I’m a political activist, graduate of the Touro Law Center in Central Islip with a J.D. and daughter of a single working mother, a Cadet Navy Nurse from WW II. Born and raised on Long Island, my parents were divorced when I was younger and
I watched my mother work a day job and then travel to New York City to earn her Doctorate at Teacher’s College, Columbia University. I am running for Congress to change the system that exists in Washington D.C. We need real women in Congress, not political party operatives.
While at Touro Law School, I worked in the Bankruptcy Clinic at Touro Law School in Central Islip helping residents of Suffolk and Nassau Counties and in the mortgage and foreclosure department helping residents of Long Island save their homes. My externship was done in the long island criminal division in the United States Attorney’s Office, Eastern District of New York, Central Islip. I also have a master’s degree from Hofstra University.
I’m not a Washington insider. I ran for Congress against Peter King as the Democratic Candidate in 2014 with little support from the Washington insiders. Very few wanted to run against Peter King back then, so I took the challenge.
Education and Family
I am a graduate of the Touro College, Jacob D. Fuchsberg Law Center in Central Islip with a Juris Doctorate degree. Currently, I am pursuing am LLM in Healthcare and Public Policy at Hofstra University. While at Touro Law School, I worked in the Bankruptcy Clinic at Touro Law School in Central Islip helping residents of Suffolk and Nassau Counties and in the mortgage and foreclosure department helping residents of Long Island save their homes. My externship was done in the long island criminal division in the United States Attorney’s Office, Eastern District of New York, Central Islip. I also have a master’s degree from Hofstra University.
My previous experience is in the not-for-profit sector as Director of Development and Community Education for a foundation whose mission is to educate the public about seizure disorders.
The percentage of women in Congress is growing, but we still don’t have parity. I was brought up to think that a woman can do whatever she sets her mind to do, that’s why I am running for Congress. I have been working with the Friends of the United States Nurse Corps and continue fighting for families to obtain Veteran Status for nurses that served in WWII as cadet nurses. My mother was one of 180,000 women that didn't receive Veteran benefits in WWII but served her country as an officer admirably. The bill to address this inequity still sits in Congress in the Committee on Veteran’s Affairs.
Issues
Our district faces a variety of challenges: from the decline of small businesses on our main streets and downtowns, a healthcare crisis that makes families chose between prescription medicines or food on the table, an opioid epidemic, transnational crime, to rebuilding from Hurricane Sandy. We are burdened with some of the highest taxes in the country. The political party players can’t solve these problems because they are part of the problem. We need an outsider to represent us in the district.
If I am elected to represent you in Congress, I pledge to work on behalf of everyone in the district, not the privileged few or political party players. I want to increase federal funding to help small businesses so they may succeed in this economy, to create effective anti-drug education efforts for our children, and to help those still rebuilding from Hurricane Sandy. In short, I want Long Island to prosper and be affordable again.
I have national priorities as well. I support Medicare for All and raising the maximum benefits on Medicare, so seniors don’t end up having to choose between prescription medication and food on the table. I want to stimulate the economy and create jobs by giving an increased tax break to new industries relocating to Long Island. These measures have strong support among the American people.
I want to thank you for your support, and I hope to have the honor and privilege of serving you in Congress.
A proud political activist and outsider,
Patricia Maher