U.S. House · New York's 4th Congressional District

Central Nassau County on Long Island, including most of the Town of Hempstead outside New York City.

General election · Tuesday, November 3, 2026

✓ Fact-checked 2026-09-25: 18 claims re-checked against their sources · 3 corrected · 0 removed

A second, independent research pass re-opened every cited source for this race and corrected or removed anything the source didn’t support.

  • Context claimed Gillen's Democratic primary was canceled after 'four other Democrats withdrew'; the cited Ballotpedia page lists five withdrawn/disqualified candidates (Lozada, Bierria-Anderson, Sciretta, Jones, Darling). Corrected to 'five'.
  • Tarnoff's quote read 'I would privatize the critical functions of administrative agencies and eliminate them.'; the source reads 'I will privatize...'. Corrected the verb to match verbatim.
  • Fixed a duplicate 'electionDate' key in the file (harmless but non-conforming to the schema's single-field shape) while validating.

On the ballot · 3 candidates

Where they stand — side by side

Only positions documented in a cited source are shown. Where an officeholder’s recorded votes speak to an issue, the votes set the position (marked “votes”). A dash means we found no clear public position — not that the candidate has none.

ISSUELaura Gillen
D
Jeanine Driscoll
RC
Blay Tarnoff
LIB
Expand immigration enforcement and deportationsMixed[4][5][6][7]votesSupports[1]—
Raise taxes on high earners or corporationsSupports[5][6][7]votes · says otherwiseOpposes[1]—
Expand public health coverageSupports[5][6][7][8]votes——
Faster transition away from fossil fuelsSupports[5][6][7]votes——
Broad tariffs on imported goodsOpposes[9]votes——

The candidates, in full

Laura Gillen

DINCUMBENTU.S. Representative for NY-4 (since 2025)

Laura Gillen is the incumbent U.S. Representative for New York's 4th Congressional District, elected in 2024 after previously serving as Town of Hempstead Supervisor (2018-2020). She sits on the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee and the House Science, Space, and Technology Committee.[1][2]

Basic profile — the most important sourced facts we found.

