2nd Congressional District candidate Rob Lubin talks economic reforms with NewsdayTV

In a one-on-one televised sit-down interview with NewsdayTV, 2nd Congressional District candidate Rob Lubin answered questions on the economy, immigration, foreign wars, gun policy and more as he vies to unseat incumbent Republican Rep. Andrew Garbarino this election cycle. 

Lubin, a Democrat, is a first-time candidate who calls himself a "capitalist" and is a staunch supporter of Israel. 

The half-hour segment was conducted by Newsday Associate Editor Joye Brown, and included questions from Newsday's political team and readers from communities within the district. 

Lubin, 29, of Lindenhurst, is challenging Garbarino in a district that spans from eastern Nassau County through the southern portion of Suffolk County, including the communities of West Babylon, Brentwood and Shirley. 

Garbarino, 40, an attorney and former state Assemblyman from Sayville, declined Newsday's invitation to debate Lubin. 

Garbarino won 60% of the vote in the 2022 election when he faced Democrat Jackie Gordon. He has $2.4 million cash on hand compared with Lubin's $245,336, according to the most recent financial disclosures by the Federal Election Commission. 

If elected, Lubin said he would work to codify Roe v. Wade in the U.S. Constitution; support universal background checks for gun owners and double down on support for Ukraine in its war against Russia. He does not support President Joe Biden's idea of expanding the Supreme Court. 

He credited Garbarino for certifying the 2020 presidential election but inaccurately noted that the Republican Party does not. "If he's just going to fall in line with the party, we don't know what to expect," Lubin said.

When reached by phone on Tuesday night, Garbarino said: "I've proven that I can go against the party if it's not in the best interest of Long Island." 

In discussing the issue of affordability on Long Island, Lubin empathized with voters who cited concerns about the high cost of housing, food and other basic living expenses.

Lubin, the founder and CEO of a fashion e-commerce company, said he understands the struggle to buy a house and believes local communities need to find ways to increase supply and the federal government should do more to encourage first-time homebuyers.   

"Let's give first-time homeowners a shot. Let's give them a financial opportunity — $25,000 to go out there and buy a home — to pursue that aspect of the American dream," Lubin said. 

He blamed former President Donald Trump and the Republicans in Congress for the $10,000 cap on the state and local tax deduction, known as SALT, and said he "won't sign anything" unless it involves a conversation about SALT.

"The same Republican leadership that tells us they're going to make our lives easier — they're actively making our lives more difficult," Lubin said. "We need to repeal the SALT cap. I get it. It is expensive to live on Long Island. I hear it from my neighbors. I see it when I go to the store." 

When asked to respond, Garbarino told Newsday that he worked for four years to repeal the SALT deduction and said Democratic presidential candidate Vice President Kamala Harris, unlike Trump, has not pledged to repeal it (Trump did, however, push for a SALT deduction and got it passed in 2017. Republicans introduced a bill this year to repeal SALT, including an amendment criticizing Biden's energy policies. That resulted in the majority of Democrats voting against the bill). 

Lubin said he is against Trump's idea of mass deportation of undocumented immigrants and would work to pass a bill that secures the border while creating an asylum-seeking program "that is not broken." 

"Of course we have a problem at the border and we need a solution. The solution is not mass deportation. I mean that is draconian and, by the way, from an economic perspective that is not as effective as Donald Trump thinks it will be," Lubin said. 

On the topic of the Israel-Gaza war, Lubin echoed the talking points of moderate Democrats, calling for Hamas to "lay down their arms and return the hostages so that a true government can stand and represent the Palestinian people correctly."

Lubin described himself as a "capitalist" but said it's important to recognize "when we are being taken advantage of" with regard to the high cost of goods and services.

"What are you going to do?" Brown asked. 

"I'm going to hold corporations accountable," he said. "I'll be loud about it. I'll make sure that they're being fair."

By Candice Ferrette

candice.ferrette@newsday.comcandiceferrette

Candice Ferrette covers Nassau County government and politics on Long Island. She has been a reporter at Newsday since 2011.