Thomas ready to jump from senate to Congress

By NICOLE WAGNER nwagner@liherald.com

Kevin Thomas has tossed his hat into the ring, hoping to be the candidate Democrats turn to flip Anthony D’Esposito from his congressional seat. The state senator announced his candidacy last week in front of his parents’ home in Elmont.

Thomas has high hopes he can defeat the Republican, who defeated Democrat Lauren Gillen by a margin of less than 4 percent last year. Gillen — the former Hempstead town supervisor — is expected to run again for the seat next year, along with fellow Democrats Lawrence Henry, Sarah Hughes and Gian Jones. These candidates will duke it out alongside Thomas in the Democratic primary set for next June 25.

“I’ll let other candidates speak for themselves,” Thomas said. “I’m excited to take my record of delivering for Long Island, and winning tough races to the voters of Congressional District 4.”

As a state senator, Thomas says he has worked with the Democratic majority in Albany to cap property taxes, protect drinking water for Nassau County, funded veteran services and mental health care, and codified the right to an abortion into New York law.

“People in New York are struggling with the high cost of living, increased stresses from raising a family, paying their rent or mortgage, and simply trying to stay afloat,” Thomas said. “Now more than ever, we need action.”

Members of Moms Demand Action, a group that advocates for public safety from gun violence, were among the supporters of Thomas’ campaign.

“He’s been there for us, and we’ve been there for him,” the group’s events lead Jimmy Dougherty said about

Thomas’s support of gun safety legislation in the state Senate.

“Following the traumatizing terror in Buffalo, I led the successful effort to ban gun sales to those under the age of 21,” Thomas said of his legislative record.

Thomas hopes to bring the values he has represented in the state legislature with him to Washington — assuming he gets past both the primary and then what is expected to be a tough run against an incumbent.

Thomas faces a choice if he wants to remain in the state Senate for another term: Either he has to move, or he has to change districts.

That came after new legislative maps pulled both and his 2022 opponent out of their district. Thomas was given a onetime exemption to continue representing his senate district, but was told he would have to make a decision before 2024.

Running for congress would eliminate that decision. But as he told a Herald roundtable of reporters last year, moving — especially in Nassau County — isn’t easy.

“People who can’t afford anything are still living with their parents,” Thomas said at the time. “This is an issue everyone has been trying to tackle for years now. If you’re making $50,000 to $60,000, what is affordable? There are some innovative ways that are going into this, but we need to do a lot more.”

Thomas became the first-ever Indian American to serve in the state legislature in 2018. His family immigrated to the United States when he was 10, making a home for themselves in Nassau County.

“Long Island has given me so much — opportunity, hope and community,” Thomas said. “And I have been determined to give back.”