Patrick P. Gillespie, State Senate, 9th District

PATRICK P. GILLESPIE JR.DEMOCRATICBACKGROUND: Gillespie, 24, of East Rockaway,

is running on the Democratic and Working Families lines. A Democratic employee at the county Board of Elections, Gillespie received a bachelor's degree in political science and history from American University in 2011. A Long Island native, Gillespie ran unsuccessfully last year for the East Rockaway School Board and the Hempstead Town Board. He is single.

ISSUES: Gillespie said he would have voted against the school speed camera program, calling the $80 tickets a backdoor tax increase. He said the program takes photos of speeders but doesn't slow them down. If student safety is the issue, he said, Nassau County should install stop signs all around the schools. He said a main issue is trying to help people recover from superstorm Sandy, and that many people on the South Shore have yet to return to their homes. He said they are struggling to pay their mortgages and rent on temporary housing. He said he would be "advocating every day" to help people break through red tape and get help from the state recovery program, New York Rising. He said Long Island needs relief from its high tax burden. He said it's time for a change because young people, older people and families no longer can afford to live in Nassau.