U.S. House, New York 4th Congressional District · Election November 3, 2026 · Updated
Who should I vote for in New York's 4th Congressional District?
Laura Gillen has the strongest record in New York's 4th Congressional District. Laura Gillen scores 66 out of 100 on the Ballot Standard, ahead of Jeanine Driscoll at 58, as of October 9, 2026. Laura Gillen's highest marks are roots in the constituency and courage. Jeanine Driscoll's highest marks are roots in the constituency and relevant experience. Blay Tarnoff (5 of 15 criteria) has too little public record to score. Every score comes from public records on character, qualifications and performance, the same way for every party.
Republican
Jeanine Driscoll
On the ballot as Jeanine C. Driscoll
58 / 100
Public evidence on 9 of 15 criteria
- Character
- 50
- Qualifications
- 65
- Performance
- 50
Democratic · incumbent
Strongest record
Laura Gillen
On the ballot as Laura A. Gillen
66 / 100
Public evidence on 14 of 15 criteria
- Character
- 60
- Qualifications
- 80
- Performance
- 56
Libertarian
Blay Tarnoff
Not enough public record for a score
Public evidence on 5 of 15 criteria
- Character
- 50
- Qualifications
- 50
- Performance
- NR
The good, the bad and the unresolved
The record
The notable facts of each candidate's public life, each tied to a source and confirmed to be this person. Unresolved matters are labeled with where they stand and do not move a score.
Jeanine Driscoll
No notable items confirmed in news archives or public documents.
Laura Gillen
- On the record2026-01
Voted Yea on the January 2026 appropriations bill H.R. 7147, one of seven House Democrats to do so, when the three House Democratic leaders voted Nay.
Sources: House Clerk Roll Call 42, 2026, GovTrack, Laura Gillen
- On the record2025-01-07
Voted Yea on the Laken Riley Act on Jan. 7, 2025, against the House Democratic leadership; it passed 264 to 159.
Source: House Clerk Roll Call 6, 2025
- On the record2025-04-16
Held an in-person town hall at Hofstra University on April 16, 2025, where many in a crowd of about 300 booed her, including over her Laken Riley Act vote.
Sources: Long Island Press, April 17, 2025, Herald Community Newspapers, April 17, 2025
- On the record2025-11
Voted Yea on H.Res. 878, disapproving the conduct of Rep. Jesus Garcia, in November 2025, when the three House Democratic leaders voted Nay.
Source: House Clerk Roll Call 292, 2025
- On the record2018-11
The Republican-majority Hempstead Town Board rejected her proposed 2019 budget and passed its own $432.5 million budget.
Sources: Herald Community Newspapers, Nov. 10, 2018, Herald Community Newspapers, 2018
- On the record2018-04
In April 2018, as Hempstead supervisor, sued to nullify a union contract no-layoff clause and end-of-term raises and transfers approved under her predecessor; no ruling was reported then.
Source: CBS New York, April 12, 2018
- Credit2018-2019
As Hempstead supervisor, passed a law requiring town contracts, budgets and audited financials to be posted online, per the Herald.
Blay Tarnoff
No notable items confirmed in news archives or public documents.
Who they are
Character
Integrity
Tells the truth, keeps their word, and takes no private gain from public office.
Jeanine Driscoll. House candidate financial disclosure filed Aug. 5, 2026; campaign reports on file with the FEC through June 30, 2026. No FEC administrative fine found.
Sources: House Clerk candidate financial disclosure, Filing ID 10081409, FEC candidate page, FEC administrative fines search, committee C00948034
Laura Gillen. Annual financial disclosure for 2025 filed Aug. 13, 2026, within the extension period; campaign reports on file with the FEC through June 30, 2026. No House Ethics Committee matter or FEC administrative fine found.
Sources: House Clerk financial disclosure, Filing ID 10077133, House Committee on Ethics site search for Gillen, FEC administrative fines search, committee C00806547
Blay Tarnoff. Campaign reports on file with the FEC through June 30, 2026, and a threshold notice to the House Clerk filed July 13, 2026. No FEC administrative fine found.
Sources: FEC candidate page, FEC administrative fines search, committee C00955930
Courage
Takes a stand that costs them something, including telling their own side no.
Jeanine Driscoll. No public record found.
Laura Gillen. Voted Yea, against all three House Democratic leaders, on the Laken Riley Act (January 2025), the Garcia disapproval resolution (November 2025) and the January 2026 appropriations bill H.R. 7147.
Sources: House Clerk Roll Call 6, 2025, Laken Riley Act, House Clerk Roll Call 292, 2025, House Clerk Roll Call 42, 2026
Blay Tarnoff. No public record found.
Accountability
Owns mistakes, answers hard questions, and works in the open.
