Bynoe announces senate run: ‘There is more to be done’

Nassau County Legislator Siela Bynoe has officially announced her run for the State Senate during a campaign rally Wednesday in Westbury. She looks to take over the seat currently held by Kevin Thomas, who has already made clear he intends to run for Congress.

Bynoe — re-elected just last month in a redrawn district that now includes Uniondale, Hempstead, and her hometown of Westbury — told the nearly 100 in attendance the work the communities have accomplished over the years is amazing. However, it is simply not enough.

“Spiritual leaders, community leaders, housing advocates, educators and community members,” the legislator said. “Together, we have focused on creating housing opportunities for first-time homebuyers, and we have focused providing high quality public education for our children and parents. But there is more to be done.”

Bynoe says she plans to campaign on a platform that would push to recruit and retain highly skilled educators for public schools, while also growing the number of qualified health care workers in not just the county, but the entire state.

“There is more to be done to improve access to medical and behavioral health care,” she said. “There is more to be done to create housing options for our young people, for families, and for our seniors. There is more to be done to protect and conserve our drinking water, and there is more to be done to support our local businesses, and our labor leaders to build our economy and lead the way to full-time jobs and careers in trades.”

If Bynoe wants to be on the ballot next November, she’ll first have to get through a primary against Assemblywoman Taylor Darling, who already expressed interest in the senate seat Thomas is vacating.
Darling did not respond to requests for comment at this time.

“There is not much to be excited about as a Democrat in Nassau County,” said David Chauvin, who helped organize the announcement ceremony. “But there is a jolt of excitement here. No other local politicians would get this type of turnout for an announcement about a senate race.”

Uniondale activist Jeannine Maynard says she’s ready to back Bynoe all the way to the end.
“I really have a lot of faith in her,” she said. Bynoe “has the mind that can look at policy and see not only what is there, but the gray areas of what people don’t see and how it will impact different communities.”
Bynoe says she believes in the power of community and combined efforts.

“Together, we can create positive change,” Bynoe said. “We can uplift our communities, and we can make a real difference in the lives of our neighbors today. We can exact change, and we can do that community by community.”

Bynoe’s top priority, if elected, would be to save public benefits and resources, she said. Like Nassau University Medical Center, located at the border of East Meadow, Uniondale and Westbury — which is the only Level One trauma and burn center on Long Island and also serves the most vulnerable residents of the county. At the same time, however, it is also Nassau’s most at-risk public hospital, as it continues to lose money and operates at a financial loss.

“Many of these issues transcend communities and goes beyond politics,” Bynoe told the Herald after her speech. “I want to make sure that we preserve our natural resources, and ensure that we have an opportunity to build housing that is appropriate for each community. But my number one priority is going to be saving and sustaining NUMC and other public entities.”