West Hempstead veteran to run for State Assembly

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Retired Lt. Col. Gary Port, of West Hempstead, announced his candidacy for the seat in the 19th District of the State Assembly. Port, a Democrat, will challenge the Republican incumbent, Ed Ra.

Port, who has lived in West Hempstead for 26 years, strongly believes that community service should never stop, which is why he seeks to represent his neighborhood in the State Assembly. Port said that he understands the issues that Nassau County faces. He said that he has a personal stake in quality of life issues such as affordability, the poor placement of airline routes and the construction of the Long Island Rail Road’s third track.

If elected, Port said that he would be dedicated to working with his community to find common-sense solutions to these important issues. “I have spent my entire life defending our nation and its ideals of democracy, liberty and equality,” Port said in a news release. “This election is the most important one in my lifetime. This community needs real leadership from their Assemblymember. I will be an advocate for every veteran in New York, I will fight for gender equality in the workplace, I will be an ally for the LGBTQ+ community, and I will bring back more funding from Albany for much needed infrastructure projects.”

Port also pledged to work with the state legislature to combat the financial burdens most Long Islanders are facing such as debt from student loans.  Most of all, Port seeks to preserve Long Island for generations to come.

Port was an assistant professor at Hofstra University who created their award-winning free Veteran’s Legal Service Clinic. He served in the U.S. Army and U.S. Army Reserve for 28 years, retiring at the rank of Lieutenant Colonel. He is also the founder of his own law firm, Port and Sava, which specializes in assisting service members, veterans and their families.

Port is a founding member of the West Hempstead Chamber of Commerce. He also coached West Hempstead Little League and Softball, is a scoutmaster and prior District Committee member for the Boy Scouts, Commander of American Legion Post 81 and past chairman of the Nassau County Bar Veteran’s Law Committee.

The 19th District encompasses Mineola, New Hyde Park, Garden City, Carle Place, Brookville, Franklin Square and West Hempstead.

Courtesy Gary Port; Compiled by Nakeem Grant