Senate candidate:‘Don’t second guess Israel’

Even in his home region, George Maragos is not yet a household name.

But the Nassau County Comptroller, a Republican, is confident he can mount a strong campaign against Democratic incumbent U.S. Senator Kirsten Gillibrand and that he can make a difference in the “dysfunctional” atmosphere of Washington, DC.

Maybe he gets his confidence from the fact that he has already succeeded in every field he has worked in — from telecommunications, to defense, to banking and finance and, ultimately, to politics.

Declaring that he “came into politics to do the right thing,” Maragos presented his policy points to The Jewish Star staff this week as he prepared to take on his first hurdle in the Senate race — the Republican primary in March.

“The Jewish community is very supportive,” he said. “It’s very difficult

for a Republican to win a Senate seat in New York but no one expected me to win comptroller. I’m resourceful enough to find a way to get the job done. I wouldn’t do it unless I believed in my heart of hearts that I would be successful.”

He’s running for the upper house, he said, because so many State issues have to be dealt with at the Federal level and he wants to “apply my energies where I can have the greatest impact.”

“That’s my only motivation,” he said. “We’ve stabilized the local government. We had a deficit of $135 million, cut expenses and turned a surplus. We haven’t raised property taxes in three years and have done what we can. The taxpayers can’t pay anymore.”

With extensive experience in finance and management, Maragos speaks intelligently and comprehensively and yet to the point on a range of issues from health care, job growth, government spending, education, and Israel.

At our interview, the candidate — who came to North America as an eight-year-old — sat straight, his gray hair combed back, and spoke articulately with a slight accent, as he gazed intently through rimless wire glasses.

Don’t ‘second guess’ Israel