Islip Democrats leader announces congressional bid

With the spectacle of recent local elections still fresh in mind, Islip Town native Garrett Petersen is eyeing a higher office—the U.S. House of Representatives.

Motivated by a desire to see his children be able to afford to live on Long Island when they grow up, Petersen, who serves as the deputy chair of the Islip Democrats, said his top campaign priorities include addressing the cost-of-living crisis, “freedom from tyranny,” and focusing on the economy.

“I want [my kids] to be able to afford to live here. It wasn’t easy when I was in my early 20s, and it hasn’t gotten easier since,” Petersen said. “My son is 10; where is he going to be in 15 years?”

“I feel like for the last couple of decades, really, there’s been a lot of focus on the now and the past,” Petersen said. “We’re not really thinking about, ‘Well, what do we want, the United States, what do we want Long Island to look like in 20 years?’”

Petersen joins at least four other candidates, including former legislator and Suffolk County executive Patrick Halpin, in the Democratic primary for New York’s Second Congressional District, next June.

The winner of the primary will face off against the Republican nominee for the seat currently held by U.S. Rep. Andrew Garbarino (R), who is running for re-election for his fourth term.Petersen said he entered politics a few years ago with the motivation to create a better world for his children. Since his early involvement in volunteering, Petersen has helped local candidates from town to federal offices with behind-the-scenes work, including data modeling for turnout, driving voter registration, and organizing petitioning paperwork.

To address the cost-of-living crisis, Petersen said he’d support a plan for “Medicare for all,” as he noted that the current per capita cost of health care in America is double that of other developed countries.

Universal childcare is another affordability issue Petersen said he wants to advance if elected to Congress. While Petersen said he doesn’t need the services due to working a schedule with his wife, that if his family ever had to seek childcare services during the day, the costs could be more than his monthly mortgage payment.

Petersen also noted that the idea has precedent, given the increasing acceptance of universal kindergarten and preschool programs across the country, including in New York, in recent decades. To Petersen, universal childcare would be more of an extension of these efforts.

To fund these programs, Petersen said he doesn’t have all the answers yet, but has some suggestions. For universal Medicare, Petersen said the costs taxpayers already give for insurance could instead go towards the government health program, which wouldn’t be a large tax burden, he said.

“It comes out of your check before you really get to see it. Like that money never sits in your hand,” Petersen said.

Also by implementing universal systems, Petersen said the processes of confirming eligibility would be less crucial, removing government bureaucracy and lowering costs, in his early estimation.

Throughout the campaign, Petersen said he will work to get community and expert feedback for the issues and solutions that matter most to constituents.

In making his case for universal health and childcare, Petersen made comparisons to health care systems in the United Kingdom and Scandinavian countries.

Some opponents of these ideas may call them “socialist,” a claim Petersen denies.

“Nobody is seizing the means of production. Nobody is redistributing the wealth of the entire population to the benefit of the state. So, it’s not socialism,” Petersen said.

In 2024, Petersen ran for the Seventh New York State Assembly District against Republican Jarett Gandolfo, losing by approximately 26 percentage points. Petersen said he slowed down campaigning during that race due to personal reasons.

Along with working directly with the Islip Democrats, Petersen is a familiar face at protests critical of the President Trump administration and U.S. Rep. Andrew Garbarino, including recent “No Kings” protests around Patchogue.

At these protests, Petersen said he shows up not just to stand against the Trump administration, but also to act as a protective presence for demonstrators, helping to de-escalate tensions between potential counter-protestors.

Outside of politics, Petersen works as a technical specialist for the Developmental Disabilities Institute, where he develops more accessible devices for individuals with disabilities, including household gadgets and virtual-reality exposure-therapy programs.

Petersen also holds a Master of Education from Dowling College and a bachelor’s degree in history and political science from Stony Brook University.

While the congressional Democratic primary does not take place for another seven months, Petersen said he would accept the results of the race and support the candidate who wins his party’s nomination.