An October surprise for Andrew Garbarino

Daily Point

GOP breast cancer icon endorses underdog Democrat Halpin

Can last-minute support from the relative of a former powerful Islip Town Republican leader help a long-shot congressional Democrat?

Lorraine Pace, a nationally recognized breast cancer awareness advocate from West Islip whose work led the way for the Breast Cancer Mapping Project on Long Island in 1992, is endorsing former Suffolk County Executive Patrick Halpin in his bid to unseat incumbent GOP Rep. Andrew Garbarino. The video featuring Pace, 85, dropped this weekend on Halpin's Facebook account. Wearing a pink suit and pink ribbon scarf, she states, "I am a Republican but this election I am putting facts and morality before party politics."

Halpin told The Point that Pace called him with the idea of doing a video endorsement. "I've known Lorraine a long time and she reached out to me and said, 'I really want to help,' " Halpin said. His campaign has been sharing the post on social media. "It has very, very high viewership. It's especially important to women."

The video concludes with a still stating it was paid for by Halpin for Congress.

Pace cited her unhappiness with Garbarino's support for federal funding bills that cut healthcare research in her endorsement of Halpin, a Democrat. The video features slick voice-overs and video splicing. Pace worked with former Rep. Peter King and former Sen. Alfonse D'Amato, both Republicans, to establish the first breast cancer pink ribbon stamp, which supports research of the disease.

In a statement to The Point, Garbarino said he has helped secure more than $700 million in breast cancer research money during his almost six years in Congress and that breast cancer is "deeply personal" because his mother and aunt are survivors.

"I have not voted to cut cancer research funding, and I never will," Garbarino said, adding, "This fight is bigger than politics, and I'll continue standing with patients, survivors, and their families regardless of who they support politically."

The Pace name is well known in Islip Town political history. Her brother-in-law, Anthony Pace, was the town Republican leader for nearly two decades in the 1970s and '80s and widely considered one of the most powerful Islip GOP leaders.

A longtime Democratic Party insider told The Point that Pace's endorsement was a stunner. "For people who have been around Islip Town politics, a Pace endorsing a Democrat would be unheard of," the source said.

One Republican source, however, said Lorraine's political influence didn't extend beyond breast cancer advocacy, meaning she steered clear of Anthony's maneuvering in local politics.

Pace's endorsement, however, is too late in the game to make a difference in the Nov. 3 election since campaigns have switched gears from persuading voters to getting folks to the polls, one insider said.

The endorsement may not resonate even if it had been earlier in the election cycle because Halpin just doesn't have the money to amplify the message. Garbarino has raised more than $4 million compared with Halpin's paltry half million, according to the latest filings with the Federal Election Commission.

Then again, a typical midterm election cycle sees big losses for the party in power. If enough voters are upset with President Donald Trump and by extension Republicans, long-shot candidates like Halpin may end up coming down to the wire on Election Day. 

— Mark Nolan mark.nolan@newsday.com

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Final Point

Hempstead Dem makes his pushback to GOP attack personal

GOP candidates are playing off voter concerns over rising antisemitism by tying their Democratic opponents to "anti-Israel" funding and advocacy.

In the latest example, Republican Hempstead Town Supervisor John Ferretti is accusing his Democratic opponent, Joe Scianablo, of being "funded by anti-Israel hate." The evidence, according to a flyer paid for by the Ferretti campaign? Ferretti says "Israel-hater Pat Ryan's PAC funded Joe Scianablo's campaign," referring to New York Rep. Pat Ryan, a Democrat.

"Stop anti-Israel hate," the ad says. "Reject Joe Scianablo."

But Scianablo is hitting back — with a personal, pointed message to remind voters that he, in fact, is Jewish.

"It's really hurtful ... to kind of fuel the hate that's going on in this country, especially with regards to antisemitism," Scianablo said in a video message Monday. "For him to send out flyers sharing that I'm an antisemite especially when I'm very proud of my Jewish heritage, and my mother and the Friedman side of my family, it's a disgrace."

Added Scianablo: "He's fueling hate and continuing the divide by lying about somebody and who they really are to their core. I'm proud to be Jewish. I'm proud of that side of my family. I'm proud to be Italian as well."

Scianablo's battle comes after Republican David Hassid, an Assembly candidate, accused his opponent, Kim Keiserman, of having "bankrolled" campaigns of "anti-Israel politicians" and after North Hempstead Town Democratic supervisor candidate Sean McCarthy was accused of "funding an anti-American, anti-Semitic agenda."

Neither Keiserman nor McCarthy is Jewish. But they, too, are pushing back.

"I have spent years fighting antisemitism, standing against hate, and strengthening our democracy," Keiserman said in a recent post. "My opponent is entitled to disagree with me. He is not entitled to invent a version of me that does not exist."

— Randi F. Marshall randi.marshall@newsday.com

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