Laura Gillen

REPLACING:

Anthony D’Esposito (R)

WORK HISTORY:

Maurice A. Deane School of Law at Hofstra University (Adjunct Professor); Town of Hempstead Government (Supervisor); Westerman Ball Ederer Miller Zucker & Sharfstein (Of Counsel); Cahill Gordon & Reindel (Associate); DiveInDeep (Divemaster); Greater Talent Network (Agent)

EDUCATION:

BA, Georgetown University; JD, New York University School of Law [i]

CAMPAIGNED ON:

Cutting Taxes and Lowering Costs for Long Islanders; Defending Reproductive Freedom; Education; Fixing Our Broken Immigration System; Gun Safety; Haitian Americans; Israel; Labor; Mental Health; Protecting Our Environment; Protecting Social Security and Medicare; Public Safety; Veterans [ii]

ON THE ISSUES

REPRODUCTIVE RIGHTS:

Gillen has promised to fight for abortion rights in Congress and supports reinstating the protections of Roe v. Wade, pass the Women’s Health Protection Act, and codify the right to contraception and IVF into law. [iii]

IMMIGRATION & BORDER SECURITY:

Gillen has stated that she will “work with anyone, Democrat or Republican, to find bipartisan solutions to secure our border and fix our broken immigration system.” Her priorities are increasing funding for border patrol, investing in better technology to aid border patrol, and expediting the asylum and deportation process. She wants to bring federal aid to New York to compensate for costs associated with the migrant crisis. She also wants to work to establish an earned pathway to citizenship for law-abiding immigrants. [iv]

ECONOMY & JOBS:

Gillen plans to support the PRO Act and work to secure fair pay, better benefits, and stronger working conditions. Gillen has also pledged to hold corporations accountable for price gouging that drives up prices on groceries and gas. [v]

TAXES:

Gillen has stated that she plans to work towards restoring the SALT deduction to lower taxes for homeowners. She campaigned on lowering taxes and the cost of living for Long Island families. [vi]

CRIME & PUBLIC SAFETY:

Gillen is committed to increasing funding for law enforcement and investing in public safety initiatives. She has also said she will work to pass legislation to make it easier to prosecute drug traffickers who distribute and traffic fentanyl. [vii]

CLIMATE CHANGE, ENERGY & ENVIRONMENT:

Gillen intends to hold chemical manufacturers accountable for contaminating drinking water with carcinogens and working with local municipalities to ensure they have the resources to provide clean drinking water. [viii]

FOREIGN POLICY:

Gillen is a strong supporter of the state of Israel and has stated that she will “always support Israel as both our closest ally in the region and as the eternal home of the Jewish people.” She supports Israel’s “defense against the Iranian regime and its terrorist proxies, Hamas and Hezbollah.” She intends to push for a resolution to the conflict that includes a two-state solution and the return of all hostages. [ix]

HEALTHCARE & SOCIAL SAFETY NET:

Gillen has stated she will reject any efforts to cut Social Security and Medicare, saying on her campaign website that seniors “deserve a dignified retirement – that means having enough to pay for the basics and receiving access to affordable healthcare.” [x]

DEMOCRACY:

In August 2024, Gillen stated in a Facebook post, “In this election, our rights are on the line […] We have to retake the House to reaffirm Roe and reinvigorate the Voting Rights Act and Civil Rights Act.” [xi]

SOCIAL ISSUES:

In June 2022, Gillen pledged to be a “fierce defender” of the rights of the LGBTQ community. [xii] Over the years, Gillen has repeatedly celebrated pride and stated that bigotry will not be tolerated in her community. [xiii]