Carolyn McCarthy at a press conference advocating for assault weapons restrictions. (Photo: Alex Wong/Getty)
Amid all of the high-profile political drama taking place in New York today–notably the City Council speaker’s race vote and Gov. Andrew Cuomo’s major State of the State address in Albany–there’s significant news happening in Long Island as well.
Long Island Congresswoman Carolyn McCarthy announced today that she will not seek re-election this year.
“As I plan for the next chapter of my life, I look forward to resuming my role as a citizen activist for the causes and principles that are so close to my heart,” she said in a statement.
Ms. McCarthy, 70, revealed last year that she had been diagnosed with lung cancer.
She ran for Congress after her husband was killed in a shooting spree on the Long Island Rail Road and became one of the leading advocates of stronger gun-control legislation in the House of Representatives.
Her seat was easily carried by Barack Obama in the 2012 presidential election by a 56-to-43 percent margin and her seat remains likely to stay in Democratic hands.