William Schleisner

William Schleisner

Democrat

Background:

Schleisner, 36, is a senior operations live event coordinator at ViacomCBS, where he has worked at for 13 years. He worked previously for radio stations. Schleisner, of Sound Beach, graduated from Suffolk County Community College and Adelphi University. This is his first run for public office.

Issues:

Schleisner said he wants to provide more affordable health care, universal pre-K and a living wage. He said he wants to eliminate medical copays and deductibles and would support the New York Health Act, which would create state-funded, single-payer health care. The state Assembly has passed the legislation several times, but the state Senate has not approved it. Schleisner said he wants to improve messaging in support of the bill to attract more support and keep the public informed. Schleisner said he wants to set the minimum wage based on regional costs of living, saying the minimum wage, now $13 an hour in Nassau and Suffolk counties, “doesn’t crack the living wage” on Long Island. Schleisner noted that consumers relied heavily on minimum wage workers, including food store employees, during the economic shutdown. Schleisner said he is more concerned about providing adequate services to residents, including food and housing opportunities, than about balancing the state budget.