Sussman Seeks to Flip Fourth Assembly District

Will Sussman wants to accomplish something increasingly difficult on Long Island: make it possible for young people to return home, purchase a house and raise a family.

The 27-year-old Republican challenging Assemblywoman Rebecca Kassay in Brookhaven’s Fourth Assembly District says affordability, public safety and environmental protection are driving his campaign.

Born in Stony Brook and a Miller Place High School graduate, Sussman attended Yale University and studied electrical engineering and computer science at MIT. He now teaches mathematics for computer science at Yeshiva University.

“I did something unusual, which is I came back to Long Island,” Sussman told the South Shore Press Editorial Board.

A registered Democrat until last year, Sussman said Albany’s policies and his experiences with antisemitism at MIT prompted his political transformation. The former MIT Graduate Hillel president testified before Congress in 2024 and subsequently filed a lawsuit against the university.

“I didn't leave the Democratic Party. The Democratic Party left me,” he said, quoting Ronald Reagan.

Sussman criticized legislation restricting cooperation with federal immigration authorities and changes to environmental review requirements intended to encourage housing construction.

He also accused Kassay of initially introducing legislation that could threaten the Setauket-Port Jefferson Station Greenway, a recreational trail he regularly uses. He supports railroad electrification but insists the trail must be preserved. Kassay did not respond to an invitation to discuss her campaign with the South Shore Press Editorial Board.

Opposing large data centers on Long Island, Sussman advocates extending the development moratorium through 2030, requiring facilities to offset their water and electricity demands, and eliminating tax incentives. He also favors expanded sewer infrastructure to protect groundwater. Sussman sees an opportunity in the closely contested district, which changed party hands in 2022 and 2024.

“I want the next generation to have the same opportunities that I had growing up here,” he said.