New York Assembly District 16 Election: Meet Blay Tarnoff

PORT WASHINGTON, NY — The general election is less than a week 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.

At the state level, Democratic New York Assemblyman Anthony D'Urso, a Democrat first elected in 2016, announced in February he would not seek reelection in District 16. The district includes the communities of Port Washington, Manhasset, Great Neck, North Hills, East Hills, Old Westbury, Roslyn Heights, Herricks and Lake Success.

Now, longtime government worker Gina Sillitti seeks to keep the seat under Democratic control To do so, she'll face Republican businesswoman Ragini Srivastava. Libertarian Blay Tarnoff is also running as a third-party candidate.

Sillitti, of Manorhaven, is the daughter of first-generation Italian-Americans. She said on her campaign website that she learned the value of a good education and importance of chasing dreams from her mother, who enrolled in community college at age 45 following the death of her husband.

Sillitti graduated from the University of Georgia and spent nearly two decades working for the Nassau County Legislature, where she helped secure money for fire departments, schools, and helped residents deal with issues such as pothole repairs and navigating personal tragedies.

In 2010, Sillitti was appointed deputy commissioner of the Department of Community Services for the Town of North Hempstead.

Srivastava, of Manhasset Hills, seeks the Assembly seat following an unsuccessful bid last year for North Hempstead Town Council.

Born in India, Srivastava came to the United States 19 years ago as a young woman in search of a better life. She has volunteered for domestic abuse survivors and women's advocacy groups, and planned community events such as yoga and mindfulness sessions. Through connections she made, Srivastava launched her own business and was later appointed to the Nassau County Comptroller's Minority and Women-Owned Business Enterprise Council.

Tarnoff earned a bachelor's degree in Mathematics from Brown University and a Juris Doctorate from Pace University. He has been a computer systems programmer and analyst for four decades and serves as the Libertarian Party's county committee chair.

Patch has reached out to all three candidates to fill out our 2020 candidate questionnaire. Here are their responses, lightly edited for clarity.

See also:

• New York Assembly District 16: Meet Gina Sillitti
  
• NY Absentee Ballots Can Be Returned To Hundreds Of Drop Boxes
• Mail-In Voting In New York: Deadlines, How To Get A Ballot
• New Yorkers Can Now Apply Online For Absentee Ballot

Blay Tarnoff

Age as of Election Day (Nov. 3): 63

Town of residence: North Hempstead

Position Sought: State Assembly

Party Affiliation: Libertarian

Family: No response.

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

Education: B.A. Mathematics, Brown University; J.D. Pace University

Occupation: Computer Systems Programmer/Analyst, 40 years

Previous or Current Elected or Appointed Office: Libertarian Party County Committee Chair

Campaign website: No response.

Why are you seeking elective office?: To eliminate poverty and violence in society.

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

The lockdown — end it.

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

I am not looking for a career. I just want to do my part to bring about a society that is the best it can possibly be — for everyone.

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

Not to single out the current incumbent in particular, but the focus of government needs to change from looking to government to solve all problems — which works more for the politicians than anyone else — to looking to government to protect the rights of citizens to do what works best for them.

Describe the other issues that define your campaign platform

• Reopen the economy and strengthen it through lower taxes and fewer regulations
• Guarantee the right of peaceful protest but with enhanced penalties for engaging in violence while protesting
• Improve citizen safety and security by guaranteeing the individual right of self-defense statewide, especially in one's home or business

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

Many years of study and/or experience in political philosophy, mathematics, law and business.

The best advice ever shared with me was: "To thine own self be true."

What else would you like voters to know about yourself and your positions? See the "Philosophy of Liberty" video: