Tom Suozzi, Democratic candidate for governor

TOM SUOZZI

DEMOCRAT

BACKGROUND: Suozzi, 59, was elected mayor of his hometown, Glen Cove, when he was 31 and went on to serve four terms. In 2001, he was elected Nassau County executive — the first Democrat to hold that office. In 2004, he sought to influence state politics by launching “Fix Albany,” a political committee that backed candidates who pushed for state government reform. In 2006, he ran for governor but lost a Democratic primary to Eliot Spitzer. In 2009, he failed to win a third term in Nassau and in 2013 ran again unsuccessfully. But he bounced back in 2016 by winning a congressional seat covering parts of Nassau and Suffolk counties. He earned a bachelor’s degree from Boston College and a law degree from Fordham University.

ISSUES: Suozzi has progressive positions on abortion, the environment and gun safety, but has made rising crime rates and inflation the centerpiece of his campaign. He supports microstamping of ammunition and tougher regulations on semi-automatic rifles. But says those won’t lower street crime. He says judges should been given discretion to set bail based on a defendant's level of "dangerousness." He says state and local taxes are too high and proposes reducing school mandates and Medicaid spending. He has criticized Gov. Kathy Hochul for approving a $850 million state subsidy for a new NFL stadium in Buffalo. He has bashed Hochul for raising campaign cash from donors with business before the state. He says Hochul’s selection of Brian Benjamin — who resigned amid bribery charges — for her first lieutenant governor is an example of her poor judgment.