Rep. McCarthy reflects on 18 years in office

After 18 years on the job, Rep. Carolyn McCarthy is getting ready to leave Washington.

McCarthy spoke with News 12 about her best and worst times during her tenure in Congress.

Just three years before she was first elected in 1996, McCarthy's husband Denis was killed and her son Kevin was critically injured by a gunman on the Long Island Rail Road.

McCarthy quickly went from a Mineola wife and mother to a public figure fighting for gun control. Now, she's returning to private life to spend more time at home with her family. She made the decision a year ago after being diagnosed with lung cancer.

“Last year when I was ill, it put life in a different perspective,” McCarthy told News 12.

She says her best day was having President George W. Bush sign her bill requiring stronger background checks for gun buyers.

“I know [my husband] has to be proud of me. He always said to me, ‘I could do anything I put my mind to,’ and he was right. I put my mind to it and I did it,” she said.

Her worst days, she says, were fighting for money after the Sept. 11 attacks and Superstorm Sandy.

McCarthy did not seek a 10th term as representative of the 4th district. Her seat was won in last month's election by Nassau District Attorney Kathleen Rice.

McCarthy is now looking forward to her next journey, possibly teaching at Adephi or Hofstra.