Nassau GOP leaders' pick to take on Gillen faces primary fight

WASHINGTON — Jeanine Driscoll knows she’s being depicted as a substitute candidate who was pulled from nowhere by Republicans to run for the Nassau County-based U.S. House seat now held by Democratic U.S. Rep. Laura Gillen.

"I did see something, some negative commentary — ‘Oh, they were desperate. They pulled her out of the shadows,’ " says the twice-elected sitting Hempstead receiver of taxes. But she adds, "I’m not in the shadows. I’ve never been in the shadows. I’ve always been out in the public."

"I don’t feel like a backup," Driscoll says.

Driscoll, 59, of Floral Park, Bellerose, won the backing of Nassau County party leaders in April after former Rep. Anthony D’Esposito decided not to run and instead kept his job as inspector general of the Labor Department. She faces minister Marvin Williams, a retired Air Force lieutenant colonel, in the June 23 GOP primary.

The race for Gillen’s seat was initially seen by nonpartisan handicappers as a top competitive contest in the battle for party control of the narrowly divided U.S. House. But it has since slipped in some views after the monthslong wait for D’Esposito’s decision — and is mostly depicted as leaning Democrat.

Williams says he does not view himself as an underdog in the primary, even if he was not the party leaders’ choice.

"Because I’ve been in this community. I’m grassroots. I know the people," explains Williams, 64, of Garden City, of why he thinks he can buck the Nassau County GOP establishment and win. He emphasizes that it was the party’s establishment leaders — not voters — who picked "a tax collector" as their favored candidate.

Both primary candidates talked with Newsday about their campaigns, their motivations and expectations — including why they think they can win in November versus Gillen, 56, of Rockville Centre.

Incumbent advantages

Both Driscoll and Williams say they believe that once the GOP primary is decided, national party focus on the seat will intensify and voters will begin paying more attention to them and what they say about Gillen. 

Both acknowledge that the freshman incumbent has built-in advantages, like fundraising and the lack of a primary opponent. Gillen has already reported raising over $4.2 million since last year, with about $3 million remaining as of last month. Both Driscoll and Williams predict they would need to raise roughly $4 million in a general election campaign to be competitive.

Driscoll and Williams both traveled to Washington in April, visiting with GOP campaign officials or other potential backers. Both reported encouragements, and more planned trips there, but neither reported any definite commitments from Speaker Mike Johnson’s lieutenants at the National Republican Congressional Committee or other committees geared to financial and other candidate support.

In New York, however, Driscoll has the endorsement of Nassau County Executive Bruce Blakeman, who is the Republican candidate for governor.

Much of Driscoll's and Williams' criticism of Gillen centers on such things as her legislative output or her "no votes" on mostly party-line bills offered by the current House Republican majority. Those include President Donald Trump’s huge tax relief package that included preserving and raising the state and local tax deduction — a big deal on Long Island.

All House Democrats voted against that bill. And Gillen has actively pushed for fully repealing the SALT tax cap — and offered an amendment to entirely remove the limitation. However, the same GOP bill also contained items Democrats saw as harmful to constituents, such as sweeping restrictive cuts to Medicaid eligibility and spending.

Both Driscoll and Williams claim to be a MAGA candidate. Asked directly if she considered herself one, Driscoll says, "I do support the president’s agenda, yeah." The district is not only full of "working-class people," she says, but she’s the type of candidate who will appeal to independents, as well.

Similarly, Williams says he identifies as a MAGA Republican, "I do." But he and his campaign also portray him as an independent voice who will stand up for the district.

Financial focus

In discussing how she came to be a candidate in the race, Driscoll says running had not really been on her radar this year. But, she says, "In the back of my mind, I guess I always thought I could make a run for this seat."

When party leaders called and said they were interviewing candidates to run because D’Esposito was not going to, she obliged. And when they afterward asked her to run, "I accepted."

Driscoll says her candidacy has some early advantages in the effort to unseat Gillen. She notes she already has twice been elected receiver of taxes from an area that meshes or overlays with 96% of the congressional district. Far from the shadows, Driscoll says, she has had years of interactions and familiarity with its constituents.

As for swipes at the idea a local tax official is a good choice of a candidate, Driscoll says it’s "a great job" and that it has given her the opportunity to frequently talk and meet with residents on tax issues. 

"I do feel like I have a lot on institutional knowledge about taxes and affordability and I think right now that is probably the biggest issue for CD-4," along with safety," Driscoll says.

Jacob Rubashkin, deputy editor of the independent political handicapper Inside Elections, says Driscoll needs a number of things to go her way to ultimately win the seat. He pointed to fundraising and the state and national political environment as key factors.

"The race certainly has the potential to get more competitive than it is currently," Rubashkin said in an email. "And I would say it's fairly competitive at the moment."

'600-mile strategy'

Williams says he, too, is focused on taxes, including pushing for a tiered tax system, to abate some taxes for seniors and others.

He says that while Driscoll still has her tax duties, he is on "a 600-mile strategy," walking the district. His platform as a self-described conservative includes a focus on congressional term limits, and emphasizing he is not a career politician.

He also mentions that what "has shaped my life significantly" was that, as a young man, he was forced to alter some plans — including turning down a full ride at a West Coast university — to serve as the caregiver for his mother in Virginia during serious illness. "Life happens," he says.

But instead of looking at things in a negative sense, he says, he accomplished his educational, military and professional achievements anyhow. And now, he says, "I want to make a difference for my community."

Williams’ candidacy comes at a time when all four of the Black Republicans in the U.S. House are retiring. He says he does not make race, or of the fact he is a Black man, a campaign issue or part of his platform.

But, he says, people "have kind of mentioned, you know, it’s good to see a Black conservative."