Ryan P. McGarry
Suffolk County Legislator, 7th District
Party: Democratic, Working Families
Candidate Questionnaire Responses
When in office, what will you do to reduce harm and ensure there is social and economic equity for Black Long Islanders? If you are an incumbent, what policies/initiatives/laws have you supported that do this?
In the Seventh District, and North Bellport in particular, our minority communities are suffering from respiratory illnesses and cancers at a disproportionate rate, as potentially hazardous materials and ash particulates from the Brookhaven Landfill are entering our air and potentially leeching into our ground water (https://www.newsday.com/long-island/investigations/brookhaven-landfill-covanta-environment-hjd09o4d; https://www.newsday.com/long-island/investigations/brookhaven-landfill-covanta-incinerator-ash-oyk2qbxt). As Legislator, I will be committed to holding those who knowingly dumped potentially hazardous materials in our neighborhoods accountable; I will work with the State to ensure proper and exhaustive testing is conducted; and I will work to secure the necessary resources for any needed remediation efforts to ensure the issue is addressed and our communities are protected.
The Gordon Heights community in the Seventh District, meanwhile, is burdened with a disproportionate concentration of group homes, impacting quality of life issues and property values. This community also suffers from inadequate representation, as it is split into multiple town council and county legislative districts. As Legislator, I will work to ensure fair distribution of group homes. Moreover, my plan (which is rooted in my experience with the Labor Movement and Suffolk County Executive’s Office) to invest in infrastructure projects like sewers, transportation, and energy initiatives will create good, union jobs, allow for the development of diverse housing options to increase affordable housing availability, and create the framework for private sector investment in our communities, giving us all the opportunity to live, raise a family, thrive, and retire right here in Suffolk County. I also remain committed to working with community leaders to ensure future district maps keep communities together, rather than intentionally dividing them in an effort to consolidate political power.
Is there anything else you'd like us to know about your campaign?
I am seeking election to the Suffolk County Legislature’s 7th District seat as I feel I am the most qualified candidate to represent the working families and community members from across the district. With nearly ten years of experience working in the County Executive’s Office under two distinct administrations, I have experience drafting, filing, and working to pass legislation through my work in the County Executive’s Intergovernmental Relations Office. As the former Deputy Chief of Staff for the County Executive, I also have years of experience working directly with department heads, overseeing the operational needs of the County and its departments.
With an additional ten years working in the labor movement, I have a proven track record of advocating on behalf of working people and furthering legislation and policy changes beneficial to our region’s working families. For the past six years, I have served as the Government Relations Director and now Chief of Staff for the Suffolk Association of Municipal Employees, providing me, in tandem with my experience with the County Executive, with the unique understanding of the County’s operational needs from both the managerial as well as the workers’ perspective. I also proudly served under the leadership of Roger Tousaint, a Trinidadian immigrant who went from being a subway cleaner to president of one of the most powerful unions in the State, during my time with TWU Local 100.
Beyond my professional work, my volunteerism is deeply rooted in service to and representation of the greater community. I am a Board Member on the Village of Patchogue’s Zoning Board of Appeals and a former member of the Village’s Community Development Agency Board. I am a proud Class A firefighter in the Patchogue Fire Department, where I am involved in the Membership Committee as well as the Fundraising Committee. In the nonprofit arena, I am a Board Member of the Patchogue Medford Youth and Community Services agency, the Volunteer Coordinator for Food Distribution during Covid-19 for the Greater Patchogue COAD group, and a member of both the Greater Patchogue Chamber of Commerce and the Gordon Heights Chamber of Commerce.
I am looking to leverage these experiences in government, community service, and representation in order to best represent the people of the 7th District and advance their priorities from within our regional level of government. We are proud of the campaign we are running, which is focused on delivering common sense leadership and service and representation to our communities. We are also proud of the endorsements from most of the regional labor unions, which is providing us with a grassroots framework to get out the vote and win this seat for the people of our district.