Saladino, Young Face Off for NY Assembly Republican Primary

Republicans will head to the primary polls on September 13 to decide who will represent the party in the new District 9 elections later this year.

The New York State Assembly District maps were redrawn earlier this year and maneuvered most of Assemblyman Saladino's current district, 12, to within the borders of the new District 9 – which includes Babylon Village, West Babylon, West Islip, parts of North Babylon and Brightwaters, all of the barrier beaches and Nassau County's Massapequa and Massapequa Park areas.

Saladino, a Massepqua native, has been in office since March 2004 and has 23 total years of government service. He has worked on "reform, reducing taxes and restoring efficiency to State government," according to his New York State biography. He has also worked to increase the power of "Megan's Law" and created a Heroin and Prescription Drug Abuse Relief Task Force. Before becoming an assemblyman, Saladino served as a reporter and news anchor with News 12 Long Island as well as WALK, the former WYNG and WLIW.

Young, who lives in West Islip, calls himself a die-hard conservative, tea party supporter and defender of the Constitution, according to his campaign website. He is a former Suffolk County police officer and New York City Police Department Sergeant. After being seriously injured in 1988, Sgt. Young left the force to retire early. He began practicing law after earning a degree from St. John's School in 1993. He has founded his own law firm, Young & Young, Esq., in Central Islip.

Saladino recently told Anton Newspapers he was being endorsed by the Massapequa Tea Party, Rep. Peter King (R–Seaford) and the Republican, Conservative, Independence and Tax Revolt Parties of both Nassau and Suffolk Counties among other organizations. Young told Anton Newspapers he is being endorsed by the Conservative Society for Action, based out of Brightwaters.