Jeanine Driscoll. No public record found.
Laura Gillen. Held an open in-person town hall at Hofstra University on April 16, 2025, attended by about 300 people, where she was booed. No 2026 general election debate record found.
Sources: Herald Community Newspapers, April 17, 2025, Long Island Press, April 17, 2025
Blay Tarnoff. No public record found.
Temperament and judgment
Steady under pressure, decides on evidence, and treats opponents and staff with respect.
Jeanine Driscoll. Hempstead receiver of taxes since her 2019 election, re-elected in 2023, and a former associate village justice. No conduct finding found.
Sources: Ballotpedia News, Aug. 13, 2026, Herald Community Newspapers, June 23, 2026
Laura Gillen. Served as Hempstead town supervisor in 2018 and 2019 and in the U.S. House since January 2025. No censure, reprimand or House Ethics Committee matter found.
Sources: Ballotpedia, Laura Gillen, House Committee on Ethics site search for Gillen
Blay Tarnoff. No public record found.
Fidelity to the oath
Uses power inside its limits: accepts certified results, obeys court rulings, follows the rules of the office.
Jeanine Driscoll. Has held sworn town office as Hempstead receiver of taxes since her 2019 election and served as an associate village justice. No misuse-of-office finding found.
Sources: Ballotpedia, Jeanine Driscoll, Herald Community Newspapers, June 23, 2026
Laura Gillen. Sworn in as Hempstead town supervisor in January 2018 and as a member of Congress in January 2025. Not in Congress for the 2017 or 2021 electoral counts; no misuse-of-office finding found.
Sources: Herald Community Newspapers, Jan. 2, 2018, GovTrack, Laura Gillen
Blay Tarnoff. No public record found.
What they bring
Qualifications
Relevant experience
Has done work that prepares them for this specific office.
Jeanine Driscoll. Twice-elected Hempstead receiver of taxes (2019, 2023), former associate village justice in Bellerose, and an attorney for more than 30 years.
Sources: Ballotpedia News, Aug. 13, 2026, Herald Community Newspapers, June 23, 2026
Laura Gillen. In the U.S. House since January 2025, seeking a second term; Hempstead town supervisor in 2018 and 2019; earlier a litigator at Cahill Gordon and Reindel.
Sources: Ballotpedia News, Aug. 13, 2026, Ballotpedia, Laura Gillen
Blay Tarnoff. Works as a systems engineer, with a Brown University degree and a Pace law degree. Has not held public office.
Source: Ballotpedia, Blay Tarnoff
Command of the job
Knows the issues and knows what the office can and cannot do.
Jeanine Driscoll. Platform in general terms: more tax relief, a larger state and local tax deduction, fewer small business regulations and no federal tax on tips and overtime.
Laura Gillen. Sits on the Transportation and Infrastructure Committee (four subcommittees) and the Science, Space, and Technology Committee, and publishes issue pages. Holds no chair or ranking-member post.
Sources: GovTrack, committee membership, Office site, home page
Blay Tarnoff. States positions in general terms in his Ballotpedia survey, centered on legislation he says would eliminate socialism under the Constitution.
Source: Ballotpedia, Blay Tarnoff
Communication
Explains plainly, persuades, and listens.
Jeanine Driscoll. Answered a Patch candidate questionnaire and publishes a campaign site. Has not completed Ballotpedia's 2026 survey.
Sources: Patch, June 18, 2026, Ballotpedia, Jeanine Driscoll
Laura Gillen. Offers an e-newsletter and issue pages on her House site and held an in-person town hall in April 2025. Has not completed Ballotpedia's 2026 survey.
Sources: Office site, home page, Herald Community Newspapers, April 17, 2025, Ballotpedia, Laura Gillen
Blay Tarnoff. Completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey in 2026.
Source: Ballotpedia, Blay Tarnoff
Roots in the constituency
Lives there, knows the people, and is funded by them.
Jeanine Driscoll. A longtime resident of Bellerose, inside the district, who says she has lived in Nassau County about 25 years; holds town-wide office. FEC by-state totals show about 83 percent of itemized individual contributions from New York.
Sources: Herald Community Newspapers, June 23, 2026, FEC contribution totals by state
Laura Gillen. A Baldwin native who lives in Rockville Centre, inside the district. FEC by-state totals for 2025 to 2026 show about 51 percent of itemized individual contributions from New York.
Sources: Office site, About, Herald Community Newspapers, Jan. 2, 2018, FEC contribution totals by state
Blay Tarnoff. No public record found.
Management
Can build and run an organization.
Jeanine Driscoll. Campaign reports on file with the FEC through June 30, 2026; no FEC administrative fine found. Heads the Hempstead receiver of taxes office; its staff size was not found.
