Judy Griffin is ready for a rematch

Judy Griffin is ready to take back her old Assembly seat in November as she’s set to once again face off against Brian Curran in a battle that has volleyed the Albany seat back and forth between the two for the last several years.

She did it with a decisive win over Patricia Maher in the Democratic primary where Griffin secured nearly 85 percent of the votes, according to early returns.

“We had a decisive win, which is great, and now we’re gearing up for the general election," Griffin told the Herald following her victory on Tuesday night. “I feel the campaign went really well. I’m honored by the outcome. The district really came through for me.”

Griffin has lived in Rockville Centre for more than 30 years, first working in the financial industry before taking on roles as a lifestyle coach and corporate wellness educator. In 2016, she went to work as director of community outreach for former State Sen. Todd Kaminsky. 

She defeated Curran in 2018 to become the first Democrat to win this particular seat in more than 40 years. But after two terms, she lost a very narrow race to Curran, letting him get his old job back by a 138-vote margin.

During her time in office, Griffin says she helped secure more than $8 million from the state to provide funding to local police and fire departments, schools, libraries, veterans halls, and non-profit organizations in the district.

She also helped pass legislation like the Red Flag Gun Law, which is intended to prevent people who show signs of being a threat to themselves or others from purchasing or possessing any kind of firearm. She also backed the “teacher gun law,” intended to ensure educators would never be forced to carry weapons.

“We took this race seriously,” Griffin told the Herald following her victory. “It’s important, and it’s important to get the right person in office. We had a decisive win, which is great. And now we’re gearing up for the general election.”

If given a chance to return to Albany, Griffin says she wants to tackle the opioid crisis. That includes a bill known as “Death by Dealer,” intended to hold those responsible for providing opioids to be accountable for their overdoses.

Curran — who calls Lynbrook home — was first elected to the Assembly in 2010, and stayed there until Griffin defeated him in 2018. He took his seat back in 2022.

Curran also was a legislative counsel to the Assembly, and would serve as a Lynbrook village prosecutor until he was elected mayor of Lynbrook in 2007.