Candidates for the GOP nomination for 1st Congressional district to debate

The League of Women Voters of the Hamptons, Shelter Island and North Fork will hold a Republican Congressional candidates primary debate on Zoom on Monday, August 8, between 7 and 8 p.m., on Southampton Town’s SEA-TV.

The August 8 debate can be viewed live at 7 p.m. at YouTube.com/c/SeaTVSouthampton and, starting the following day, Aug. 9, can be seen any time on the same YouTube channel.

There are three candidates running in the Aug. 23 primary to gain the Republican line on the Nov. 8 ballot to represent the newly drawn 1st Congressional District. The candidates are:

• Michelle Bond of Port Jefferson, CEO of the Cryptocurrency Association for Digital Asset Markets

• Anthony Figliola of East Setauket, a lobbyist with Empire Government Strategies and former Deputy Supervisor of Brookhaven Town

• Nicholas LaLota of Amityville, chief of staff to the Suffolk County Legislature and former Republican Commissioner of the Suffolk County Board of Elections.

The public is invited to submit questions for the candidates, emailing them by Aug. 5 to LWV Voter Services Committee Chairwoman Barbara McClancy at [email protected].

 The seat is currently held by Congressman Lee Zeldin (R-Shirley) who opted to run for New York State governor rather than seek re-election to Congress.

With the redrawing of the District 1 congressional lines, Suffolk County Legislator Bridget Fleming (D-Noyac), is the official Democratic candidate for the seat and will face off against the winner of the Republican primary on Nov. 8.