Tuesday, October 27, 2026
James Kennedy has represented Massapequa-area residents in the Nassau County Legislature for more than a decade, first winning a special election in February 2015.
Following redistricting, he was elected in 2023 to represent the newly drawn 19th Legislative District, which includes most of the Massapequa communities that includes a village and portions of Seaford. He was re-elected in 2025 with about 72 percent of the vote.
Because of a New York state law moving a number of local elections from odd-numbered to even-numbered years, county legislators are among the representatives affected by the change. Kennedy is again facing an election this year is being challenged by Democrat Christine Barlow, who did not respond to requests for an interview.
A lifelong Long Islander, Kennedy graduated from Cold Spring Harbor High School and Fordham University. He later earned master's degrees from Brooklyn College of the City University of New York and Long Island University. Before entering public office, he taught fifth grade at Holy Child Academy in Old Westbury.
Kennedy and his wife, Samantha, live in Massapequa with their children, Logan and Emma. Although a full-time legislator, he remains active in the community, teaching religion at St. Rose of Lima School, also in Massapequa, and attending his children's sporting events.
He points to his work raising the minimum age for purchasing vaping and tobacco products in Nassau County as one of his proudest accomplishments.
More recently, he has focused on the new Massapequa Police Athletic League facility on Parkside Boulevard, working with Assemblymen Michael Durso and John Mikulin and Oyster Bay Town Supervisor Joseph Saladino to secure funding.
“It's a great thing for so many people,” Kennedy said.
His views on immigration are shaped in part by family history. Both of his parents emigrated from Ireland, and his father served in the U.S. Army before becoming a citizen.
He said he supports the opportunity for immigrants to come to the United States and ultimately become citizens, but is concerned about border security and the number of people entering the country without sufficient information about their backgrounds.
“I feel that there has to be some kind of control over that,” he said.
Kennedy also acknowledged that Nassau County must comply with state restrictions on cooperation between local law enforcement and federal immigration authorities, while expressing hope that the policy could change under a future administration.
Property assessments are another issue Kennedy said deserves careful consideration.
Asked about the possibility of a major reassessment, he said extensive discussion and planning would be necessary.
“When it was done last time, everything didn't go so smoothly,” he said.
Nassau County conducts property assessments annually, with the tentative roll published each January and a final roll issued the following April. The county's current schedule calls for the final 2027-28-assessment roll to be published April 1, 2027.
Despite more than a decade in elected office, Kennedy said he has no political ambitions beyond continuing to serve in the Legislature.
“I really love what I do, working for the people of my district as a legislator,” he said. “I feel that everywhere I go in the district, I know the people, and people feel free to approach me.”
Kennedy said that accessibility — and staying connected to the people he represents — is at the heart of the job.
Democrat candidate Christine Barlow has not responded to request for an interview and did not come in for a roundtable.
