New York Third Congressional District

MELANIE D'ARRIGO

Democratic

BACKGROUND: D’Arrigo, 39, of Port Washington, has worked as an allied health professional for the past 14 years, most recently as a consultant. She has worked with the La Palestra Center for Preventative Medicine, Cigna Healthcare and Optum/Plus One Health Management. She volunteers and belongs to several local and national advocacy and progressive groups and has managed two local campaigns. D’Arrigo earned a bachelor of arts degree from Barnard College and a master's from Long Island University Brooklyn.

ISSUES: D’Arrigo, who calls herself an “activist, organizer and mom,” is a first-time candidate. Progressive local and national organizations have endorsed her bid. She holds the mainstream Democratic positions such as supporting abortion rights, unions, gun safety laws, better care for veterans and citizenship for Dreamers, as well as the Long Island priority of repealing of the cap on state and local tax deductions. She is for a two-state solution for Israelis and Palestinians. But she also supports the more progressive Medicare for All policy, saying the coronavirus pandemic has shown that health insurance tied to employment doesn’t work. And she backs the Green New Deal, which she would seek to enact by first eliminating anti-environment lobbying. She vows to introduce a bill to require candidates to disclose conflicts of interest created by corporate and special-interest campaign donations. On criminal justice reform, D’Arrigo prioritizes rehabilitation and prevention over incarceration, and would end private prisons, cash bail and capital punishment.