Leigh-Ann M. Barde

BACKGROUND

• Barde, 40, of Central Islip, is a registered Democrat and is running on the Democratic Party line in the general election. She ran unsuccessfully for Islip Town Council in 2019.
• She has a degree in paralegal studies from Kaplan University. 
• Barde is chairwoman of the Islip Town Democratic Committee. She also was vice president of the Central Islip Little League from 2015 to 2019. She began her foray into politics after advocating for fields at the league to be fixed.

ISSUES

• Barde said she wants to combat what she described as “a lot of silence” among local officials regarding federal cuts that could impact programs for residents, such asSNAP. She said while those initiatives are outside of the county’s control, “you can advocate for it and you can help your constituents through.”
• Affordability is another top issue for Barde. She said she would explore using underutilized county-owned land for workforce housing.
• Barde also said she would consider expanding the types of items that are not subject to a county sales tax. She mentioned exempting or lowering the tax rate for household necessities such as laundry detergent.