Sources: FEC candidate page, FEC administrative fines search, committee C00948034
Laura Gillen. Headed the Town of Hempstead government as supervisor in 2018 and 2019, when the town budget was about $432.5 million. Campaign reports on file with the FEC; no administrative fine found.
Sources: Herald Community Newspapers, Nov. 10, 2018, FEC candidate page, FEC administrative fines search, committee C00806547
Blay Tarnoff. Campaign reports on file with the FEC through June 30, 2026. No FEC administrative fine found.
Sources: FEC candidate page, FEC administrative fines search, committee C00955930
What they deliver
Performance
Results
Turns ideas into outcomes.
Jeanine Driscoll. No public record found.
Laura Gillen. No Center for Effective Lawmaking score yet (first term) and no sponsored bill enacted per GovTrack. As supervisor she passed a law requiring town contracts, budgets and audited financials to be posted online.
Blay Tarnoff. No public record found.
Showing up
Does the basic work of the job.
Jeanine Driscoll. No public record found.
Laura Gillen. Missed 16 of 676 roll call votes, 2.4 percent, from January 2025 to September 2026.
Source: GovTrack, missed votes
Blay Tarnoff. No public record found.
Constituent service
Solves problems for the people they represent.
Jeanine Driscoll. During her tenure the receiver of taxes office added drive-through payment windows, satellite offices, online payments and email reminders.
Laura Gillen. Lists one district office, in Garden City, and offers help with federal agencies. No published casework totals found.
Source: Office site, home page
Blay Tarnoff. No public record found.
Coalition building
Wins support beyond their own faction.
Jeanine Driscoll. No public record found.
Laura Gillen. No public record found.
Blay Tarnoff. No public record found.
Stewardship of public money
Treats tax dollars as someone else's money.
Jeanine Driscoll. No public record found.
Laura Gillen. As Hempstead supervisor, refinanced the town's debt. The Republican town board majority rejected her proposed budget and passed its own.
Sources: Herald Community Newspapers, 2019, Herald Community Newspapers, Nov. 10, 2018
Blay Tarnoff. No public record found.
How to read this
Each criterion is scored 0 to 4 against the written rubric in the Ballot Standard. NR means no record: there is no reliable public evidence either way, so the criterion is left out and never counts against the candidate. A total is published when at least 8 of 15 criteria have evidence.
A sitting officeholder has a longer public record than a first-time candidate, so the two totals rest on different amounts of evidence. Read the count of criteria beside each score. Low marks require an official finding or a primary record. Allegations and opinion are not used.
No policy position is scored. Evidence checked October 9, 2026. Campaigns and readers can send a correction with a public source to tpg@thepoliticalgroup.com.
Questions
Who should I vote for in New York's 4th Congressional District?
Laura Gillen has the strongest record in New York's 4th Congressional District. Laura Gillen scores 66 out of 100 on the Ballot Standard, ahead of Jeanine Driscoll at 58, as of October 9, 2026. Laura Gillen's highest marks are roots in the constituency and courage. Jeanine Driscoll's highest marks are roots in the constituency and relevant experience. Blay Tarnoff (5 of 15 criteria) has too little public record to score. Every score comes from public records on character, qualifications and performance, the same way for every party.
Who is running in New York's 4th Congressional District in 2026?
Jeanine Driscoll (Republican), Laura Gillen (Democratic, incumbent), Blay Tarnoff (Libertarian). The general election is November 3, 2026.
Is Jeanine Driscoll a good candidate for Congress?
Jeanine Driscoll scores 58 out of 100 on the Ballot Standard, with public evidence on 9 of 15 criteria: character 50 of 100, qualifications 65 of 100, performance 50 of 100. The standard measures character, qualifications and performance, not policy positions.
Is Laura Gillen a good candidate for Congress?
Laura Gillen scores 66 out of 100 on the Ballot Standard, with public evidence on 14 of 15 criteria: character 60 of 100, qualifications 80 of 100, performance 56 of 100. The standard measures character, qualifications and performance, not policy positions.
Is Blay Tarnoff a good candidate for Congress?
Blay Tarnoff has public evidence on 5 of the 15 Ballot Standard criteria, short of the 8 needed for a score. The evidence that exists is shown on the scorecard. No record never counts against a candidate.
How is the strongest record decided?
The candidate with the highest Ballot Standard score has the strongest record. Each of 15 criteria on character, qualifications and performance is scored 0 to 4 from public records and established reporting, the same way for every party. No policy position is scored, and unresolved accusations never move a score.
More on this race: every New York race scored, and the New York 2026 election guide. Independent scorecard by The Political Group, not affiliated with any candidate or party.