Laura A. Gillen

Laura Gillen and Anthony D'Esposito discussed the issues during a debate at Newsday.  Watch it here.

LAURA GILLEN

DEMOCRAT

BACKGROUND:

• Gillen, 53, is a commercial attorney and adjunct professor at Hofstra University's Maurice A. Deane School of Law.
• She served for two years as Hempstead Town supervisor until 2020, and had worked previously as an attorney at the law firm of Westerman Ball Ederer Miller Zucker & Sharfstein LLP in Uniondale.
• She holds a bachelor’s degree in government from Georgetown University and received a law degree from New York University. Gillen grew up in Baldwin and moved to Rockville Centre, where she has lived since 2003. 

ISSUES:

• Gillen cited the protection of civil liberties, including reproductive rights and women’s autonomy over their health care decisions, as key campaign issues.
• She said, if elected, she would work to reverse the impact on women’s personal health care decisions of the U.S. Supreme Court decision overturning Roe v. Wade. 
• She vowed to take on the gun lobby, including the National Rifle Association, to ensure Congress passes gun safety legislation such as universal background checks and extreme risk protection orders known as red flag laws to address gun violence. 
• As Hempstead Town supervisor she consistently found ways to reduce costs for taxpayers and lowered taxes every year she was in office. She said she would bring the same fiscal approach to Washington, D.C. in seeking to lower health care and energy costs.