In the First Assembly District, a key difference between the candidates — Southampton Town Councilman Tommy John Schiavoni, a Democrat, and his Republican opponent, Stephen Kiely, the Shelter Island Town attorney — came into focus about halfway through a debate sponsored by the local chapter of the League of Women’s Voters on Tuesday night.
The moderator, Judi Roth, asked the men where they stood on preserving reproductive rights for women in New York, after the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade in 2022. She also asked for their stance on Proposition 1, or the Equal Rights Amendment.
Councilman Schiavoni supports Proposition 1, whereas Mr. Kiely does not.
“I’m a Roe guy, I’m fully supportive of that,” Mr. Kiely said, “but I’m not voting on the E.R.A. I think it is written so vaguely; it’s trying to address other issues other than the right of abortion. It’s written in a way where you can allow unauthorized migrants to vote, where you can allow biological boys to compete in girls’ sports, where you can allow transgender surgeries without parental permission. If it was tighter, just regarding abortion, that would be one thing. I’m not supportive of it and I would tell everyone not to vote yes.”
“This is absolute for me,” countered Mr. Schiavoni. “I support the E.R.A. and I will be voting for it. Reproductive rights are absolute between a woman and her doctor. Period.”
Councilman Schiavoni is in his second term in his town position but also served on the North Haven Village Board, on both the Southampton Town and North Haven Village zoning boards, and the Sag Harbor School Board. He was born and raised on the East End, “as were my parents and my grandparents. I know the issues here,” he said. He listed a few as water quality, open space preservation, the housing crisis, transportation, and tick-borne illnesses.
Mr. Kiely has been a municipal attorney for 20 years and has lived in Mattituck for the last 16 years. He has lived in three of the five townships in the district and represented four of them as an attorney. He listed the “overdevelopment crisis” and “bail reform” as key issues in his campaign.
Another question by Ms. Roth, regarding immigration and New York’s status as a sanctuary state, also highlighted contrasts between the two men.
“This has been an incredible failure of our federal government,” Mr. Schiavoni said. “Congress has not made a new law on immigration since Ronald Reagan was president, so a lot of these issues are falling to local governments and states. One particular party doesn’t want to solve this, they want to run on it,” he said.
The idea of sanctuary has been rather muddied for political means in recent years, but Mr. Schiavoni attempted to clarify it by explaining the difference between warrants issued by a federal agency, such as the Immigration and Customs Enforcement agency, and those issued by a local judge. “We believe in checks and balances of the U.S. and New York constitutions. If they want a warrant, get one from a judge, don’t get it from some administrator. That is the sum and substance of what sanctuary is.”
Mr. Kiely’s talking points were tighter, and echoed those that have been a major feature of every Republican Party candidate from Donald Trump down the ticket. “I believe that we should rescind sanctuary state status immediately,” he said. “All it does is protect the criminal migrant. It prohibits the police department and judges from communicating with federal authorities when they arrest a migrant, even if there is a warrant out for deportation. I would pass legislation that would require our local police departments to work with the federal authorities to deport criminal migrants. They do not belong here.”
The men also disagreed on housing. Mr. Schiavoni described it as a “crisis” and said mixed-use housing and imaginative use of the newly established community housing fund, through first-time homebuyers’ initiative, no-interest loans for accessory dwelling units, and affordability easements, could help. Mr. Kiely said it was more an “affordability crisis” and that “high-density complexes” weren’t necessary. “I’m dead set against building our way out of this issue,” he said.
There were areas of agreement. The need for mass transit improvements, using a higher percentage of the C.P.F. on water quality initiatives, and the ill effects of cellphone use on children and teens were acknowledged by both. “There is not one good reason why cellphones belong in school,” said Mr. Kiely.
In his closing statement, Mr. Kiely tied Mr. Schiavoni to Gov. Kathy Hochul, also a feature of his campaign mailers, and accused him of trying to “urbanize the East End” with high-density housing and industrial battery-storage facilities. “Let me continue the good work of Fred Thiele, and like him, use my municipal law experience to ensure that the East End is not paved over.”
While Mr. Kiely likened himself to Assemblyman Thiele, Mr. Schiavoni was able to tout, in his closing statement, the endorsement of the popular assemblyman, who has represented the district for over 30 years. “I am running to keep what’s good and to improve what needs to be made better for future generations,” he said. He listed the large number of endorsements he’s received, including from unions, the Southampton Town P.B.A., and three of the town supervisors in the district.
Early voting begins on Oct. 25 and ends on Nov. 3. Tuesday, Nov. 5, is Election Day. Ms. Roth reminded viewers that “many local elections are won by very close margins.”
