Staff Reports
Col. (Ret.) Tom Sullivan has thrown his hat back into the ring for New York State Assembly District 23. In an exclusive interview, the retired Army officer laid out a clear conservative pitch: put public safety first, freeze and cut taxes, and fix the trauma-care gap on the Rockaway peninsula. Voters in Southern Queens should pay attention — this race is not a sleepy local contest anymore.
Veteran experience vs. political rhetoric
Sullivan’s background reads like a public-service resume worth respecting. Thirty years in the Army Reserve, combat tours in Iraq and Afghanistan, and a family full of police and protective-service veterans. You don’t get that by reading city memos. He made a pointed jab at his opponent, noting that Pesach Osina and his family “never put on a uniform.” That line lands in a place where voters care about who will actually defend their streets rather than write resolutions about them.
Rockaway needs a trauma center, not slogans
One of the clearest policy points Sullivan raised is the long-running lack of Level 1 trauma care on the Rockaway peninsula. This isn’t a talking point — it’s a real gap that affects response times and survival. Sullivan tied that gap to the tragic death of Officer Jonathan Diller and argued a trauma center could be life-saving. That’s the kind of practical, local focus people want from an Assembly member, not another round of city-speak and excuses.
Tax relief and public-safety priorities
Sullivan promises an immediate tax freeze and then cuts. New York taxes are famously punishing, and promising relief is plain common sense in a year when voters are fed up with affordability problems. Republicans in the area are making the right play by pressing the case that public safety and lower taxes are connected — when people feel safe and keep more of their paychecks, communities can actually thrive.
Endorsements, the real choice, and why this race matters
Sullivan says he has the backing of the Police Conference of New York and complains the PBA backed his opponent — a claim worth vetting since I could not find independent confirmation of the PBA announcement. Still, endorsements matter less than results on the ground. Remember: Sullivan lost by a mere 15 votes in 2022. With Assemblymember Stacey Pheffer Amato stepping down, this open seat is winnable. Voters should judge candidates on service, plans for real problems like the Rockaway trauma gap, and whether they will actually lower the tax burden. If you want someone who’s worn a uniform and actually says what they mean, Sullivan is offering that. If you prefer more activist bureaucracy and higher taxes, Pesach Osina will be ready with more talk. The choice will be clear this November.
