NY State Sen. Kevin Thomas to run for US Congress from NY-04

Indian American New York State Senator Kevin Thomas has launched his campaign for New York’s 4th Congressional District. He announced the bid in Elmont, NY, surrounded by family, friends, and supporters, to take on first-term Republican Rep. Anthony D’Esposito in the next year’s congressional election.

Thomas, who has been representing New York’s 6th Senate district since 2018, said, “I’ve accomplished real results for Nassau County families – fighting to stop property tax hikes, clean up our drinking water, guarantee the right to an abortion under New York law, keep guns out of the wrong hands, and ensure our neighborhoods stay affordable and safe.”

Thomas was quick to tie the incumbent to former President Donald J. Trump’s “Make America Great Again” movement.

“I’ve proven I can get things done to make life better for folks on Long Island, while MAGA Republicans like Anthony D’Esposito offer up extremism and political games that only make things worse,” he said. “Now, more than ever, we need action. I’m ready to take this fight to Washington to be an effective voice for Long Islanders at a time when we need it the most!”

The 4th district, covering central and southern Nassau County, is one of the wealthiest congressional districts in the country and the second-wealthiest in New York.

The Democratic-leaning district was narrowly won by D’Esposito.

It has voted for every Democratic presidential nominee since 1992. In 2020, President Joe Biden won the district by 14 points, making it one of the 18 districts nationally that voted for Biden for president and a GOP candidate for Congress. Reportedly, it is the most Democratic district held by a Republican.

In 2018, he became the first Indian American elected to the New York State Senate, when he defeated the incumbent Sen. Kemp Hannon, who had been a New York state lawmaker since January 1977.

Currently, Thomas holds the position of Assistant Majority Leader in the state senate and serves as the chairman of its Consumer Protection Committee. Additionally, he is a member of several committees, including Rules, Finance, Health, Judiciary, Local Government, and Agriculture.