Patrick Halpin
Patrick Halpin, a Democrat who served as Suffolk County executive from 1988 to 1991, is his party's nominee for New York's 2nd congressional district in 2026 against Republican incumbent Andrew Garbarino.
2026 Races & Market Forecast
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- Born
- January 18, 1953
- Education
- St. Joseph's School
Old Dominion University (Bachelor of Arts in political science and economics)
Biography & Campaign Analysis
Background
Patrick Halpin was born on January 18, 1953, and grew up on Long Island, where he attended St. Joseph's School in Babylon. He studied at Old Dominion University in Norfolk, Virginia, earning a Bachelor of Arts in political science and economics. After college he volunteered on political campaigns and became a campaign staffer for Tom Downey, who was first elected to the U.S. House in 1974, and later worked as a congressional aide to Downey.
Career
Halpin's own political career began in 1979, when at age 26 he was elected to represent the 13th district of the Suffolk County Legislature.
On April 20, 1982, he won a seat in the New York State Assembly, filling the vacancy created when Louis T. Howard was elected to the county legislature, and became the first Democrat in 116 years elected to the Assembly from that area.
He was re-elected three times, served until 1987, and chaired the Committee on Ethics and the Subcommittee on the Long Island Marine Resources. In 1987, at age 34, he was elected Suffolk County executive, the youngest in the county's history.
During his single term he instituted the DARE drug education program, an anti-domestic violence program, a homeless housing initiative, and an open space and environmental program, and he was later defeated by Robert J. Gaffney.
In 1994 Halpin became executive vice president of the Institute for Student Achievement in Lake Success, and he was also a managing director of Mercury Public Affairs. The Suffolk County Legislature confirmed him to a five-year term on the Suffolk County Water Authority in March 2006, and he was reappointed in 2011 and 2016. On December 18, 2018, he was appointed chair of the authority, replacing Jim Gaughran, who resigned after his election to the New York State Senate.
2026 race
The 2nd district covers the South Shore of Suffolk County, including Babylon, Islip and most of Brookhaven, as well as Massapequa in Nassau County. Halpin is the Democratic nominee and also appears on the Working Families Party line. He faces Republican incumbent Andrew Garbarino, who was re-elected with 59.8% of the vote in 2024 and also holds the Conservative line, in the general election on November 3, 2026.