NY Primary Election 2020: William Schleisner For State Assembly

SOUND BEACH, NY —Voters on Long Island will head to the polls Tuesday to cast their ballots for state and federal offices in New York's Democratic primary election. That includes the New York's 2nd Assembly District, where candidates will vie to fill a seat vacated by Republican incumbent Assemblyman Anthony Palumbo, who is running for New York State Senate.

GOP candidate and current Riverhead Town Councilwoman Jodi Giglio will face off with the winner of Tuesday's Democratic primary, which includes candidates William Schleisner and former Riverhead Town Supervisor Laura Jens-Smith.

The election is slated for Tuesday, June 23. Under Gov. Andrew Cuomo's order, all registered voters in the state must receive a mail-in ballot application to apply for a postage-paid absentee ballot amid the coronavirus. All ballots postmarked by June 23 will be counted.

The Second Assembly District of New York includes portions of Brookhaven Town of Brookhaven, and all of Riverhead and Southold.

Patch has reached out to all the candidates in the primary election. Here are their responses:

William Schleisner

Age as of Election Day (Nov. 3)

37

Town of residence

Sound Beach

Position Sought

State Assembly

Party Affiliation

Democrat

Family

Wife Amanda, 36, children Brandon, 7, and Owen, 3.

Does anyone in your family work in politics or government?

No

Education

Bachelors in management from Adelphi University

Occupation

ViacomCBS Senior Operations Coordinator since 2007

Previous or Current Elected or Appointed Office

None.

Campaign website

www.willforassembly.com

Why are you seeking elective office?

I, as a father of two young boys, am concerned about the direction of the island. We have politicians who love to rub elbows with the rich and elite. We need people in office who understand the problems the working class, poor and seniors face on Long Island.

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

Affordable housing. Long Island is in the midst of a housing of a housing crisis. People cannot afford to live on Long Island. There are many factors causing this; one of the most important factors is the lack of a living wage on Long Island. We have people who have been busting their butts during the COVID-19 crisis that barely make a living wage. They can't feed their families and certainly can't afford the housing. We need to force developers to create more than just the minimum affordable housing and look at expanding what 'affordable' means. We also need to get people past the NIMBY feelings they have in regards to affordable housing.

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

I am a 100% grass roots campaign. I have accepted no corporate money and will not leading in to the general election. My family is a working class family and I understand what all families are facing on the North Fork. I have not spent my time rubbing elbows with the rich and political class on Long Island. I am also a wild card, the GOP already have the blue print on how to beat Laura Jens-Smith as they already did it last November. The book has not been written on me just yet.

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

This is an open seat at the moment, but the current holder of the seat Anthony Palumbo is a ghost. He only comes out of hiding during election season. I intend to do the hard work of getting in the community, which is a part of the job he has forgotten.

Describe the other issues that define your campaign platform.

I want to pass universal pre-K and the New York Health Act. Universal pre-K is especially important to me because many families are unable to afford a pre-K program on Long Island. This creates children of privilege and to me, education should be available to all children regardless of their parents' income status.

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

I am father of two young boys and have juggled working, going to college, and parenting. We need to wear many hats as an elected official and I believe I am very equipped to handle this job. We need to be able to walk and chew gum at the same time. Some lawmakers are good at just crafting the laws but don't have the ability to handle constituent services. We need to be able to do all of these things.

The best advice ever shared with me was:

You can't control how other people view you, just do what's truly in your heart and you will be okay.

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

My political moral compass is simple: Healthcare, education and housing are human rights. If we, as state, are not providing those services for all New Yorkers, then we are failing at our jobs. We need to do better and we can do better!