L.I. Democrat: OK, I lost

GOP’s Garbarino wins King’s seat in House

Democrat Jackie Gordon conceded to Republican Andrew Garbarino in a closely watched battle to succeed a longtime GOP congressman in a swing district on Long Island’s South Shore.

Garbarino, a four-term state assemblyman, will replace U.S. Rep. Peter King in New York’s 2nd Congressional District.

The 36-year-old Republican built a comfortable lead on Election Day, and Gordon conceded on Wednesday in a statement posted on Facebook. Associated Press has not declared a winner because of a large number of absentee ballots cast in the race.

“I am deeply humbled by the support and encouragement we have received from voters who share our vision,” Gordon said in the statement. “Although we were not victorious, this race was historic for so many reasons.”

King, 76, announced last year that would retire in January after 28 years in office rather than stand for reelection in the increasingly diverse, Democratic-leaning district.

A lifelong Long Islander, Garbarino (left) has portrayed himself as a natural successor to King and was often accompanied by the retiring lawmaker on the campaign trail. He’s the son of a local party leader and runs a small law firm.

In a district that’s home to many police officers, Garbarino underscored his strong support for law enforcement. He aired TV commercials featuring the slogan “back the blue,” was endorsed by the region’s major police unions and suggested that Gordon wound defund police, which she denied.

Gordon (right) emigrated to New York from Jamaica when she was 7. She served in the U.S. Army Reserves as a military police officer for 29 years, fought in Iraq and Afghanistan and retired in 2014 as a lieutenant colonel. She was also a school guidance counselor and served on the Babylon Town Council for 12 years.

At a candidate forum, Garbarino said he would push to nationalize the police training and standards used in New York City and on Long Island.

Garbarino also highlighted his track record of working with Democrats, who hold the majority in Albany, to secure funding for projects in his district.

In Congress, Garbarino said he would push for a new infrastructure spending bill, relief for small businesses battered by coronavirus and environmental protections for the island’s waterways.

On an issue that hit close to home for highly taxed Long Islanders, Gordon and Garbarino agreed that the Trump administration’s $10,000 cap on deducting state and local taxes from federal income taxes should be scrapped.

King was one of 40 House incumbents who didn’t appear on the ballot for reelection this year.