Trump-endorsed Republican Jeanine Driscoll is campaigning to reclaim New York’s Fourth Congressional District by drawing on her experience as Hempstead’s receiver of taxes, decades practicing law, and longstanding ties to the Long Island communities she hopes to represent in Washington.
Driscoll told Breitbart News she would introduce herself to voters as someone “fiercely committed to American values,” including the rights of citizens to “life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness” with limited government interference.
The mother of five said affordability is personal after living on Long Island for decades and experiencing its high housing and living costs. Two of her children may marry within the next several years, she said, and although “they want to live here,” she does not know how they will afford it.
“I am very laser-focused on that,” Driscoll said, describing her goal as “putting money back into the pockets” of Long Island residents.
Public safety is the second major component of her campaign. Driscoll, whose son is in the NYPD Police Academy, said she has “always been committed to law enforcement” and wants officers to be “fully funded, respected, and supported.”
Driscoll entered the race after former Rep. Anthony D’Esposito, who narrowly lost the seat in 2024, accepted a position as inspector general at the Department of Labor. She called D’Esposito a “good friend” and said running for Congress felt like “the natural next step.”
“My core reason for doing this is because I do not want the president and the Republican Party to lose the midterms,” Driscoll said.
President Donald Trump endorsed Driscoll on July 13, saying that as receiver of taxes in America’s largest town, she understands the “AMERICA FIRST Policies” needed to grow the economy, create jobs, cut taxes and regulations, promote American manufacturing, and expand domestic energy production. Trump also attacked her Democratic opponent, Rep. Laura Gillen, for voting against “NO TAX ON TIPS, NO TAX ON OVERTIME, and NO TAX ON SOCIAL SECURITY,” warning that those provisions would be eliminated if Democrats regained power.
She has also been endorsed by House Speaker Mike Johnson, Majority Leader Steve Scalise, Majority Whip Tom Emmer, and Republican Conference Chair Lisa McClain.
“I am so honored to have the support of President Trump,” Driscoll said, adding that she has supported him since 2016 and has “never wavered.”
Driscoll called the House Republican team “such a powerful leadership” and said she wants to “go in there full force and support what they’re doing.”
“I love that they are fully joined together in support of President Trump as well,” she said. “I think that unity is going to translate into a great success for this country.”
Driscoll said her current office has prepared her to serve the congressional district because the Town of Hempstead comprises nearly all of its territory. The principal additional jurisdiction is Long Beach, where she said she regularly spends time and has friends.
“I am very familiar with my constituents and what their needs are,” she said.
As receiver of taxes, Driscoll said she has spent seven years helping homeowners understand exemptions, apply for relief, and challenge the property assessments that affect their tax bills. She also personally conducts dozens of public seminars each year on tax exemptions and assessment grievances.
“We need tax relief,” Driscoll said, calling Nassau County “a fantastic place to live” but “very expensive.”
She fully supports lifting the SALT cap and praised the no-tax provisions for tips, overtime, and Social Security. Gillen voted against increasing the SALT deduction from $10,000 to $40,000 multiple times and voted to increase taxes on her own constituents by 16 percent.
Driscoll also said Congress must examine Social Security’s long-term future and determine “if there’s other ways that we can fund it” so future generations paying into the program today “are going to be able to receive those benefits when the time comes.”
“If you don’t have law and order, the communities fall apart,” she said, pledging to support the Nassau County Police Department, the NYPD, and other local law-enforcement agencies.
“Police officers every day put their lives on the line for us,” Driscoll said. “I owe it to them as an elected official to support them.”
Driscoll won 91 percent of the Republican primary vote, a result she attributed partly to her visibility as receiver of taxes and her years of community involvement.
“I hate to say it, I’m the tax collector,” she said, noting that residents regularly see her name on their bills.
Driscoll said she also receives messages from homeowners thanking her after they qualified for exemptions and saved money. Beyond her office, she regularly attends fire department, police, senior citizen, Girl Scout, Eagle Scout, and other community events, and said she is also deeply involved with her church.
Her primary victory exceeded her expectations. Driscoll said she had hoped that receiving approximately 60 percent would demonstrate strength but was “blown away” by the final result.
Driscoll said Republicans, independents, and Democrats on Long Island “all have the same problems,” including high taxes and the desire to maintain public safety.
“I’m the voice of the people,” Driscoll said. “I am representing everybody.”
Driscoll expressed interest in bipartisan organizations such as the Problem Solvers Caucus and said she would evaluate legislation according to how it affects her constituents rather than whether they are Republicans or Democrats.
Driscoll warned that socialism is “not a threat anymore in New York” but is already “here,” arguing that high costs and low primary turnout have helped candidates gain support by promising “free housing,” rent freezes, “free buses,” and “free childcare.”
She described New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani’s political operation as a “very good propaganda machine” that effectively appealed to voters who listened to his message. Driscoll said the people who voted for him were “college students and community organizers,” while arguing that too few eligible voters participated in the primary.
Gillen publicly opposed Mamdani during his 2025 New York City mayoral campaign, calling him “too extreme to lead New York City” and separately arguing that “socialism doesn’t work.” Driscoll said Gillen is “in league with Kathy Hochul 100 percent” and argued that she cannot separate herself from Mamdani and other socialist candidates because “they are running with the Democrat Party.”
“She is trying to portray herself as a moderate, but there are no moderates left in the Democrat Party,” Driscoll said. “If you look at the voting record” of Gillen, she added, “she has not established herself as a moderate at all.”
Gillen has voted to force taxpayers to continue funding sex changes through Medicaid for Americans and illegal immigrants. She also voted to continue to allow the Department of War to fund gender-related medical treatment under TRICARE. Gillen sits on the Equality Caucus, which supports forcing Medicaid to cover sex changes for children, using taxpayer dollars for trans health care for the kids of military personnel, and using taxpayer dollars for drag queen story hours for kids.
Driscoll also criticized Gillen’s vote against legislation addressing male participation in women’s sports. Drawing on her experience raising four sons and a daughter who played three varsity sports, Driscoll said she personally observed “the difference between girls and boys as teenagers and athletes.”
“There is no way my daughter could have kept up with her four older brothers on the basketball court,” she said, adding that her sons were “much larger” and “much stronger.”
Despite those contrasts, Driscoll said she is “trying to run a very optimistic and positive campaign” and hopes to avoid “a negative campaign as much as possible.”
“I would like to just win on the issues,” she said. “I’d like to debate her on the issues and offer ideas.”
Driscoll graduated from Fordham Law School in 1992 and spent more than 30 years practicing law. She said her work included “trial work,” “appeal work,” legal writing, working with clients, mediations, personal-injury defense, and wrongful-death cases.
“I do have that ability to mediate and settle disputes,” she said, adding that she was often able to “come to the middle and work out differences.”
Driscoll also served as an associate village justice, where she handled traffic matters and, at times, “property disputes” and “zoning issues.”
She described herself as a “strict constructionist of the Constitution” and said she views the Constitution as “a framework for the country” and “a contract.”
“We have to stick with the Constitution,” Driscoll said, adding that when issues arise, lawmakers must “always refer back to that Constitution.”
If elected, Driscoll said she wants “first and foremost” to operate “a very strong office” in the district that is responsive to constituents, “answers questions, answers the phone,” and gets back to people.
“That’s how I operate now in my office,” she said. “I want to continue that.”
