A Sound Beach man today announced his candidacy for the Second Assembly District seat currently held by Assemblyman Anthony Palumbo (R-New Suffolk).
Democrat Will Schleisner, 36, says he wants to work to make New York a place “where families can live, work, and flourish.”
“We need to make New York and Long Island a place where young families want to grow. We must enact policies like State Wide Pre-K and the New York Health Act to reduce the overall costs for the families of Long Island and New York,” the candidate said in a press release.
Schleisner cited the recent U.S. Census Bureau report that people are fleeing New York faster than any other state.
“I am tired of seeing the youth of Long Island leave at a rapid pace. The birth rate is declining, not because families don’t want to raise children, but because they don’t feel they can afford a growing family. Young people are forced to leave New York for the more historically cheaper southern states or they simply choose to not start families at all,” he said. “We must make New York a more attractive and affordable place for young people to raise their families.”
He said the environment will be another focus of his campaign.
“We must protect some of our greatest assets and that is some of the best farmland, vineyards, and fishing spots in the country. We must prevent environmental catastrophes like the great scallop die-off from becoming a regular occurrence, as it will devastate our local economy,” he said. He advocates for more solar and wind farms to achieve energy independence.
Schleisner is a native of Bayside, Queens. He attended Adelphi University and graduated with Honors with a B.A. in management, according to his campaign website. He is employed as a senior live events coordinator with ViacomCBS. He is married and the father of two.
“I’m a firm believer that if you want to effectively represent people in government, you need to understand their position, desires, and struggles,” Schleisner said in a press release announcing his candidacy. “I believe I can represent young, working-class families who want to stay in New York and continue to work hard. I just believe we can make it easier for those families,” he said.
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