Robert Germino Runs for the 13th A.D. Seat

Born in Rockville Centre and raised in Glen Cove, 30-year-old Robert Germino has set his sights on state political office. Germino, an Iraq War veteran, is running on the Republican ticket for the Assembly's 13th District seat against Democratic incumbent Charles Lavine.  

The district encompasses Glen Cove, Syosset, Sea Cliff, Glenwood Landing and Bayville, among other areas. 

Germino moved to the city in the early 1980s with his parents. He is a Glen Cove High School graduate and he holds a bachelor's degree in philosophy from Hofstra University. 

The September 11 attacks, he said, marked a turning point in his life in 2001 because they became his call to military service. Germino enlisted in the Marine Corps the following year shortly after his college graduation. He underwent training at Parris Island, an eastern region Marine recruit depot in South Carolina, which was followed by Officer Candidate School in Virginia in 2005, where he earned a second lieutenant ranking. Then, he went to battle. 

"I deployed to Iraq in 2007 for a little over a year," Germino said.  

When he returned back to the states, he decided that he wanted to take the skills he learned as a Marine, especially the leadership, planning and teamwork values, and apply it to a career. The economy, however, took a downturn.

"Right around the time I decided to do that, the recession hit," Germino recalled. "I went on many job interviews and kept getting the 'we will call you' [response]." 

But his career path would change in 2008 after a phone call from then-Nassau County Executive Tom Suozzi, also a longtime city resident. 

"[Tom] called me up and said 'I heard that you're back from Iraq. We have a new program we're going to start in 2009 called 'Warriors to Work,'" Germino explained. 

Through this program, which helps returning veterans find jobs, Germino became the Special Assistant to the Chief Deputy County Executive. When County Executive Ed Mangano took office this year, he gave Germino the OK to continue working in the position. 

And now, Germino is campaigning as the challenger against Lavine, who has held the 13th A.D. seat since 2004. Ideally, Germino said he is running because he wants to change operations in the state Legislature. 

"The culture in Albany is decimating our state ... They're driving out jobs. A lot of young people are still living at home [and] can't afford to buy a house ... [and] there's no incentive to set up a business in New York, " he said. "I'm continuing my whole desire to serve the people, and I think it's time to change the mentality in Albany that the people are not an ATM. Just as a family needs to balance its budget, [the lawmakers] need to cut spending and run government more efficiently." 

For more information about this candidate, visit his campaign's Facebook page.

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