As we look ahead to November’s elections, Patch sites in Commack are here to bring you the information you need about every race in town. Here's our start on the candidates and issues we'll be covering as November draws near. Bookmark this page for updates, especially for these two communites, where a host of district borders can make this confusing.
President Barack Obama: Elected in 2008 on a platform of change, this time around the president is going to have to draw from his experience at the country's helm for the past four years. Time will tell if the president visits the area this election, but if history is any indicator, we're sure to see .
GOP Presidential Nominee Mitt Romney (presumed): While the former Massachusetts governor still needs the nomination at the GOP convention in August, the race between the president and this New England Republican is all but set. Look for Romney to point to taxes and big government to pick up East End votes. , and we expect he'll be back before Election Day. We're not sure yet if we'll see him out this way.
U.S. Rep. Tim Bishop: The five-term Congressman and native of Southampton narrowly escaped losing in 2010, and this year he's facing the same opponent in Randy Altschuler. Bishop serves a slice of Hauppauge. .
Randy Altschuler: This St. James businessman came so close in 2008 — less than 600 votes — that he's trying for a second time to unseat Bishop. Much like last time, Altschuler is touting his business acumen as an entrepreneur as proof he can create jobs. But Bishop has pegged him an outsourcer, just like last election. .
U.S. Rep. Steve Israel: This Democrat, known for much of his work on the green energy front, serves A slice of Hauppauge and most of Commack following recent redistricting.
Steven Labate: This Republican was all set to challenge Isreal when . Despite that, he's still planning to run against the incumbent Israel.
U.S. Rep. Peter King: Yes, he reps part of Commack now. This lightning rod of a Republican congressman is hoping his new district lines, which include Democrat areas in Babylon, won't hurt his chances for re-election.
State Senator John Flanagan: An assemblyman for two decades and a state senator since 2002, Flanagan hasn't faced a hard re-election fight in a few cycles now. Flanagan has a long list of projects he's backed locally, and is perhaps best known for his work fighting for state education aid for Long Island schools. So far, nobody has stepped up to challenge him.
State Assemblyman Michael Fitzpatrick: This former Smithtown town councilman has served in Albany since 2003, and if his is any indication, he's got a strong support base in the area. As of now, he is unopposed for 2012.
