1 Of 2 Suffolk Dems, Kara Hahn Runs In 1st Congressional District

PORT JEFERSON, NY — Democratic Suffolk County Legislator Kara Hahn is now one of two local lawmakers to throw their hats in the ring for the 1st Congressional District seat now held by U.S. Rep. Lee Zeldin (R-Shirley).

Hahn, a Setauket resident who served as the Legislature's communications director before her election in 2011, now serves as the deputy presiding officer. She will face off in a primary next year with colleague, Legis. Bridget Fleming of Sag Harbor, who previously lost a primary race to Nancy Goroff, who unsuccessfully ran against Zeldin in 2020.

In an announcement on Twitter, Hahn said Long Island faces enormous challenges "from protecting our land and water from pollutants to investing in our railroad and roadways."

"These issues can't wait — we need someone in Congress who understands what families in our community are up against," she added.

In a follow up tweet, Hahn said that if supporters believe Congress could use more members "that know what it's like to work a shift at McDonalds, rely on food stamps as a single mom, or spend decades paying down student debt — join our team to give middle class families a seat at the table."

Zeldin, a is looking to unseat Gov. Andrew Cuomo in the 2022 gubernatorial race.