First lady Jill Biden attended a campaign event Sunday evening for Democrats Robert Zimmerman, who is running for the 3rd Congressional District seat, telling those in attendance that this election will not only have a significant impact on New York, but also the nation.
“New Yorkers, what you do on Nov. 8 won’t just set the course of the future for your state, you’ll decide the future of this country as well,” Biden told the crowd of more than 200 in Plainview. New York Gov. Kathy Hochul joined the first lady at the event.
Biden touted the work of her husband’s administration in combating the coronavirus pandemic, addressing inflation and providing jobs for citizens throughout the country. Those accomplishments and others, she said, will be carried out by voting for Zimmerman to keep Democratic control in Congress, she said.
“This district, this seat could mean the difference between losing the House and keeping it,” she said. “Right now, voters have a choice to make between two drastically different visions for our future.”
Zimmerman, who is running against Republican George Devolder-Santos to represent the seat in Congress currently held by U.S. Rep. Tom Suozzi (D-Glen Cove), said standing up for mainstream values including bipartisanship and preserving the quality of life is what this race comes down to.
“Having the first lady with us was a very important reminder of what’s at stake in this election, advocating for mainstream values vs. the extremist positions my opponent has taken,” Zimmerman said. “That’s why it was very exciting to have her here. The response was just overwhelming.”
Zimmerman has been a harsh critic of Devolder-Santos’ stance on abortion, climate change and for wanting to stop the vote count during the 2020 presidential election.
Devolder-Santos was quoted as saying he was “at the ellipse on Jan. 6,” and appears on another video saying he “wrote a nice check for a law firm” to aid the rioters who stormed the building.
Zimmerman, a small business owner and community activist, said he has been approached by Democratic, Independent and Republican voters to discuss the issues facing the district throughout the campaign. Those recent conversations, he said, have resulted in building momentum as Election Day nears.
“I’m being approached by people who want to see mainstream values back in government and to see someone elected who is working in a bipartisan way to deliver for our district and bring results,” Zimmerman said.
A Great Neck resident, Zimmerman is the co-president of ZE Creative Communications on Bond Street in Great Neck, a public relations firm he started 33 years ago with Ron Edelson, and a Democratic national committeeman. He is running on the Democratic and Working Family Parties lines.
Devolder-Santos, a first-generation American born in Queens, has a background in Wall Street as a financier and investor, working extensively in capital introduction, real estate, biotech and capital markets. A Baruch College graduate, he followed in his mother’s footsteps by participating in a variety of philanthropic work to help veterans and at-risk children.
The state’s 3rd Congressional District includes the entire Town of North Hempstead including parts of Floral Park, New Hyde Park, Garden City, Mineola and Westbury villages. While the 3rd Congressional District under the newly-drawn maps does not extend as far west as the Bronx or Westchester, it does stretch to more southern parts of Nassau County such as Hicksville and Massapequa.
