Garrett J. Petersen

BACKGROUND

• Petersen, 43, of East Islip, is running on the Democratic Party line in the general election. 
• He is a clinician at the nonprofit Developmental Disabilities Institute in Smithtown, where he has worked for 14 years. 
• Petersen has a bachelor’s degree in history and political science from Stony Brook University and a master’s in education from Dowling College. 

ISSUES

• Petersen said he would like to work to get more funding from the state’s office for people with developmental disabilities for programs throughout Long Island, which he said have reached a “critical” level of staff vacancies.
• He said he would like to work on healthcare reform and ways to make health insurance “more affordable and less infuriating” for people. He said one way is to try to end pre-authorizations from insurance companies for prescriptions.
• Petersen said he wants to work to improve water quality and preserve the coastline. He said to combat groundwater contamination, he would like to explore a possible rebate program for homeowners to get old underground oil tanks removed.