Herald Endorsement

Meeks is the choice in the 5th C.D.

Posted

In the 5th Congressional District, nine-term Rep. Gregory Meeks, a Democrat from St. Albans, is being challenged by Republican Michael O’Reilly and Green Party candidate Frank Francois, who are both from Queens.

Meeks has a strong knowledge of the issues that affect his constituency, from housing and health care to policing and immigration. As a senior member of both the House Subcommittee on Financial Institutions and Consumer Credit and the Financial Services Committee, and a former chairman of the Subcommittee on International Monetary Policy and Trade, he plays a vital role in helping steer the nation’s economy.

He is also a ranking member of the Subcommittee on Europe, Eurasia and Emerging Threats and a senior member of the Subcommittee on the Western Hemisphere. This experience gives him perspective on how to secure the nation’s borders.

O’Reilly, too, has a solid grasp of the issues, and his advocacy for term limits in the House is an idea whose time is near. Securing the borders and supporting Donald Trump’s wall are part of his platform as well. O’Reilly says he believes in a path to citizenship for illegal immigrants who are already here. He also believes in the use of alternative energy sources, and that the capacity of the nation’s Strategic Petroleum Reserves should be increased substantially.

Francois is a well-meaning, self-described community activist who understands that there are huge problems to be solved, such as violence in the district’s communities and a lack of economic opportunities.

Still our choice is Meeks. He is most closely attuned to the Queens portion of his district, and we would like him to be seen and heard more in the Long Island communities he serves. We expect he will, and we encourage voters to cast their ballots for this experienced legislator.