Gregory Hach, an attorney and Republican candidate vying for New York’s 3rd Congressional District, said he is running to oust embattled Rep. George Santos and focus on the four issues constituents are concerned about: the economy, crime, immigration and national security.

Hach, a native of District 3, grew up in Hicksville where he attended the local public schools through high school. He said living with “the specter of nuclear war” in his early years inspired him to join the Air Force, where he was stationed in Crete, Greece.

But when he entered the military, the Cold War was on the precipice of ending, and he witnessed the fall of the Berlin Wall a couple of days after it was torn down.

“After the Berlin Wall fell it felt like there was never going to be a war again,” Hach said. “But I see that same communist aggression these days and it’s worrying because our leadership is asleep at the wheel.”

After being released from the Air Force, Hach attended John Jay College of Criminal Justice and then Ohio Northern University for law school. After graduating, he pursued a legal career in workplace injury.

“I had been around unions my whole life, you know, union people, union families, and the effects of asbestos on the building tradespeople I’d known all my life. It affected them quite a bit,” Hach said.

Months after the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks, Hach started his own law firm and began representing survivors for free.

Today Hach has two New York City-based law firms: Hach & Rose, LLP, representing unions, and Hach Rose Schirripa & Cheverie LLP, specializing in large commercial litigation.

He said elected officials are worried about current issues that do not reflect the values of the people and the country, such as “enemies coming in over our southern border.” He said nobody is doing anything about it.

This concern bleeds into the founding of his campaign platform.

The top four issues his campaign is focused on are the same as his neighbors’ concerns: economy, crime, immigration and national security.

He said President Joe Biden’s economic policies have failed individuals, leading to high rates of inflation that affect the way people shop for things like their groceries.

Hach also said that recent policies like cash bail have “coddled dangerous criminals” and made communities less safe. He said the district needs more police officers and greater support for the force as well as resources for local district attorneys.

He said authoritarianism is on the rise and the country needs to be more aggressive to counter the threats from Iran, China and North Korea.

As New York City has experienced an overwhelming influx of refugees, with more than 100,000 coming to the city in the past year, it has created a crisis for the city’s sheltering program, which does not have enough space to house all the migrants who arrive.

Hach said he does not think it is the duty of District 3 and the greater New York area to shelter these refugees, but he refused to make further comment as his campaign is establishing its official stance.

Hach said the United States should not be a sanctuary for “illegal immigrants who threaten public safety.”

With the race for the presidential election heating up, Blank Slate Media has asked all GOP candidates their stance on the presidential candidates and former President Donald Trump’s indictments.

Hach said he currently does not have a Republican nominee who he favors as he is focused on his campaign at the moment. He said Trump is the clear frontrunner at the moment, but there is a compelling field of candidates who are all “monumentally better” than Biden.

After publication, Hach said he would “support the Republican nominee for president in 2024, whether that is Trump or someone else.”

He declined to comment on Trump’s recent criminal prosecutions.

Hach said he decided to enter politics for various reasons, including to provide fair and trustworthy representation of District 3 in the wake of Santos’ election,  The congressman faces a 13-count indictment accusing him of fraud and spinning a web of lies.

“Our representative in Congress took an oath to our country that can’t be trusted because nothing he says can be believed,” Hach said.

He said he has also been inspired to run as he is “at a loss” over the supposed prioritization of sexual and gender orientation issues over the economy, crime, immigration and national security.

“We need tough and trustworthy public servants in Congress with the experience in leadership to get things done,” Hach said. “We need somebody in Congress who reflects the values of the great people of the 3rd Congressional District as well.”

Hach said the experience running for the CD-3 seat is a new one for him, but the support he has received so far has been overwhelming and humbling.

“We are going to show that we are a real force to be reckoned with,” Hach said.