James D. Kennedy, County Legislator, 12th Legislative District

JAMES D. KENNEDY

Republican

BACKGROUND:

• Kennedy, 49, of Massapequa, a former fifth-grade teacher and former Board of Elections employee, seeks a fourth full term, having won a special election in February 2015. He is also on the Conservative and Tax Revolt lines.
• He touts his record of helping constituents and meeting communities’ needs, including passage of his bill to ban e-cigarette stores within 500 feet of schools and day care centers. He is the secretary of the Peter J. Schmitt Memorial Foundation, named after his late father-in-law, who had been the Nassau legislature‘s presiding officer.
• He received a bachelor’s degree in communications from Fordham University, a master of fine arts from CUNY Brooklyn College and a master of science in childhood education from LIU Post.

ISSUES:

• Kennedy sees his fight against the opioid epidemic taking a major step as Nassau’s settlements with drugmakers and distributors are placed in a special fund to help addicts. He plans to discuss ideas with drug counseling agencies.
• He would continue looking for more tax cuts.
• Kennedy said he would be more vocal in lobbying state officials to fix or redo the new bail reform system, especially after listening to constituents’ fears of suspected criminals being released. He believes judges should have more discretion on bail.