Long Island's 4 representatives all rank among most centrist in Congress, analysis finds

WASHINGTON — Long Island is home to two of the nation’s most liberal-voting Republicans in the U.S. House, joined by a third suburban New York City lawmaker, an analysis of the past year’s congressional votes shows.

Reps. Andrew Garbarino (R-Bayport) and Nick LaLota (R-Amityville) rank fifth and seventh respectively among 220 House GOP members in terms of the most liberal- or moderate-voting patterns, with colleague Mike Lawler (R-Pearl River) the third-highest ranked.

But these three Republicans aren’t the only New Yorkers who sometimes take to the ideological center when House votes are cast, breaking from their political party more often than most of their peers.

Rep. Laura Gillen (D-Rockville Centre) is ranked the third-most conservative voter among 213 House Democrats, while Rep. Tom Suozzi (D-Glen Cove) is ranked 13th. Upstate Rep. Josh Riley (D-Ithaca) is ranked the seventh-most conservative-voting Democrat nationally.

These tendencies have been tracked and ranked by UCLA’s Voteview, a nonpartisan multidimensional scaling of congressional voting, based on the roughly 360 roll-call votes cast over the first half of this two-year congressional session that began in January 2025.

"That’s great!" Garbarino responded when informed of his high centrist-voting rank. "I come from a pretty middle-of-the-road district," he said, adding that other areas of Long Island also give off a purplish political hue. "I'm doing my district right by having that ranking."

Garbarino also offered, "I’ve said I think the Republican Party is a big tent party, meaning that ... Republicans from New York are different than Republicans from Florida, which are different than Republicans from California, which are different than Republicans from Montana."

Erin Covey, a House elections expert at the nonpartisan handicapper Cook Political Report, said, "I think it's ultimately a function of the fact that these members all represent purple or purplish seats. They're voting in a way that reflects their districts and will also benefit them politically."

But she also noted "even the most moderate members of Congress are still largely voting in lockstep with their party."

Here’s what UCLA’s Voteview tracking shows about Long Island’s members of Congress — along with the latest state Board of Elections breakdowns for active enrolled voters for each district by political party.

Republican Nick LaLota

• New York’s 1st Congressional District (active Republican voters: 194,753; Democrats: 183,179)
• Votes more liberally than 96% of his fellow House Republican colleagues; ranks as the seventh-most liberal voter among 220 Republicans.
• Almost half the chamber — 49% — is more conservative-leaning than LaLota in voting, while 51% is more liberal-leaning.
• Notable breaks from most of the GOP include: Being among just 20 Republicans, including Garbarino, joining Democrats in passing the Protect America’s Workforce Act, which would repeal two executive orders that revoked collective bargaining rights from a majority of federal workers and canceled thousands of existing union contracts.

"My voting record shows I put my country and Long Island before my party, as I have promised," LaLota said. He added that his record "reflects Long Island’s priorities: fiscally conservative, socially moderate," including cutting taxes, supporting law enforcement, securing the border and "delivering bipartisan results on labor and environmental issues."

Republican Andrew Garbarino

• New York’s 2nd CD (active Democratic voters: 177,878; Republicans: 168,592)
• Votes more liberally than 97% of his fellow House Republican colleagues; ranks as the fifth-most liberal voter among 220 Republicans.
• He falls right in the middle — 50% of all House members are more conservative-leaning in their votes, while 50% are more liberal.
• Notable breaks from most of the GOP include: Being one of just five House Republicans to join Democrats in defeating an amendment that would have limited the scope of environmental impact reviews by federal agencies on projects managed by states.

Democrat Tom Suozzi

• New York’s 3rd CD (active Democratic voters: 209,320; Republicans: 149,388)
• Votes more conservatively than 94% of his fellow House Democratic colleagues; ranks as the 13th-most conservative voter among 213 Democrats.
• Roughly 47% of the chamber is more liberal-leaning than Suozzi in voting, while 53% is more conservative.
• Notable breaks from most Democrats include: Being one of just six Democrats to join Republicans in voting to reopen the federal government after a record 43-day shutdown.

"My voting record represents the people of my district: my constituents are practical, common sense people who want to solve problems and get things done — they come from a spectrum of views," Suozzi said in a statement. "That’s who they are and that’s who I am."

Democrat Laura Gillen

• New York’s 4th CD (active Democratic voters: 225,989; Republicans: 161,880)
• Votes more conservatively than 99% of her fellow House Democrats; ranks as the third-most conservative voter among 213 Democrats.
• Almost half the chamber — 49% — is more liberal-leaning than Gillen in voting, while 51% is more conservative.
• Notable breaks from most Democrats include: Being among 11 Democrats, along with Suozzi, who joined all 215 voting House Republicans to pass a bill increasing the lengths of prison sentences for immigrants convicted of repeatedly entering the United States illegally.

"I am proud to have one of the most bipartisan records," Gillen said in a statement. "In Congress, I seek to vote in a manner that does the most good for Long Island and reflects our values. ... I am committed to working with anyone, from either party, to deliver results, lower costs and ensure our communities are safe."