Suffolk County Legislator - 12th District
Republican, Independent, Libertarian, Conservative
Leslie A. Kennedy (Incumbent)
Background:
REPUBLICAN
Kennedy, 63, is running on the Republican, Independence, Conservative and Libertarian lines. The Nesconset resident, a former nurse, was first elected to the county Legislature in 2015, succeeding John, her husband, and is seeking her third term.
Policies:
- Says she wants to continue making constituent service, helping residents navigate the layers of local, county and state government to deal with their issues. Says while she may be a Republican, after the election she “wipes away” labels and treats “everyone the same way.”
- Wants to continue efforts to clean up Lake Ronkonkoma, which has been impacted by local residential cesspools and blue-green algae blooms. Sponsored legislation to earmark money to remediate former hotel along the lake shore.
- Opposes “every proposed fee that’s come to the county” Legislature. Opposed renewal of the red-light camera ticketing program.
Democratic
Margot E. Rosenthal
Background:
DEMOCRATIC
Rosenthal, 63, is running on the Democratic line. A longtime nurse practitioner, midwife and Hauppauge resident, she ran unsuccessfully to become town receiver of taxes in 2015.
Policies:
- She plans to improve mental health services for people battling addictions, veterans and youths who may be susceptible to violence.
- Upgrade water systems and transition to a “green economy” by bolstering tax incentives for electric vehicles, solar panels and wind farms. Improve disaster and resiliency planning in anticipation of future storms.
- Increase affordable housing and incentives for first-time home buyers. Continue to fight federal cap on state and local tax reductions (SALT) as a way to help Suffolk property owners.