Steven A. Abreu

Abreu, a delegate for Sen. Bernie Sanders at the 2016 Democratic convention, said he was inspired by Sanders — a former mayor of Burlington, Vermont — to run for local office. “He made a lot of changes locally, and not just on federal level,” Abreu said. “I want to have an immediate, direct impact on my community.” Abreu said that as a third-party candidate, he won’t be beholden to Republican or Democrat party leaders. Abreu said to get the town’s shaky finances back on track, there must be “a truly independent review of all of our functions, all of the departments, all of the different public services we provide, to really find out how the money is being spent, where it’s being spent, who it’s being spent on it, and what we’re getting in return … Some six-figure salaries are highly questionable.” Developers, law firms and others that donate to town candidates should be barred from holding town contracts, Abreu said.

Abreu, 28, of Plainview, is running on the Progressive party line. He is a behavioral aide for children and adults with autism. He has an associate degree in liberal arts from Nassau Community College and a bachelor’s degree in politics, economics and law from SUNY Old Westbury. He was born in Queens and grew up in Plainview and Hicksville. He is single.