First-term Democratic Rep. Laura Gillen is facing pushback from Republican nominee Jeanine Driscoll, who says Gillen’s campaign mailers wrongly blamed her for a $42 million tax increase in the Town of Hempstead.
One mailer from Gillen’s campaign told voters, “Jeanine Driscoll stuck us with a massive tax hike we can’t afford.”
Another declared, “Welcome to Nassau County. Home of Jeanine Driscoll’s $42 million Tax Hike.”
Driscoll serves as the Town of Hempstead Receiver of Taxes, an administrative post responsible for collecting and distributing tax payments for the town, as well as special districts and school districts.
That office does not give Driscoll authority to vote on, approve, raise or lower tax rates.
Even so, Gillen’s mailers sought to tie Driscoll directly to the increase, placing responsibility for the higher taxes on her.
A third statement featured in the mailers read, “42 Million Tax Hike. Jeanine Driscoll delivered the largest tax hike in Town history.”
The campaign literature was authorized by Gillen’s campaign and distributed by the New York State Democratic Party, which is chaired by Jay Jacobs, who also serves as Nassau County Democratic leader.
Driscoll cried foul over what she considers a smear.
“Laura Gillen trying to blame me for tax hikes is like demanding a tax cut from the IRS administrator — I collect the bills, I don’t set the rates,” Driscoll said.
“If voters want to hold someone accountable for higher taxes, they should look at the only person in this race who actually voted to hike them: Laura Gillen.”
Nassau County Republican Party chairman Joseph Cairo Jr. also slammed Gillen for lying about his candidate’s record.
“Laura Gillen knows that Jeanine Driscoll has never voted for a tax increase…ever. In fact, Laura Gillen is the only candidate in the race for the NY-4 Congressional seat who voted for the biggest tax increase in US history,” Cairo said.
“Gillen voted ‘NO’ on eliminating taxes on tips, overtime, and social security. She’s a serial tax hiker who is trying to deflect attention from her abysmal high tax record by spinning a false narrative against Jeanine Driscoll.”
Gillen voted against the “Big Beautiful Bill” crafted by President Trump and Republicans that contained tax relief but also cuts to social service programs opposed by Democrats.
The Democratic incumbent has previously been called out for taking credit for funding of programs included in budget bills she voted against.
The 4th House district takes in Nassau County’s South Shore and racially diverse communities, and is considered a swing seat. It went Republican in 2022 and returned to Democrats and Gillen in 2024.
Gillen’s campaign defended its strategy of calling Driscoll a tax hiker.
“The facts speak for themselves. Fact: Jeanine Driscoll delivered a record-breaking tax hike and plucked $42 million right out of the pockets of hard-working Long Islanders,” a Gillen campaign spokesperson said.
“Her excuses don’t change the fact that on her watch taxes spiked over 12% in the Town of Hempstead and she sent you the bill.”
A Long Island political veteran expressed surprise over the Gillen attack, an indication that the race is closer than anticipated.
The Cook Political Report says the race leans toward Democrat Gillen.
“This is a panic mailer. It’s the kind of panic mailer that can backfire on you,” the source said.
Gillen, the former Hempstead supervisor, lost to Republican Anthony D’Esposito in 2022.
But she defeated D’Esposito in the 2024 rematch.
Both races were close and hard-fought.
Long Island Republican officials were hopeful that D’Esposito, currently the inspector general in the US Labor Department under President Trump, would make another run for the seat. He declined.
Driscoll won the Republican primary in June to take on Gillen.
