Caracappa Seeks Re-election in 4th LD Opponent Not Running Active Campaign

Suffolk County 4th District Legislator Nick Caracappa is seeking re-election and will appear on the Republican and Conservative lines of the November 7 ballot. He is the sole Conservative-registered member of the Suffolk County Legislature. Caracappa's Democrat opponent, Tim Hall, is not running an active campaign.

Caracappa won a special election to the Legislature in November 2020 to fill the unexpired term of Tom Muratore after his passing. Asked about some of his accomplishments during his three year tenure, Caracappa noted one of his first initiatives after being elected, "I wrote a letter to then-Governor Cuomo, which was signed on by all of my colleagues and all 10 town supervisors, with bipartisan support, that called for repairs to fill potholes on the LIE, which were slated for 2024 or 2025, to be done sooner," Caracappa explained. It was discovered during a bipartisan press conference calling for the work orders to be moved up, that Cuomo not only moved the infrastructure improvements up to 2022-2023, but he also increased funding by $30 million. "I was happy to work in bipartisan fashion as a freshman legislator and to know I had the backs of my colleagues, and this was made possible by the great work of our state senators and assembly members," Caracappa added.

Nick Caracappa File Photo

On the issue of the state of the county's finances, Caracappa asserts the Republican conference is already making a difference in the direction the Legislature is heading. "I have full confidence once Ed Romaine is elected (as County Executive), our fiscal situation will be much better," Caracappa said. "In 2020-2021 we had the worst (bond rating) - of 62 counties, we were 62, and we've since been upgraded from 62 to 61." This was achieved, Caracappa explained, by halting borrowing and instead, paying cash for projects that cost $50,000 or less. "We end up saving millions of dollars in interest payments, and strengthen our bond rating by reducing the county's debt, and now we expect to do even better because of the great work we're doing," Caracappa said.

Caracappa has been actively creating legislation that addresses quality of life and housing issues. One piece of legislation of which Caracappa is the architect and has been signed into law, requires tow truck operators to fully clean the site of an accident including road flares, and loose parts from vehicles. "This is not only a quality of life issue that addresses eyesores," Caracappa explained, pointing out that the legislation addresses safety issues wherein debris left behind at accident scenes can ricochet and hit other motorists, cyclists and pedestrians, and can do damage to other vehicles and be deadly to motorcyclists. This county law has subsequently been picked up by State Senator Mario Mattera and has passed both wings in the state house, and is awaiting signature by Governor Kathy Hochul to become New York State law.

Another piece of legislation calls for housing developers to set aside units for IDD/ADA communities as well as for veterans to be in compliance and set aside 10 percent of housing at 80% of Average Median Income. Caracappa is the architect of this legislation which has also been signed into law. "We need to set aside a certain number of housing units for our veterans who are transitioning from active duty," Caracappa said, noting that of the 62 counties in New York State, Suffolk is home to the greatest concentration of veterans. Caracappa is a staunch supporter for creating and setting aside a dedicated number of "true work force housing units that create opportunities for residents to stay on track with a five-year goal-oriented plan" in order for them to stay in Suffolk over the long term, rather than relocate out of the county. "The county must provide opportunities for our young workforce so they can afford to live here," Caracappa said.

Asked what makes him the better candidate to serve residents and business owners in the 4th LD and the county as a whole, Caracappa cites his 34 years with Suffolk County Water Authority, where he served 14 years as President of Local 393 UWUA; he has served seven and a half years as a Middle Country School Board trustee with experience working on budgets and negotiating employee contracts; a member of Selden Civic Association; and as Vice President of Selden-Centereach-Three Village Little League for 15 years where he also coached and served as umpire, as assets which he brings to the table as a county legislator. Caracappa told South Shore Press: "I am more highly qualified and capable of doing this job than anyone. I came to this position with the tools right from the beginning. My roots run very, very deep in this community where, if people had issues, they would call me even before I was elected, because I had relationships with all of the elected officials and law enforcement. When I was elected, I hit the ground running," Caracappa said, pointing out his pedigree in politics: "I was raised around politics - my mom, Rose Caracappa served in the Suffolk County Legislature for more than 15 years, and my brother was also a Legislator. I was born and raised in this community. I am honored that my community supports me. I take this job very seriously because if I fail my job, then I would have failed my family and my community, and that's something I will never, ever do."

Caracappa is endorsed by the entire coalition of Suffolk County Law Enforcement agencies; Suffolk County Community College Faculty; Long Island Federation of Laborers; Nassau-Suffolk Building Trades; UWUA Local 393; Laborers Union Local 66; Communication Workers; and IBEW. He is most proud of his daughters Rosine, Gloria and Julianna.

Tim Hall, the Democrat candidate, will appear on the ballot but could not be reached for an interview. The Suffolk County Democrat Committee reported that Hall is "not running an active campaign, and is not doing interviews."