Key votes in Congress

  • YesWar Powers Resolution directing removal of forces from Iran hostilities · H. Con. Res. 86 · Passed 215–208 · 2026-06-03 roll call ↗The resolution directs the President to remove U.S. armed forces from hostilities with Iran that Congress has not authorized, invoking the War Powers Resolution. It passed the House with support from Democrats and a number of Republicans.
  • YesResolution disapproving tariffs on Canada · H.J. Res. 72 · Passed 219–211 · 2026-02-11 roll call ↗The resolution terminates the national emergency the President declared in February 2025 to justify a 25 percent tariff on imports from Canada, ending that tariff if it becomes law. It passed with a bipartisan majority, including several Republicans who broke with the administration on trade policy.
  • NoConsolidated Appropriations Act, 2026 — full-year government funding · H.R. 7148 · Passed 217–214 · 2026-02-03 roll call ↗The bill provides full-year discretionary appropriations for federal agencies for the remainder of fiscal year 2026, replacing the stopgap funding enacted after the fall 2025 shutdown. It sets spending levels across defense and non-defense programs through September 2026.
  • YesBreaking the Gridlock Act — ACA subsidy extension · H.R. 1834 · Passed 230–196 · 2026-01-08 roll call ↗The bill extends for additional years the enhanced Affordable Care Act premium tax credits that were expanded in 2021 and had lapsed at the end of 2025, lowering health-insurance premiums for people who buy coverage on ACA marketplaces. It passed with support from nearly all Democrats and a small group of Republicans.
  • YesWar Powers Resolution on Venezuela · H. Con. Res. 64 · Failed 211–213 · 2025-12-17 roll call ↗The resolution would have directed the President to remove U.S. armed forces from hostilities in or against Venezuela that Congress had not authorized. It failed after U.S. military strikes on suspected drug-trafficking vessels off Venezuela had raised questions in Congress about the administration's legal authority for military action in the region.
  • YesNational Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2026 — final passage · S. 1071 · Passed 312–112 · 2025-12-10 roll call ↗The fiscal year 2026 NDAA authorizes roughly $900 billion in defense spending, including a pay raise for service members and funding for shipbuilding, munitions, and missile-defense programs. It also sets policy on military personnel, procurement, and other Defense Department programs for the year.
  • YesEpstein Files Transparency Act · H.R. 4405 · Passed 427–1 · 2025-11-18 roll call ↗The bill directs the Department of Justice to publicly release its investigative files related to Jeffrey Epstein within 30 days, while allowing redactions to protect victim identities, ongoing investigations, and law enforcement techniques. It passed with near-unanimous support.
  • NoContinuing Appropriations and Extensions Act, 2026 — shutdown-ending vote · H.R. 5371 · Passed 222–209 · 2025-11-12 roll call ↗The bill reopened the federal government after a 43-day shutdown by funding most agencies through January 30, 2026, and providing full-year funding for a smaller group of agencies through September 2026. It also reversed shutdown-related federal layoffs and funded SNAP benefits retroactively.
  • YesCLARITY Act — digital asset market structure · H.R. 3633 · Passed 294–134 · 2025-07-17 roll call ↗The CLARITY Act creates a regulatory framework dividing oversight of digital assets between the Securities and Exchange Commission and the Commodity Futures Trading Commission. It sets registration and disclosure requirements for cryptocurrency exchanges and other digital-asset intermediaries.
  • YesGENIUS Act — stablecoin regulation · S. 1582 · Passed 308–122 · 2025-07-17 roll call ↗The GENIUS Act creates a federal regulatory framework for payment stablecoins, requiring issuers to hold reserves backing their tokens on a one-to-one basis and to comply with new disclosure and licensing rules. It was the first major piece of cryptocurrency legislation enacted into federal law.
  • NoOne Big Beautiful Bill Act — final passage · H.R. 1 · Passed 218–214 · 2025-07-03 roll call ↗H.R. 1, the One Big Beautiful Bill Act, extends and expands the 2017 tax cuts, adds new deductions for tips, overtime pay, and seniors, and raises the cap on state and local tax deductions. It increases border security and defense spending while cutting projected Medicaid and SNAP spending and adding new work requirements; President Trump signed it into law on July 4, 2025.
  • NoRescissions Act of 2025 · H.R. 4 · Passed 214–212 · 2025-06-12 roll call ↗The Rescissions Act canceled about $9 billion in previously approved federal spending, mostly for foreign aid programs and for the Corporation for Public Broadcasting. It was the first rescissions package Congress had approved in decades.
  • NoOne Big Beautiful Bill Act — House passage · H.R. 1 · Passed 215–214 · 2025-05-22 roll call ↗H.R. 1 extends and modifies the 2017 individual and business tax cuts, creates new deductions for tips and overtime pay, and increases spending on border security and defense. It also reduces projected spending on Medicaid and food-assistance programs and adds new work requirements for some recipients.
  • NoSAVE Act — proof-of-citizenship voter registration · H.R. 22 · Passed 220–208 · 2025-04-10 roll call ↗The SAVE Act would require individuals to provide documentary proof of U.S. citizenship in person when registering to vote in federal elections. It also directs states to establish procedures to remove noncitizens identified on voter rolls.
  • NoFull-Year Continuing Appropriations and Extensions Act, 2025 · H.R. 1968 · Passed 217–213 · 2025-03-11 roll call ↗The bill funded the federal government through the remainder of fiscal year 2025, largely at prior-year spending levels, averting a shutdown ahead of a March 14 deadline. It also extended several expiring health and other program authorizations.
  • YesLaken Riley Act — final passage · S. 5 · Passed 263–156 · 2025-01-22 roll call ↗The Laken Riley Act requires the Department of Homeland Security to detain undocumented immigrants who are arrested, charged, or convicted for theft, burglary, or certain violent crimes. It also allows state attorneys general to sue the federal government over certain immigration enforcement decisions.

