Three Challengers for US Rep. Tom Suozzi
Two-term US Congressman Tom Suozzi (D-Glen Cove) has attracted three challengers for the North Shore 3rd Congressional District. Two for the Democratic primary in June, and one Republican for the general election. Two of the challengers are openly gay men, and the third is a leftist woman.
Michael Weinstock is a Democrat, an attorney, former prosecutor, and firefighter. He grew-up in Great Neck, in a violent, alcoholic, and dysfunctional household, where he remembers his father beating his mother. As a prosecutor, Weinstock worked on prosecuting domestic violence and sexual assault, which he credits to his tragic background, and another horrible experience.
“I recently held a press conference and announced that I filed criminal charges against the powerful Long Island politician who pressured me for sex for many years. Telling my story before the assembled reporters was grueling and difficult, but I pushed through it... I will continue to speak up - even if it continues to anger powerful party bosses.” stated Weinstock. “One of the reasons that I’m running for office, is because Congressman Tom Suozzi wrote a personal letter of support to the judge when this politician/criminal was convicted of felony tax evasion last year. Congressman Suozzi said that the sexual predator was a person of real integrity “who treats everyone with empathy.” Weinstock disagrees with Suozzi’s willingness to work with Republicans in the bi-partisan “Problem Solvers Caucus.” He tacks hard left on most issues from the “Green New Deal” and “Medicare for All" and the Lesbian, Gay, Bi-Sexual and Transgender ("LGBT") agenda - all of which he supports. Also in the Democratic primary is self-proclaimed “Progressive Democratic activist” and mother of three. Melanie D’Arrigo, is from Port Washington.
D’Arrigo has been endorsed by the National Organization of Women (“NOW”) and “Muslims for Progress.” She is being backed by the “Justice Democrats” - a left-wing socialist group that backs Bernie Sanders and Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (“AOC”). D’Arrigo said, “I’m running for Congress to bring a voice back to the everyday people our elected officials often ignore.”
D’Arrigo backs “Medicare for All,” opposes immigration enforcement, and promises to end to what she calls “Mass Incarceration.”
On the Republican side, George Anthony Devolder-Santos, a 31-year old Queens finance executive, is looking to wrap-up the Republican nomination to challenge Suozzi. Devolder-Santos grew up in Jackson Heights of Brazilian immigrant parents. He attended a series of New York City high schools in Sunnyside, Astoria and the Bronx, before going on to Baruch College, where he graduated in 2010 with a degree in finance.
Devolder-Santos then worked for Goldman Sachs and his current employer, Linkbridge Investors, where he specializes in business investments in the Americas. He credits his desire for public service to his late mother, Fatima Devolder, the child of Belgian immigrants to Brazil, who began a program of raising money for the poor in her native Brazil, and distributing sandwiches to homeless people in Northeast Queens.
“I applaud our leadership for their recent efforts to cut taxes and regulations,” stated Devolder-Santos. “The power of our nation’s economy has been unleashed by putting money back into the private sector.. instead of allowing the federal government to decide for them how that money will be spent.”
Devolder-Santos supports President Trump’s policies. However, he disagrees with Trump in supporting a doubling of the SALT deduction to $20,000. “We need to increase the SALT deduction so that people living in these high cost of living, high property tax areas are included in the tax reform that has set the American economy on fire.” Devolder-Santos argues that Rep. Suozzi is a part of Nancy Pelosi’s Democratic Party, and no longer represents the political mainstream.
Petitions for U.S. Congress will begin circulating on February 25th. The Democratic Primary will be held on June 23rd, and the General Election on November 3rd.