Kassay Cites $9.5M in Local Projects as She Seeks Second Assembly Term

Assemblymember Rebecca Kassay (D-Port Jefferson) is pointing to state money she steered into her district as she seeks a second term, citing $6.5 million for the Stony Brook Mill Pond Dam and Harbor Road, $2.2 million for playground and sports courts at Coram Elementary School, and $800,000 for accessibility work at the Coram Fire Department. She described the allocations as the record she is running on ahead of the Nov. 3 election.

Kassay, a former Port Jefferson village trustee who has worked in environmental science and small-business ownership, also discussed legislation permanently preserving the Port Jefferson Station-Setauket Greenway, along with funding for local fire departments, schools and community organizations. She ran unopposed in the Democratic primary.

Rising utility bills top the list of concerns she hears from residents, Kassay said, adding that state programs exist to help homeowners improve energy efficiency and lower heating costs. She is also pushing to raise the household income cap for the Excelsior Scholarship from $125,000 to $150,000 to widen eligibility.

On electric bikes, Kassay said she supports exploring registration or other requirements for faster models, paired with education and enforcement. She opposes large-scale data centers on Long Island, citing the region's sole-source aquifer and the strain such facilities would place on water and electricity supplies.

Her other stated priorities include improving waste management, strengthening protections for children interacting with artificial intelligence chatbots, and expanding use of treated wastewater to irrigate golf courses so drinking water supplies go further.

Kassay said her time in Albany and her relationships with local communities position her to keep advocating for the district. "My biggest responsibility is being in that room and speaking up for Suffolk County," she said. Her Republican challenger, Will Sussman, declined to take part in the interview session.

Kassay framed her first-term rationale in blunt terms: "Ultimately, I ran my first time because I thought there were too many politicians in politics." She added, "I still think there are too many politicians in politics, and so I'm very proud to be a public servant in government for the people."