On the record — official actions

  • actionServes on the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee (Aviation; Highways and Transit; Water Resources and Environment subcommittees) and the House Science, Space, and Technology Committee (Space and Aeronautics subcommittee) in the 119th Congress (2025-2026).[2]

Positions on the issues

  • SupportsRaise taxes on high earners or corporationsFrom recorded votes

    Voted no on One Big Beautiful Bill Act (H.R. 1, 2025-05-22; 2025-07-03), which made the 2017 individual tax rates, including the 37% top rate, permanent.[5][6][7]

    What they say: (their stated position — opposes — differs from their votes) Has pushed to eliminate the federal SALT (state and local tax) deduction cap, which would reduce federal tax liability for higher-income Long Island homeowners.[1]

  • SupportsExpand public health coverageFrom recorded votes

    Voted no on One Big Beautiful Bill Act (H.R. 1, 2025-05-22; 2025-07-03), which reduced federal Medicaid spending and added Medicaid work requirements. Voted yes on Breaking the Gridlock Act (H.R. 1834, 2026-01-08).[5][6][7][8]

    What they say: Says she is fighting to extend tax credits that help families afford health insurance and has opposed Medicaid cuts.[1]

    “She has stood up against historic Medicaid cuts and helped pass reforms to crack down on insurance middlemen who are unfairly raising the cost of prescriptions.”
  • MixedExpand immigration enforcement and deportationsFrom recorded votes

    Voted yes on Laken Riley Act (S. 5, 2025-01-22). Voted no on One Big Beautiful Bill Act (H.R. 1, 2025-05-22; 2025-07-03), which funded expanded immigration enforcement, detention and border operations.[4][5][6][7]

  • SupportsFaster transition away from fossil fuelsFrom recorded votes

    Voted no on One Big Beautiful Bill Act (H.R. 1, 2025-05-22; 2025-07-03), which phased out Inflation Reduction Act clean-energy tax credits.[5][6][7]

  • OpposesBroad tariffs on imported goodsFrom recorded votes

    Voted yes on Resolution disapproving tariffs on Canada (H.J. Res. 72, 2026-02-11).[9]

In their words — priorities

  • Campaign material says she has focused on lowering costs, eliminating the SALT deduction cap, and securing federal funding for public safety, clean water, and family and student resources in Nassau County.[1]
  • On immigration, says she has worked to extend Temporary Protected Status (TPS) for Haitian immigrants in Nassau County.[1]

Background

  • Earned a bachelor's degree in political science and government from Georgetown University and a J.D. from New York University School of Law; worked as an attorney at Cahill Gordon & Reindel and Westerman Ball before entering politics.[2]
  • Served as Town of Hempstead Supervisor from 2018 to 2020.[2]

Campaign money

Raised $5.1M · spent $1.3M · $3.8M cash on hand (through 2026-06-30) FEC filing ↗

Jeanine Driscoll

RCTown of Hempstead Receiver of Taxes (since 2020)

Won the June 23 Republican primary

Jeanine Driscoll is the Town of Hempstead's Receiver of Taxes, first elected in 2019 and re-elected in 2023, and previously served as an Associate Justice for the Village of Bellerose (2015-2019). She won the June 23, 2026 Republican primary for NY-4.[1]

Basic profile — the most important sourced facts we found.

On the record — official actions

  • actionAs Town of Hempstead Receiver of Taxes since 2020, has held taxpayer forums to help residents understand and reduce their property tax bills.[1]

Positions on the issues

  • OpposesRaise taxes on high earners or corporations

    Supports restoring the full SALT deduction, which would reduce federal tax liability for higher-income households in high-tax states like New York.[1]

  • SupportsExpand immigration enforcement and deportations

    Opposes New York's sanctuary-state policy and says she would work with NY Republican members of Congress to undo it and empower local law enforcement on immigration.[1]

    “Kathy Hochul's Sanctuary State law protects violent criminals instead of law-abiding New Yorkers. ... In Congress, I will work with my colleagues, Homeland Security Committee Chair Andrew Garbarino and Congressman Nick Lalota, to undo New York's sanctuary policies and empower local law enforcement to do their job.”

