Garbarino's plus one tonight is Jesse Garcia

Daily Point

Grand Old Party friend from Suffolk in the gallery

At any State of the Union speech, the president has to be the center of attention — but never the only political figure on display.

Congressional guests of the annual Capitol event are often invited to help deliver a political message. They are seated in a sharply divided rotunda full of lusty cheering and scattered heckling, as if at a fractious convention.

Among those invited by members of the New York congressional delegation will be business entrepreneurs affected by tariffs, individuals facing challenges from looming changes in health care insurance, and local law enforcement figures and survivors of emblematic crimes and attacks. Their presence is often designed as a personal message about big legislative, vote-getting issues.

Rep. Andrew Garbarino's guest Tuesday night won't be an avatar on any national issue. It’s Jesse Garcia, the Suffolk County GOP chairman. Garbarino told The Point ahead of the event: "Some people use their ticket to do an issue, and that’s fine. This is nothing more than Jesse has been a friend. He renominated me this year, he’s been a friend for a very long time."

Garbarino said that Garcia had told him he was interested in attending, that "it was something he wanted to do, he said he'd love to have the experience, so I said why don't you come this year. It was nothing about him being chair." As an Assembly member in the last decade, between 2013 and 2020, Garbarino represented parts of the Town of Brookhaven, where Garcia also leads the GOP.

Garbarino added, "I wouldn't be in Congress if not for his advice." He said Garcia encouraged him to run to succeed Rep. Peter King when the latter was retiring even as Garbarino viewed other candidates as "better spoken and more experienced."

Sometimes the selection can be a matter of family. For last year's speech by Trump, the congressman's guest was his father William Garbarino, who served as chairman of the Town of Islip Republican Committee until a contentious challenge last summer. This year, another House member from Suffolk, Rep. Nick LaLota, is keeping it in the family with his wife Kaylie, a physical education and dance teacher and coach at Northport High School.

Garcia told The Point that he was "honored to join as a guest such an esteemed, effective member of Congress" as Garbarino. He said he knows firsthand of his effectiveness.

It will be his second time attending a State of the Union. The first was in 2001 when, as chief of staff to then-Rep. Felix J. Grucci Jr., Garcia attended President George W. Bush's speech. Like today, the GOP controlled both chambers and the White House at that time, Garcia said.

If Garcia's presence serves as a symbol of anything, it's that the Suffolk Republicans, who pretty much rule the governmental roost countywide these days, will have their ranks closed in solidarity going into what will be a difficult midterm election nationally.

— Dan Janison dan.janison@newsday.com

Pencil Point

Taken by storm

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Final Point

Familiar names and newcomers filed for elections

Today is the first day elected office hopefuls can circulate designating petitions, although the record blizzard makes the idea of going door to door to collect signatures unpalatable at best. A handful of candidates have created campaign committees, and between the newcomers and those who have been at the rodeo before, there's no lack of contested races this November.

Republican Stephen F. Kiely is running again for the 1st Assembly District, currently held by Democrat Tommy John Schiavoni. Kiely lost to Schiavoni in 2024 by almost 13 points.

Democrat E. Christopher Murray, who ran unsuccessfully for New York State's 7th Senate District in 2002, filed to run for the 1st Senate District against Republican incumbent Anthony Palumbo, who won a close race — 53-47 — in 2024.

Northport Village trustee Dave Weber, a Republican, filed to run for the 12th Assembly District seat currently held by Assemb. Keith Brown, who announced recently he wasn't seeking reelection. Weber was reelected as trustee in 2024 and has two years remaining on that term.

Patricia Kopp, of Oakdale, filed to run for the 7th Assembly District seat, held by Republican Jarett Gandolfo, who recently announced a run for State Senate. Republican Islip Town Councilwoman DawnMarie Kuhn was nominated to run for Gandolfo's Assembly seat.

Lisa Vider filed to run for the 9th State Senate District along Nassau's South Shore, represented by Republican incumbent Patricia Canzoneri-Fitzpatrick, who was reelected in 2024 with more than 67% of the vote. Interestingly, Canzoneri-Fitzpatrick is listed as a possible candidate for New York's 4th Congressional District on the prediction market website Kalshi, although the odds of her being nominated have dropped to 35%. Former Rep. Anthony D'Esposito remains the favorite, at least according to Kalshi.

Democrat Jonathan Estreich, of Dix Hills, filed to challenge State Sen. Mario R. Mattera for the 2nd District, which covers most of Suffolk's western North Shore. Mattera, first elected in 2020, cruised to a 58% reelection victory in 2024.

Democrat Kim Keiserman, of Port Washington, is running for the 16th Assembly District, which covers Nassau's western North Shore, including Port Washington. Republican incumbent Daniel Norber recently announced he won't seek reelection, and Republicans have yet to announce a candidate in that race. Norber upset the applecart in 2024 by winning the seat, which had been held by a Democrat for decades. There are 37,328 registered active Democrats and 26,853 registered active Republicans in the district, in addition to 32,929 blank voters.

Keiserman, head of the Port Washington Democratic Club, lost a bid in 2024 for the 7th Senate District by 10 points to Republican incumbent Jack Martins. Keiserman reported $29,505.94 in January filings in her campaign account. In a statement to The Point, Keiserman hit the familiar campaign notes of 2026. "My goal is to make the North Shore of Long Island a welcoming and inclusive place where families can afford to stay, put down roots, and build their futures," she said.

Assuming the timeline for designating petitions isn't altered because of the state of emergency declared for the blizzard or a judge’s order stemming from the ongoing redistricting litigation, the deadline for circulating petitions is April 2 and the deadline to file is April 6. That leaves plenty of time for those with elected office aspirations to burn shoe leather collecting signatures. It only takes 500 qualified signatures to get on the ballot for a county legislature or Assembly race. The State Senate requires 1,000 qualified signatures.

— Mark Nolan mark.nolan@newsday.com

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