Great Neck resident Rory Lancman, 56, has confirmed he is running for the state Senate seat representing the 7th District.
Lancman said he is running because he is committed to bringing representation for Nassau County to Albany.
“The Republican state senator, whether it’s Jack Martins or anyone else, simply does not have a seat at the table when decisions are being made in Albany that affect our lives,” Lancman said.
New York has a Democratic trifecta, with the party holding the governor’s office and both chambers of the state Legislature. In the Senate, Democrats currently hold 41 seats. Lancman said that having a Democrat will ensure citizens of Nassau County are represented.
Lancman said his main concerns, if elected, would be facilitating conversation around moving legislation toward affordability and addressing government waste and fiscal irresponsibility at the state and local levels.
He said the lack of action from currently elected officials has contributed to the affordability crisis growing in every sector of life, from housing and healthcare to taxes and energy costs.
“We want to be able to afford to live in these very nice communities in northern Nassau County, but you need to be able to afford to do that,” Lancman said. “If government policies are making things more expensive than they need to be, I want someone in the state Senate with the ability and drive to make a difference.”
Nassau County currently ranks as one of the wealthiest counties in the United States and consistently ranks as having some of the highest property taxes and housing costs.
Lancman is a former state assemblyman and New York City Council member, where he oversaw the budget negotiation team. He now a member of the Great Neck Library and as a board member for the Nassau Health Care Corporation. He is an Army veteran who studied at Columbia Law School and Queens College.
Lancman said that while he is running against a Republican, he has also grown “frustrated” with political divisions in government. He said he feels voters are tired of politics that “demonize” others.
“I’ve really had enough of people exploiting our fears, our anxieties and our innate biases to score political victories without making a difference in our lives,” Lancman said. He said manufactured arguments have not addressed the “real issues” of lowering prices for communities.
He said he has been vocal about distancing himself from newly elected New York Mayor Zohran Mamdani.
“This is not a district that has any tolerance for antisemitism or socialism, and that is what Zohran Mamdani proudly represents,” Lancman said.
Another major point of Lancman’s campaign is not only separating himself from Mamdani but also affirming his commitment to preventing antisemitism and anti-Zionism, something he sees as a major problem for the Democratic Party.
“There is a laundry list of legislative and governmental action that can be taken to protect the Jewish community, but you need to have an understanding of what those changes and reforms are, as well as an opportunity to sit in the room when decisions about those reforms and changes are being made,” Lancman said.
Lancman said he is hoping to reach voters where they are, running what he calls an “IRL (in-real-life) campaign.”
“I intend to knock on every door in the district between now and November,” Lancman said. “I will meet people where they are, at their homes, at the supermarket, in their community organizations, and have a conversation about who we are as a community.”
Efforts to reach Martins were unavailing.
