Rep. Tom Suozzi faces Michael LiPetri in race for 3rd Congressional District

One candidate says that he’s breaking ground as a problem solver and that Long Islanders are tired of extremists. The other says they want new blood in politics.

Welcome to the battle for the 3rd Congressional District.

The contest pits veteran Rep. Tom Suozzi (D-Glen Cove) against Republican Michael LiPetri of Farmingdale. It pits a candidate who has served as a mayor, county executive and congressman against one who had a two-year stint in the State Assembly. It pits one who says he has a long career of accomplishments against one who says Islanders need a fresh start and a new face.

And it is an important seat, given Republicans small majority in the House of Representatives — though Cook Political Report and other analysts rate the 3rd District as a "likely" Democratic win.

The district is based on Nassau County’s North Shore, and includes parts of Queens and western Suffolk counties. Democrats outnumbered Republicans by about 60,000 and it backed Biden in 2020 before supporting Republicans in 2022. The job has a two-year term and pays $174,000 a year.

Suozzi, 62, held this congressional seat for six years before running unsuccessfully for governor. When he didn’t run for reelection, Republican George Santos rode the coattails of a red wave on the Island in 2022 to score a surprising victory. But Santos was exposed for fabricating large swaths of his resume, was investigated and charged with campaign-finance irregularities and expelled from the House of Representatives.

Suozzi, 62, regained the seat in a special election in February after Santos’ departure.

Both times in Congress, Suozzi has sought to be a "common sense" Democrat who will split with party leaders at times and try to work with Republicans on legislation. He cites his work on a bipartisan infrastructure law that is funding thousands of improvement projects around the country and on a bipartisan immigration overhaul that ultimately fell short of passage.

The Democrat said it is about "fighting extremism" on either side.

"We don’t need, on Long Island and in my district, another partisan, extremist voice. People are sick of the extremism," Suozzi said. "I am offering a balm to what’s ailing people these days. Let’s try to solve problems that actually exist."

LiPetri, 34, served two years in the State Assembly representing a district that included Farmingdale. In 2020, he abandoned that seat to run unsuccessfully in a GOP primary for the 2nd Congressional District, losing to Rep. Andrew Garbarino (R-Bayport). He’s worked at a lobbying firm after leaving the Assembly.

He’s been a strong supporter of Republican Donald Trump and sought to tie Suozzi to Gov. Kathy Hochul — even though Suozzi challenged Hochul in a primary in 2022.

LiPetri said his campaign is about a "fresh start" for the district.

"We’re providing new vision for Long Island, a new vision for America where the next generation can take the reins where we move from people who created these problems in the past to a new generation who will create new solutions," LiPetri said.

Suozzi said his top priorities are the border, a tax overhaul and money for the district. LiPetri puts those at the top of his list as well, though they might differ on details.

"We need to secure the border and reform immigration," Suozzi said. "Fix the broken asylum system being used by coyotes (human smugglers) and organized crime. Secure the border. Modernize the system and treat people like human beings."

LiPetri also said the border should be secured to stem the immigration flow. He also said any overhaul should crack down on fraudulent asylum claims and focus on allowing in legal immigrants with desirable skills. He also calls for a biometric entry/exit system at border crossings.

As with every federal candidate on the Island, Suozzi and LiPetri want to remove the "SALT cap," which is a limit on how much of your state and local taxes you can claim as a deduction on your federal returns.

The Republican-passed tax act of 2017 implemented the cap when Trump was in the White House, setting it at $10,000. That hit homeowners in high tax, high property value areas of New York, New Jersey and California — Democratic-led states — more than other states.

The tax act expires next year and Suozzi, LiPetri and many others said they want the SALT cap removed from the next version of the federal tax law.

Both candidates said they want to bring federal money to the district, especially for water-quality improvement. LiPetri said he wants a law that gives federal prosecutors authority to take over cases in which a local district attorney declines to prosecute.

The Republican also has sought to criticize Suozzi on crime — but Suozzi pointed out he’s been endorsed by the Nassau police union, which doesn’t back many Democrats.

LiPetri called his opponent a "30-year career politician who focuses on himself."

Suozzi countered: "I’m the only candidate that people know, who has a record of accomplishment I can point to and who has demonstrated an ability to work across party lines to get things done."

Suozzi "might have had reason to sweat" earlier in the year before Democrat President Joe Biden decided not to run for reelection and the party united behind Vice President Kamala Harris, said Lawrence Levy, dean of suburban studies at Hofstra University.

"But Harris’ ascension to the top of the ticket has unified and energized Democrats in this majority Democratic district, and that has persuaded most independent observers — as well as national funders — that this race is not especially competitive," Levy said.

By Yancey Roy

yancey.roy@newsday.com@yanceyroy