Surrounded by a pumpkins, corn, tomatoes and other fruits of a bountiful harvest, Suffolk County Legislator Al Krupski, a Democrat, held a press conference Friday to endorse incumbent Democrat Rep. Tim Bishop in the upcoming first congressional district race.
The event was held at Krupski’s Pumpkin Farm in Peconic.
Krupski reflected on Bishop’s fight, back in 2006, to save the Greenport and Mattituck Naval Junior Reserve Officers Training Corps programs, which were under threat of elimination by the Department of Defense. Bishop crafted language in the House Department of Defense Authorization Bill advocating to preserve the programs, which were ultimately saved and thrive on, along with the Southold NJROTC program.
It was Bishop’s hard work, Krupski said, advocating for the community, that led to the victory. Bishop came out to a meeting held in Mattituck in 2006 and pledged his commitment to saving the program to a room packed with NJROTC supporters.
So successful is the program, Krupski said, that when his daughter graduated from Mattituck High School, the unit was “the top in the world”.
Living in a democracy, Krupski said not everyone is always going “to agree with what everyone says, or else Joseph Stalin would be reincarnated.” The goal, he said, is to look at the big picture of what Bishop “has done for the East End.”
Bishop thanked Krupski, a public servant since 1985, who he said works “tirelessly” for his constituents.
The NJROTC victory, he said, was one accomplishment of which Bishop said he was most proud, with a high percentage of students in the area enrolled in the program and going on to achieve great things. “This program has changed lives,” he said.
Krupski also said Bishop has long been committed to helping the middle class through his work in education, the environment, Long Island infrastructure, and agriculture.
“He understands the fragile balance between economic growth and maintaining those things that make the East End such a special place, like our farms, wineries and open space. I”m happy to give him my endorsement,” Krupski said.
“I am honored to receive this endorsement from my friend and colleague, Legislator Al Krupski, a man who knows the North Fork of Long Island better than anyone I know,” Bishop said. “Just as we share a lifelong commitment to Long Island, we share the common belief that for farmers, fishermen, and families of the East End, the environment is more than just beautiful surroundings — it’s their livelihood. I look forward to continuing to work closely with him to lay the foundation for a clean, sustainable future.”
