For Josh Lafazan, a debatable move

Daily Point

Former Nassau legislator pitching to be expert on Trump-Harris debate

Josh Lafazan, the former Nassau County legislator, is being pitched as a potential commentator before and after the Tuesday debate between Vice President Kamala Harris and former President Donald Trump.

This effort to hit the national or at the very least local ring of punditry is being guided by Elkordy Global Strategies. The public relations firm wrote in emails to a wide landscape of media contacts that Lafazan is a "nationally-ranked debater with experience debating during his political campaigns" who "offers a unique perspective on debate strategies and dynamics."

Lafazan told The Point he started working with Elkordy Global Strategies before the summer, and the firm is "helping me reach a national and international audience."

"When I was a local legislator, I always focused my attention on local issues," Lafazan said. "Now, being a private citizen, for the time being, it’s been a blast to be able to talk about national politics and issues really for the first time since I was a teenager."

Lafazan said the "nationally-ranked debater" moniker came from his high school days, when he was part of Syosset High School’s forensics, speech and debate club, which successfully competed in national events like the Princeton University Invitational.

Lafazan gave The Point a taste of what he’ll be saying if any of the national outlets come calling, noting that he’s previously acted as a commentator and analyst on other issues for Fox, NewsNation, Newsweek, and USA Today. He said he’ll be looking at the "theater" aspect of the debate, from whether Harris and Trump shake hands to whether Trump will appear more composed with the closed microphones to whether Harris can come across as a "stateswoman ... who’s not going to take the bait."

Lafazan noted that the increased exposure has helped his social media presence, increasing his TikTok following to 160,000. But ultimately, he said, he remains focused on potential public service opportunities closer to home. Noting that he’s closely watching the Nassau County redistricting case that could determine whether district lines shift in a way that could allow him to run again, Lafazan said he hopes his presence across various media outlets this week and beyond will serve to remind his constituents that "I have not gone anywhere."

Lafazan’s latest move to spotlight himself comes after he hosted a fundraiser last month that raised $25,000 to help the Nassau County Democratic Committee in its court fight over the redistricting. He blames adding more Republican areas to his district — and removing some communities in which he’s been well-known — for his reelection loss last year. Lafazan has tried to return to political life by making efforts to run for Congress and the State Senate but ultimately dropped out of both races.

"Once that lawsuit is settled, I’ll have a better picture of what the playing field will look like for all folks in all communities in Nassau," Lafazan said. "If there’s an opportunity to serve my community that was really taken away from me for no reason other than politics, then of course I’m going to be interested in looking at that opportunity."

Meanwhile, the local debater will use the national stage to try to keep his name in the mix and pave the way for those future opportunities. If that doesn’t work out, would Lafazan instead want to become a TikTok star?

Maybe ... except for one thing.

"No dancing for me," Lafazan said.

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

Pencil Point

Pushing your buttons

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Quick Points

Defining change

• A just-released New York Times/Siena poll found that likely voters nationwide think Vice President Kamala Harris is not as much of a change candidate as former President Donald Trump. They’re probably right — jailing political opponents, suspending the First Amendment, ending the independence of the Justice Department, and firing thousands of career Civil Service workers are changes that have never been seen.
• Former Republican Rep. Liz Cheney, one of hundreds of prominent Republicans who refuse to vote for former President Donald Trump in the 2024 election, said there is "absolutely no chance" that former President Ronald Reagan would vote for Trump if he were still alive. Which makes former President George W. Bush’s refusal to endorse a candidate look like a cop-out.
• What’s the most important thing to know about the tax-cut policies of Donald Trump and Kamala Harris — that each would add trillions to the deficit or that Congress is not likely to enact either?
• Arkansas GOP Sen. Tom Cotton said that Dick Cheney endorsing a Democrat for president and Robert F. Kennedy Jr. endorsing a Republican show "there’s a lot of ferment in American politics." That’s one way of looking at it.
• The Biden administration is racing to get billions of dollars in clean energy funding out the door before the end of the president’s term since Donald Trump has promised to claw back any unspent money from the climate law if he wins. But if fighting climate change is so important, shouldn’t the Biden administration have been furiously doling out the money all along?
• Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand and Rep. Andrew Garbarino say they are trying to pass legislation this year to finally fully fund the World Trade Center Health Program. How is it possible that after all these years Congress still won’t do this?

— Michael Dobie michael.dobie@newsday.com

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