Second Assembly District race: McManmon vs. Palumbo

Republican Anthony Palumbo, 43, of New Suffolk and Democrat John McManmon, 28, of Riverhead, are vying for the assembly seat that’s been vacant since Dan Losquadro was elected Brookhaven Town highway superintendent in March.

Palumbo bills himself as a reformer who will work to clean up Albany, a family man and a small business owner who will work to cut red tape and high taxes to foster job growth and make Long Island more affordable and business friendly. He advocates cutting state income taxes and funding the cut by curtailing Medicaid fraud, ending abuse in the welfare system, and trimming “taxpayer-funded Hollywood giveaways.” He also advocated doubling the STAR exemption from school property taxes.

He is a former Suffolk County assistant district attorney and has a private law practice in Mattituck. He is married and the father of two young children.

Palumbo has been endorsed by Suffolk County Police Benevolent Association, the Suffolk County Detective Investigators P.B.A., the Suffolk Detectives Association, the Suffolk County Police Conference, the Suffolk County Superior Officers Association, and the Suffolk County Corrections Officers Association, Suffolk County Deputy Sheriff’s Benevolent Association, the Suffolk County Probation Officers Association, the Nassau County Deputy Sheriff’s Benevolent Association and the L.I. Environmental Voters Forum.

Website: http://www.palumboforassembly.com/

McManmon says it’s time for a new generation of leadership to act to prevent “the slow undoing of our way of life.” He advocates reforming the state school aid formula to close the gap between the proportion of New York’s students educated in our schools on Eastern Long Island and the proportion of school aid funds received by those schools. He has called for the state to re-evaluate the common core initiative and de-emphasize high-stakes testing. He advocates full civil equality for all people and believes women should have the right to make their own choices about their own health. He says he will make the governor’s equality agenda a top priority in the coming legislative session.

McManmon grew up on the North Fork, attended Riverhead High School, Tulane University and Columbia Law School. Prior to the campaign he was an associate with the Manhattan law firm of Milbank, Tweed, Hadley and McCoy. He is endorsed by NARAL Pro-Choice New York, Planned Parenthood Advocates of New York, the Sierra Club and a host of labor unions.

Website: http://johnforassembly.com/

The State Assembly seat carries a two-year term and an annual salary of $79.500 plus per diem payments of $171/per full day (overnight stay) and $61/per half day (no overnight stay), plus mileage and tolls reimbursement and benefits. In 2012, Losquadro collected $12,250 in per diems on top of his annual salary and benefits.