Brianne R. Wakefield

Republican

BACKGROUND

• Wakefield, 40, of Bay Shore, is a registered Republican and is running on the Republican and Conservative party lines in the general election. This is her first bid for public office.
• Wakefield has been a stay-at-home mom for about 14 years. She home-schools four of her children. Her husband is a pastor and together they run the WayMaker Church in Bay Shore. She also serves as president of the South Shore Republican Club and chairs the Human and Sex Trafficking Subcommittee for Suffolk County.
• Wakefield graduated from Northport High School and the former Briarcliffe College in Patchogue.

ISSUES

• Wakefield said housing affordability for younger Long Islanders is one of her top priorities. She said parents commonly worry “their kids are never going to be able to afford a house.” She suggests implementing a tax credit to provide $1,000 per year over five years for first-time homebuyers.
• Wakefield said pushing back against bail reform is another one of her goals. She said repealing bail reform would be her preference, but also supports making changes to the current policy so that “judges have full discretion on repeat offenders.”
• Wakefield said government accountability, particularly when it comes to infrastructure projects, is another key issue. She said she would like to see improved road conditions on Route 111, which she said is riddled with potholes and hasn’t been “properly fixed” in decades.