In their words — priorities

  • Campaign material says she is running to restore the full SALT (state and local tax) deduction, provide additional tax relief for Nassau County families and seniors, support law enforcement, and secure the U.S.-Mexico border.[1]
  • Cites her record as Receiver of Taxes, including holding taxpayer forums to help residents reduce their tax bills, as the basis for her candidacy.[1]

Background

  • Earned a B.A. in American government and politics from The Catholic University of America and a J.D. from Fordham University; worked as an attorney before entering elected office.[1]
  • Served as an Associate Justice for the Village of Bellerose, New York, from 2015 to 2019.[1]

Campaign money

Raised $265K · spent $39K · $226K cash on hand (through 2026-06-30) FEC filing ↗

Blay Tarnoff

LIB

Blay Tarnoff is the Libertarian Party nominee for NY-4, a systems engineer and lawyer by background who completed Ballotpedia's 2026 Candidate Connection survey describing an anti-socialism, limited-government platform.[3]

Basic profile — the most important sourced facts we found.

In their words — priorities

  • Says the central problem he would address in Congress is what he calls socialism, and that he would introduce legislation aimed at enforcing constitutional limits against it.[3]
  • Says he would work to privatize or eliminate federal administrative agencies, which he views as unconstitutional and as producing waste, and would end inflation by pegging the dollar to gold or bitcoin.[3]
  • Describes his core political philosophy as freedom from government interference in personal, economic, and self-defense decisions.[3]

Background

  • Tarnoff earned a high school diploma from The American School of Paris, a bachelor's degree from Brown University in 1980, and a law degree from Pace University School of Law in 1996; his career includes work as a systems engineer.[3]

Campaign money

Raised $25K · spent $25K · $0 cash on hand (through 2026-06-30) FEC filing ↗

Research notes & limits

Gillen and Driscoll: as before, neither had completed a 2026 Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey; their priorities and positions are drawn from campaign-website and social-media statements republished by Ballotpedia. Tarnoff completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey (https://ballotpedia.org/Blay_Tarnoff), which supplied his biography and priorities above; a fact-check removed a `guns` position drawn from a general self-defense/freedom-from-government-interference answer, since it never mentions guns, firearms, or the Second Amendment and does not squarely address gun-law policy, so no positions are recorded for him. No campaign website content beyond the survey was found.

Sources · 9

Researched 2026-09-25. Green citations are official government records.

  1. 1.New York's 4th Congressional District election, 2026 · Ballotpedia · 2026-09-22 Reference
  2. 2.Laura Gillen · Ballotpedia Reference
  3. 3.Blay Tarnoff · Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey · 2026-09-25 Candidate's own words
  4. 4.Roll call: Laken Riley Act — final passage · Office of the Clerk, U.S. House · 2025-01-22 Official record
  5. 5.Roll call: One Big Beautiful Bill Act — House passage · Office of the Clerk, U.S. House · 2025-05-22 Official record
  6. 6.H.R. 1 (119th Congress) — One Big Beautiful Bill Act: text and summary · Congress.gov Official record
  7. 7.Roll call: One Big Beautiful Bill Act — final passage · Office of the Clerk, U.S. House · 2025-07-03 Official record
  8. 8.Roll call: Breaking the Gridlock Act — ACA subsidy extension · Office of the Clerk, U.S. House · 2026-01-08 Official record
  9. 9.Roll call: Resolution disapproving tariffs on Canada · Office of the Clerk, U.S. House · 2026-02-11 Official record