New York Senate District 6 Candidates: Meet Kevin Thomas

LEVITTOWN, NY — The general election is less than two months away, and President Donald Trump isn't the only elected official on the ballot. In New York, state and federal elections will also be decided.

State Sen. Kevin Thomas, a Democrat from Levittown, seeks re-election this year in District 6 against Republican challenger Dennis Dunne Sr. The district includes some or all of the following communities: West Hempstead, Wantagh, Uniondale, Seaford, Salisbury, Plainedge, Old Bethpage, Massapequa, Malverne, Levittown, Lakeview, Island Trees, Hicksville, Hempstead, Garden City South, Garden City, Franklin Square, Farmingdale, East Meadow and Bethpage.

Thomas, of Levittown, immigrated to the United States at 10 years old. Prior to winning election two years ago in the 6th District, he served as an attorney and civic leader. Thomas was also an appointee of the U.S. Commission on Civil Rights to the New York State Advisory Committee.

Upon his election in 2018, Thomas became the first Indian-American in New York history to serve in the state Senate. He currently serves as chairman of the Consumer Protection Committee and sits on the Judiciary, Finance, Banking, Aging, Veterans, Homeland Security and Military Affairs Committees.

Dunne, also of Levittown, is currently a Town of Hempstead council member for District 6. He was appointed to the Town Board three years ago after serving over two decades as a Nassau County legislator. Dunne was an original member of the Legislature when it was formed in 1996.

Dunne serves as president of the Levittown/Island Trees Veterans Council and was president of the Marine Corps Coordinating Council. He is a member of the American Legion, Veterans of Foreign Wars, the Disabled American Veterans, the Ancient Order of Hibernians, the Lions Club, the Knights of Columbus, the Kiwanis Club and the Levittown Chamber of Commerce. Dunne is also the former chair of the Nassau County Executive's Veterans Advisory Committee and former head of the Nassau County Veterans Agency, serving with the Marines in the Vietnam War.

Patch has attempted to reach out to both candidates to fill out our 2020 candidate questionnaire. Here are their responses, lightly edited for clarity.

See also:

• Mail-In Voting In New York: Deadlines, How To Get A Ballot
• New Yorkers Can Now Apply Online For Absentee Ballot

Kevin Thomas

Age as of Election Day (Nov. 3): 36

Town of residence: Levittown

Position Sought: State Senate

Party Affiliation: Democratic Party

Family:Wife, Rincy; Daughter, Layla (22 Months); Dog, Sirius

Does anyone in your family work in politics or government?: No

Education: BA, St. John’s University JD, Cooley Law School

Occupation:Legal Aid Attorney, 10 years

Previous or Current Elected or Appointed Office:

Current: NYS Senator District 6

Previous: Appointee of the U.S. Commission on Civil Rights to the New York State Advisory Committee

Campaign website: SenatorThomas.com

Why are you seeking elective office?

Hardworking Long Island families deserve a senator who will fight for them in Albany. I ran for state Senate on the promise that I would fight tirelessly for overburdened and overtaxed Long Islanders. I delivered on that promise by capping the property tax cap permanently, championing legislation to protect our clean water, enacting common sense ethics and voting reforms, and delivering the most school funding to my district in New York history. I have a proven record of delivering funding, resources, and legislation that greatly improves the everyday lives of Long Islanders. In addition to securing record school funding for the district, I successfully fought to secure almost $2 million dollars in additional funding to our Nassau County and Hempstead Village Police Departments, and $500 million for clean water infrastructure and monitoring, while voting 44 times against tax increases. I’m running for re-election to ensure that Long Island continues to have a strong voice in Albany. As senator, I’ll never stop fighting to cut taxes, fund our schools, protect our drinking water, and ensure our communities remain affordable for generations to come.

The single most pressing issue facing our nation/state/community is _______, and this is what I intend to do about it.

The COVID-19 pandemic is the most pressing issue facing our nation today. I am committed to working hand-in-hand with my partners in government to help our community combat this public health crisis, maintain stability, and help our communities come back stronger than before. My staff and I have been working tirelessly to assist constituents every step of the way -- whether delivering personal protective equipment to our essential workers, resolving unemployment-related issues, providing critical information to residents through my Community Resource Page, or coordinating food and supply drives to help those in need, we worked tirelessly to help our community in a time of need. I have pledged to do everything I can to provide economic relief for struggling workers and small businesses, maintain critical services, and help our residents return to work and everyday life as quickly and safely as possible.

What are the critical differences between you and the other candidates seeking this post?

I believe in people over politics. I serve a diverse district that’s home to over 300,000 residents. Their priorities are my priorities. I am not afraid to stand up and fight for Long Island families first, never political insiders or special interest groups. From day one, I have made it a priority to routinely visit every part of my district and hold at least three public events per month, because having the opportunity to listen to my constituents helps me be a better legislator. While career politicians like my opponent have used the COVID-19 pandemic as an opportunity to enrich themselves and their well-connected friends behind the scenes, I have taken great lengths to be as transparent and accessible as possible to my constituents, because that’s the kind of leadership Long Islanders deserve.

If you are a challenger, in what way has the current board or officeholder failed the community (or district or constituency): N/A

Describe the other issues that define your campaign platform:

Protecting taxpayers, cleaning up the Northrop Grumman Plume, fighting the opioid epidemic, preventing gun violence, and fighting for seniors, veterans, students, and families on Long Island.

What accomplishments in your past would you cite as evidence you can handle this job?

I worked my way through college as a civilian with the NYPD. After law school, I spent years defending clients who had been unfairly targeted by large lenders. As an appointee of the U.S. Commission on Civil Rights to the New York State Advisory Committee, I fought tirelessly to advance civil rights and expand opportunities for all New Yorkers. These experiences are what motivated me to give back to my community through public service. In my first term in office, I took a leading role in Albany as chairman of the Consumer Protection Committee. I helped secure record school aid for Nassau County, and made the property tax cap permanent, which will save taxpayers $189.9 billion over the next decade. All of this, in addition to new funding for our infrastructure, groundbreaking protections for our environment, relief for our student loan borrowers, data privacy protections and progressive voting reforms, made this first term one of the most productive in New York history.

The best advice ever shared with me was:

Change will not come if we wait for some other person or some other time. We are the ones we've been waiting for. We are the change that we seek.

What else would you like voters to know about yourself and your positions?

I love being a dad. My 22-month-old daughter likes to join in on my Zoom meetings when I work from home. I’m proud that I get to serve my community, and my daughter is such a big part of what motivates me to keep fighting for everyday families like ours.