Politics & Government

Curran, Thomas to Face Off for Assembly Seat

Lynbrook mayor, Valley Stream resident talk about their plans to solve state problems.

Lynbrook Mayor Brian Curran, a Republican, will face off against Valley Stream resident Dermond Thomas, a Democrat, in November for the 14th Assembly District seat — which is being vacated by village resident and longtime Assemblyman Bob Barra (R-Lynbrook) at the end of his term.

Curran is an attorney in private practice. He is married and has three children. He graduated Wilkes University with a degree in History and in Political Science, and earned a law degree at the City University of New York. He also served as a legislative counsel in the state Assembly.

Thomas currently practices law in the Manhattan office of Arnold & Porter LLP. He is also a member of the New York State Bar Association. He received a Bachelor of Arts in Economics from Amherst College, and a Juris Doctor at Columbia Law School. There, he served as an editor for the Columbia Journal of Environmental Law. He has a wife, Kimberly, and two children, Olivia and Cole.

Curran said his goals at the state level are very similar to those he had, and to a degree, accomplished, as the mayor of Lynbrook: he wants to curb spending, foster business growth, and help to create jobs. As mayor of Lynbrook, Curran implemented an across-the-board tax cut for all homeowners and businesses, and has been working to bring new stores to the village's downtown area.

"I believe, that much like [Lynbrook], you have to work on a consensus, but the one thing you can't do is compromise what you believe in," Curran said, speaking on how his experiences as mayor would help him as a member of the state Assembly. "Less government, smaller government, and less spending, leads to greater opportunity."

For Thomas, running for public office is a new venture. But if elected, Thomas says he would support small business growth and job-creation programs that would benefit Long Islanders. He also vowed to fight for a fair share of state aid for Long Island schools.

"I wanted to run for the Assembly because I think our state government needs to empower people," Thomas said. "We need to elect new leaders who would like to work toward that end."

The 14th Assembly District encompasses Valley Stream, Lynbrook, Rockville Centre, South Hempstead and portions of Baldwin, Oceanside, East Rockaway, and Malverne.

The election will be held on Tuesday, Nov. 2.

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