ALBANY- Democrat Jim Gaughran is working to make education policy a key issue in his State Senate campaign against Republican Carl Marcellino, who chairs the Senate Education Committee.

Gaughran, the Suffolk County Water Authority chairman, is hosting listening tours on community education concerns and is calling out Marcellino, who has represented the 5th District since 1995.

"I firmly believe that elected officials should provide support to our state's educators and have a responsibility to listen and be respectful of parents and public education stakeholders," Gaughran said in a news release provided to POLITICO New York.

He further claimed Marcellino, who was on the education committee as the state rolled out the Common Core learning standards, has "refused" to address issues...| read more ››

The final night of the Democratic National Convention features the acceptance speech of Hillary Clinton as the first woman nominee of a major party for president of the United States.

She will be introduced by her daughter, Chelsea Clinton. She will try to bolster the night’s theme, “Stronger Together,” by trying to entice younger, more liberal Democrats who flocked to Clinton’s opponent in the primaries, Sen. Bernie Sanders of Vermont.

11:30 p.m. — Hillary Clinton is joined on stage by running mate Tim Kaine, her husband former President Bill Clinton and daughter Chelsea as balloons shower down and music plays.

10:30 p.m. — Hillary Clinton takes the stage as “This is my fight song” plays and there are sustained cheers....| read more ››

State Assembly Candidate Ed Perez
Receives Working Families Party Endorsement

Huntington, NY – New York State Assembly candidate Ed Perez has officially received the endorsement of the Working Families Party. Mr. Perez is running for New York State Assembly in the 10th District. He has received the endorsement of both the Democratic and Working Families Parties.

Mr. Perez stated, “I am honored to be running to represent the people of the 10th Assembly District with the backing of both the Democratic Party and Working Families Party.” Perez continued, “When elected, I will represent all the people of the 10th District, regardless of political party affiliation, always putting our community first.”

Emily Abbott, Long Island Political Director for the Working...| read more ››

PHILADELPHIA — Hillary Clinton is now officially the Democratic presidential nominee, making history as the first woman ever to secure the backing of a major American political party.

Clinton was formally nominated on the second evening of the Democratic National Convention on Tuesday, more than nine years after launching her first presidential bid. It was largely an evening of unity after an opening night marked by resistance from die-hard supporters of Democratic runner-up, Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders.

In a culmination of days' worth of efforts to unify the party, Sanders himself moved at the conclusion of the lengthy state-by-state roll call vote — after Clinton had won a majority of delegates but before her formal nomination was announced to the...| read more ››

PHILADELPHIA — The Democratic convention formally nominated Hillary Clinton for president on Tuesday, making history by choosing a woman to be the first standard-bearer of a major political party, a breakthrough underscored by a deeply personal speech by Bill Clinton calling her “the best darn change-maker I have ever known.”

At 6:39 p.m., the hall erupted in cheers and joyful tears as South Dakota cast the decisive 15 votes to put Mrs. Clinton over the threshold of 2,382 delegates required to clinch the nomination.

A sea of delegates waved multicolored signs with Mrs. Clinton’s “H” campaign logo, while others fell into hugs and several women jumped up and down with elation.

Vince Insalaco, the chairman of the Democratic Party of...| read more ››

Tom Suozzi’s four former Democratic congressional opponents pledged Thursday to help him win the general election and ensure Rep. Steve Israel’s seat stays in their party’s hands.

“This wasn’t really about any one of us. This was about our district, our community and our country,” former North Hempstead Town Supervisor Jon Kaiman said at a news conference in Manhasset, two days after Suozzi’s primary victory Tuesday.

Kaiman, Jericho attorney Jonathan Clarke, North Hempstead Councilwoman Anna Kaplan and Suffolk County Legislator Steve Stern will help strengthen Suozzi’s base across the North Shore’s 3rd Congressional District as he prepares to face Republican state Sen. Jack Martins, Suozzi said.

The Democrats need unity to keep the seat in their hands and keep up...| read more ››

Tom Suozzi had a winning strategy in CD3
Tom Suozzi’s win of the Democratic nomination in the 3rd Congressional District isn’t surprising, but it wasn’t a sure thing.

His two main competitors, Suffolk Legis. Steve Stern of Huntington and former North Hempstead Supervisor Jon Kaiman, ran unexpectedly lackluster campaigns while Suozzi executed a disciplined strategy: running up the vote totals in Queens to minimize Stern’s advantage in Suffolk.

There were about 186,000 eligible voters, but a paltry 18,487 votes were cast, a circumstance that favored candidates with high name recognition.

According to unofficial results from the state Board of Elections, Suozzi got 6,532 votes, Stern received 4,069 votes, Kaiman won 4,060 votes, Anna Kaplan got 2,815 votes and Jonathan...| read more ››

Five candidates faced off in Tuesday’s democratic congressional primary election in the 3rd congressional district.

Tom Suozzi has the highest number of votes and will next face Jack Martins (R) in the general election in November.

Results (629 of 630 election districts reporting):

Thomas R. Suozzi— 6,532
Steve Stern— 4,069
Jon Kaiman— 4,060
Anna Kaplan— 2,815
Jonathan C. Clarke— 909
Polls were open from 6 a.m. to 9 p.m.

Suozzi served as Glen Cove Mayor from 1994-2001 and as Nassau County Executive from 2002-2009.
He says he will be bring responsible reform and a track record of getting things done to Congress. Suozzi filed papers with the Federal Election Commission in January to potentially...| read more ››

Former Nassau County Executive Tom Suozzi on Wednesday savored his first step toward a possible political comeback following a victory in a low-turnout congressional primary Tuesday that relied heavily on grass roots efforts in Queens and his home base of Glen Cove.

Suozzi, who aired no TV ads in the primary, acknowledged that in winning the five-way race, he used up the bulk of his $800,000 campaign funds. But he said he has about $80,000 from donors whose contributions exceeded primary limits and are reserved for the general election.

Suozzi plans a unity event Thursday in Manhasset with his former foes.

Previewing his campaign before an election night audience Tuesday, Suozzi said, “People have been screaming at each other for...| read more ››

Retiring Rep. Steve Israel, who originally backed Suffolk Legis. Steve Stern to replace him in Washington, on Monday officially endorsed former Nassau County Executive Thomas Suozzi, who recently won a five-way primary in which Stern came in a distant second.

The endorsement came on the eve of Suozzi’s visit Tuesday to the nation’s capital, where Israel invited him to attend the weekly House Democratic caucus.

“I’m endorsing Tom Suozzi because he has shown that he will be the best candidate,” said Israel in a prepared statement. “Tom has also proven that he is the type of representative we need in Washington — someone who will bring big and bold ideas to the table and has the courage and political skill...| read more ››