Phillips wins endorsement from Nassau first responders

Luke Torrance
State Sen. Elaine Phillips, left, North Hempstead Town Councilwoman Anna Kaplan (Photos courtesy of the offices of Elaine Phillips and Anna Kaplan)

With an endorsement last week from Nassau’s largest police union, state Sen. Elaine Phillips (R-Flower Hill) added the backing of another union for first responders.

Long Island has some of America’s safest neighborhoods because of the hard work of the men and women of law enforcement,” Phillips said in a statement after receiving the backing of the Nassau Police Benevolent Association. “I will continue to work and stand up for Nassau County’s finest and work as hard for them as they do every day for us.”

Phillips is running for a second term against Democrat Anna Kaplan, a Town of North Hempstead councilwoman.

Over the past month, Phillips has racked up the endorsements of local law enforcement, which included the Nassau County Police Detectives Association and the Nassau County Police Superior Officers Association. Those two and the PBA all endorsed Phillips when she first ran for office in 2016. She ended up receiving the endorsement of 13 law enforcement groups over her then-opponent, Adam Haber, who received one.

Phillips has also received the backing of Nassau County’s fire marshals, deputy sheriffs and police medics, along with first responder unions in Westchester and Suffolk counties.

I am proud to advocate for the equipment, training and benefits that they need to do their jobs and do them extraordinarily well, to protect and serve our communities,” Phillips said.

Data from a recent report by the Empire Center showed that Nassau County police received the third-highest average pay of any county in the state, trailing only Suffolk and Westchester. Of the 50 highest-paid county and municipal employees in New York, 14 were members of the Nassau County Police Department.

Kaplan has received the backing of a number of trade unions, including the Building and Construction Trades Council of Nassau & Suffolk Counties, Long Island’s United Automobile Workers, and the New York Building & Construction Trades Council. She also received the backing of New York state’s largest unions for teachers and nurses, along with the state AFL-CIO.

Perhaps her biggest endorsement, though, is from former President Barack Obama.

As of the most recent filing deadline in July, Phillips held a $231,405 advantage over Kaplan in fundraising.

Currently, the state Senate is split 31-31 between Democrats and Republicans. The Assembly is firmly in the control of the Democrats, and Democratic Gov. Andrew Cuomo is facing off against Marc Molinaro, a Republican who is Dutchess County executive.

Reach reporter Luke Torrance by email at ltorrance@theislandnow.com, by phone at 516-307-1045, ext. 214, or follow him on Twitter @LukeATorrance.

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