Leigh-Ann M. Barde D

BACKGROUND

• Barde, 40, of Central Islip, a registered Democrat, is running on the Democratic line for the county legislative district. She previously ran unsuccessfully for Islip Town Council in 2019.
• She has a degree in paralegal studies from Kaplan University. Barde is a full-time mother of four sons.
• Barde is the chairwoman of the Islip Town Democratic Committee. She also served as the vice president of Connetquot Little League from about 2015 to 2017. She began her foray into politics when after advocating for fields at the league to be fixed. 

ISSUES

• Barde wants to combat what she described as "a lot of silence" among local officials regarding federal cuts that could impact programs for residents, such SNAP. She said while those initiatives are outside of the county's control, "you can advocate for it and you can help your constituents through."
• Affordability is another top issue for Barde. She said she would explore using underutilized county-owned land for workforce housing.
• Barde also said she would consider expanding the types of items that are not subject to a county sales tax. She mentioned exempting or lowering the tax rate for household necessities such as laundry detergent.