Thomas Donnelly for Suffolk Legislative District 17

The 17th District covers most of southern Huntington Town including parts of Melville, Dix Hills, and South Huntington, south to Deer Park and parts of North Babylon and North Bay Shore.

Running for his fourth term, Deer Park Democrat Thomas P. Donnelly, 57, remains steadfast in his devotion to public service, which he showed in his many years as a paid and volunteer firefighter. He continues to strive to provide the constituent service for which he has been known. 

Donnelly says his primary focus lies in enhancing the quality of life for his constituents. As chairman of the public safety committee, he wants to bolster public safety and improve public health, particularly in response to the ongoing mental health crisis and the opioid epidemic. Donnelly says there is a shortage of social service workers and Child Protective Service workers, and he is a strong advocate for boosting recruitment and retention efforts to address the mounting caseloads. In general, Donnelly underscores the challenging work carried out by those in public service and believes that these individuals must receive competitive salaries, as he recognizes that current pay does not align with the area's high cost of living.

Donnelly's commitment to improving compensation doesn't stop at social workers; he believes the county should place a stronger emphasis on fairly remunerating all municipal workers. He is determined to streamline municipal staffing across various departments, emphasizing the importance of addressing dozens of vacant detective positions in the police department, while also advocating for the recruitment of additional officers to enhance safety in the district.

Republican opponent Catherine J. Corella, 54, of Deer Park, is not actively campaigning.

Newsday endorses Donnelly.