Clock ticks for Anthony D'Esposito to decide congressional bid

WASHINGTON — With Nassau Republicans set to gather for their convention next week in Levittown, the party committee's chairman said time is running short for former GOP Rep. Anthony D’Esposito to publicly declare whether he’s running for the House seat he lost in 2024.

Joe Cairo has been encouraging D’Esposito to run again for New York's 4th Congressional District seat in what could be a pivotal rubber match against freshman Democratic Rep. Laura Gillen (D-Rockville Centre).

But as D’Esposito stays silent, pressure is mounting for him to finally end his political will-he-or-won't-he and reveal he is running or scoot over for someone else. So notable has been the wait for D'Esposito that at least one online prediction market has opened wagering on whether he or another GOP candidate will emerge. D’Esposito did not respond to multiple requests for comment Thursday about his plans.

“We’ve got to make a decision before the [Feb.] 24th,” Cairo said in an interview, referring to the deadline for when party officials can decide on nominations.

Cairo said the county’s Republican Party Committee will be holding its convention on Feb. 19 in Levittown, where congressional and other nominees typically are designated or endorsed. And the week after that, he pointed out, candidates for office start gathering signatures on designating petitions to get on the ballot.

“We want to get out on the street — Day One,” Cairo said. He added that he believes the party’s candidate will get a boost in November because of Nassau County Executive Bruce Blakeman's nomination for governor, putting him atop the ballot and luring more Republican voters to the polls.

But Cairo again underscored a federal law prohibits D’Esposito from launching a campaign until he gives up the Trump administration job he began on Jan. 5 as the Labor Department’s top internal watchdog — something he has yet to do or say he will do.

Sen. Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.) suspects D’Esposito is being permitted to do a cautious and orchestrated political tap dance with winks and nods as a ploy to extend his time, paychecks and federal pension points as the Labor Department’s inspector general as long as possible before announcing.

On Tuesday, Blumenthal wrote a letter to the White House’s acting Special Counsel Jamieson Greer directly raising such concerns that D’Esposito already has been initiating a campaign for Congress privately and that, “if you find that Mr. D’Esposito is running for his old house seat, he must immediately resign.”

Cairo took umbrage to that assertion.  

“Senator Blumenthal’s complaint is baseless and entirely without merit. Anthony D’Esposito has not engaged in any political activity since his confirmation as inspector general at the U.S. Department of Labor and has fully complied with both the letter and spirit of the Hatch Act,” Cairo said in a statement on Thursday.

Another showdown between D’Esposito and Gillen would be their third for the 4th District seat. D’Esposito defeated Gillen when the seat opened up in 2022; she then defeated him 51% to 49% in 2024.

Two other Republicans have filed initial candidacy papers with the Federal Election Commission. They include Massapequa lawyer Dennis McGrath, who has met with county party officials, as well as in Washington with representatives of Speaker Mike Johnson’s campaign arm and the White House.

McGrath said Thursday in an interview he is ready to go, but that it has been “frustrating” not getting any direction on how party leaders are proceeding regarding the Gillen seat. Brian Miller also has filed with the FEC as an East Meadow Republican seeking to explore a run for Gillen's seat.

Other, more well-known Nassau County names, including those of some public officeholders, were speculated as potential entrants by attendees of this week's state GOP convention in Garden City, but none of them had filed exploratory papers with federal election officials a week before the county GOP convention.

The prediction market site Kalshi is taking wagers on whether D’Esposito is the most likely Republican candidate to emerge.

With no other GOP favorites publicly emerging, some political handicappers also have recently downgraded the race from being one of the most pivotal and potentially competitive races in the fight for party control of the House this fall.

The nonpartisan Cook Political Report, for instance, has revised it from being a “toss-up” race to one that “leans Democrat.”

As for Gillen, she is already campaigning — and fundraising. She reported raising $2.8 million last year, the 64th highest amount raised in the House, and has $2.19 million in the bank.

She does have several announced challengers for the party's nomination. But on Thursday, her campaign released a joint statement from Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-Brooklyn) and other top House Democrats that they are unified behind her reelection.

“Going to get a candidate,” assures Cairo of a Gillen opponent from his side of the aisle.