The Nassau County PBA is putting its weight behind Democrat Tom Suozzi in his House re-election bid — after backing his GOP opponent in a special election earlier this year.
The local police union’s pivot to Suozzi, 61, is considered a boon for the moderate — who’s faced claims of being soft on crime — in his race against Republican rival Mike LiPetri, 34, for the competitive Long Island-Queens District 3 seat.
“Tom [Suozzi] is a man of his word. He is willing to fight against his own party,” Nassau PBA president Tom Shevlin said in a press briefing.
“Tom is a proven leader. He has proven to us that he will represent us and his district very well.”
Local law enforcement unions have sided mostly with Republican candidates since Albany Democrats approved bail reform in 2019 — the controversial law that nixed cashless bail for many crimes.
The Nassau PBA has already endorsed former President Donald Trump.
“This is a big deal,” Suozzi said of the endorsement. “I will always support the cops. … We have to fund the police.”
Suozzi slammed calls to “defund” the police as “the most wrong-headed, stupidest idea I ever heard.”
In February, the Nassau police union backed GOP candidate Mazi Pilip over Suozzi in a special election following George Santos’ expulsion from Congress — a race Suozzi easily won.
The former Nassau County executive served three terms in the House but didn’t seek re-election in 2022, instead losing handily in a Democratic primary for governor to Kathy Hochul.
The LiPetri campaign brushed off the endorsement.
“Let’s not be fooled, Tom Suozzi is no friend of law enforcement — he voted to eliminate qualified immunity, he kicked ICE out of Nassau County, and he’s best friends with pro-crime Democrats like Kamala Harris, Tim Walz, and Kathy Hochul,” said Mike Falk, LiPetri’s campaign manager.
“Police Officers and law enforcement families know who really backs the blue and who only shows up when it’s election time.”
Republicans believe LiPetri, a former member of the statehouse, has a shot at toppling the incumbent.
The National Republican Congressional Campaign Committee, which works to elect Republicans to the House, last week added LiPetri to its “Young Guns” program — indicating the seat will be a priority.
