statement, referring to ethical issues that plagued D’Esposito before his defeat in 2024. 

A match between the longtime foes is likely to be as ugly as it will be close and will draw national headlines since it's long been viewed as a factor over whether Republicans or Democrats will control the U.S. House in 2027.

D’Esposito was sworn into his Labor Department watchdog post on Jan. 6. But he can’t continue to do that job and officially campaign at the same time, or he will be in violation of the federal Hatch Act. That law prohibits all designated federal workers of the government's executive branch — not counting the president and vice president — from being candidates for partisan political office.

D’Esposito did not return messages Tuesday and Wednesday. A spokesman for the inspector general’s office also did not return inquiries on whether he has already resigned or formally given notice he was leaving the administration job.

Nassau County Republican committee chairman Joseph Cairo could not be reached for comment through a spokesman.

Democrats need to pick up three seats nationwide to take the majority of the 435-seat House. But to succeed, they also need to defend seats. And nonpartisan political handicappers have been considering Gillen as one of the most vulnerable House Democratic incumbents in the country.

But the delay by D’Esposito to previously say he is entering the race and reluctance by local Republicans to move to another candidate, has seen at least one political handicapper downgrade the race. The Cook Political Report moved it from a "toss-up" district to "leans Democratic."

Still, Nassau County Executive Bruce Blakeman’s ascendance to the top of the state ticket as the party’s nominee for governor has brought party optimism there will be a big Nassau County GOP voter turnout this year.

There has been cautiousness, if not awkwardness, for D’Esposito in how and when to leave the inspector general job he only recently began.

An added complication is that, as inspector general, D'Esposito's office only recently launched reviews into headline-grabbing complaints about potential misuse by Labor Department Secretary Lori Chavez-DeRemer and others of travel and other department resources and other issues.

The secretary has denied any wrongdoing. But two of her top aides were reported this week to have resigned in the face of D’Esposito’s internal investigation of the alleged misconduct.

There are other potential Republicans interested in running against Gillen. Those include Massapequa lawyer Dennis McGrath, who’s had meetings party officials in the county, and in Washington with representatives of Speaker Mike Johnson’s campaign arm and the White House.

But McGrath says he wouldn’t try to force a GOP primary bid against D’Esposito if he ran. Gillen herself has Democrats filed as candidates seeking to challenge her in a party primary, including former Assemb. Taylor Darling.

Since their last election bout in 2024, Gillen and D’Esposito have continued their sniping and online trolling of each other.

The Democratic attacks on D'Esposito have included continued focus on The New York Times' 2024 reporting he allegedly hired his fiancée's daughter and another woman he was having an affair with. He has denied any wrongdoing.

Gillen and other Democrats are poised to hit D’Esposito on scandals and ethical issues that plagued him before his defeat in 2024.

"In every job he’s ever had, he’s refused to tell the truth, including allegedly lying under oath and putting his mistress on the government payroll," the Gillen campaign said Wednesday. "He has shamelessly wasted federal resources to get a job he may now quit, just months later."

Nassau County Democratic chairman Jay Jacobs has told Newsday that D'Esposito "carries with him the same baggage in a future election as he had in the past."

Republicans are already hitting Gillen on several fronts, including asserting a lack of leadership and effectiveness in her first year in Congress.