Long Island Police Unions Endorse Garbarino At Seaford Rally

SEAFORD, NY — Long Island police unions rallied in Seaford Thursday to endorse New York Assemblyman Andrew Garbarino to succeed the retiring U.S. Rep. Pete King. Among the unions in attendance: the Nassau County Police Benevolent Union, which also said it unanimously voted to endorse Republican President Donald Trump in his bid for re-election over Democratic nominee Joe Biden.

Garbarino, a Sayville Republican, will face Democrat Jackie Gordon and Green Party candidate Harry Burger in the Nov. 3 election for New York's 2nd Congressional District. The district covers Levittown, North Wantagh, Seaford, South Farmingdale and Massapequa. Suffolk County communities include Amityville, Copiague, Lindenhurst, Gilgo, West Babylon, Wyandanch, North Babylon, Babylon, Baywood, Brentwood, Brightwaters, Central Islip, Islip, Great River, Ocean Beach, Oakdale, West Sayville, Bohemia, West Islip and Ronkonkoma.

The union representative, including the Nassau County Police Benevolent Association, cited recent clashes between police and protesters nationwide as the reason voters should back Garbarino, Newsday reported.

Also at the rally: Noel DiGerolamo, president of the Suffolk police union and Hempstead Town Clerk Kate Murray.

The Nassau County police union also endorsed President Donald Trump for re-election.

"During these times where you see all this lawlessness, we have protests turning into rioting and looting and violence against police officers, the time of defunding police officers... the president has stood strong and steady in his support of law enforcement throughout the country," James McDermott, president of the Nassau police union, said at the rally. "We're not seeing that from the other candidate and it made it a no-brainer for us."

McDermott said everyone is on edge right now. He believes the news media is doing the public a "disservice" by dividing people.

"I, as a police officer for 36-plus years, I represent everyone," he said. "It doesn't matter what color, creed, nationality, religion you are, we're all Americans."