In a landslide victory over Pat Maher, of East Meadow, Assemblyman Gregory Becker won the right to represent the Republican Party in the race for the 4th Congressional District, against incumbent Carolyn McCarthy.

"I am elated with the results and I felt very confident going into the primary that working as hard as our campaign has worked and all that we've done will pay off in our direction on Primary Day so it was a great feeling knowing that all the hard work that we've done has paid off," said Becker, who has served in the Assembly for the past 16 years, following the primary.

Becker, who will also be running on the Conservative and Right to Life Party lines, will face Maher again in November when she runs on the Liberal Party line against both her and McCarthy. When asked if he is concerned that Maher running on a separate party line will split the Republican vote Becker responded, "I believe that all Republicans will be united when they read about my candidacy and learn about the person that I am." He added that he is confident that all Republicans will join in backing him so he can fight for the district's issues and concerns. He also believes that it will not only be the Republicans backing him as people learn more about the candidacy and his issues.

Maher, who lost with 1,654 votes to Becker's 10,590 votes, said that she believes there were some irregularities in the polls. She felt that there should not have been as much of a disparity between the number of voters who came out in the 3rd Congressional District primary and the number of voters who came out in the 4th District. She believes that there should not have been a difference of over 3,000 voters in two districts that are almost the same size. Maher said that she is looking forward to the Nov. 3 election because in the general election there is a stricter system of monitoring the polls. She also said that she is looking forward to the general election because more people come out to vote. Maher, who visited the polls, added, "What I saw out there was that people don't know when the primaries are and that's a real problem. People don't even know when to come out to vote."

Maher decided to run on the Liberal Party line because she is pro-choice. She is also concerned with the issue of crime and illegal guns. In response to a question about running against McCarthy, who has often been accused of being a one issue candidate because of her stance on gun control, Maher responded that her stance on guns is very different from McCarthy's. According to Maher, McCarthy goes for the banning of all guns while she is more concerned with illegal guns. She said, "The real problem with crime and guns is not the banning of guns but the institution of mandatory jail time and no plea bargaining." She said that with mandatory jail time for gun charges would discourage people." She added, "Legal gun owners are very careful. It is the illegal guns out there that are destroying America."

Crime is also a concern of Becker's. He said he was sent to Albany to be tough on crime and that he has worked a great deal on this issue. He said that he has never liked the criminal justice system in New York and that he has fought for determined sentencing and ending parole, which they have finally been able to do. He wants victims to feel, when they take an individual to court, that they are going to receive the justice that they rightfully deserve.

Becker is also concerned with the economy of the district. He said he went to Albany to fight to lower taxes and to bring about property and income tax relief. According to Becker the 4th District is the highest taxed congressional district in the nation and that it is imperative that the person in Washington be the catalyst for property tax relief. He said, "My record of 16 years is a record of continuing to oppose and vote against every tax increase and supporting and fighting for tax relief, income tax cuts, small business tax cuts, and the STAR program which has brought about unprecedented property tax relief."

Becker's vision for the district is that everyone see the importance of the environment. He said, "We first and foremost have to look at the environment and how we can best protect all the natural resources that we have here on Long Island." One of his main concerns is the rate of breast cancer in the district. According to Becker, "It is critical that Washington play a tremendous role in our lives in finding the causes of breast cancer and bringing about the cure and researching cures for breast cancer." He said that if he is elected he will fight for greater funding and fight for more studies of the air, water, and the materials within the communities so that a handle can be gotten on this epidemic. He has also stood up against the HMOs and made sure they provide the services they should to the people of his district. He has helped end drive-through mastectomies and made the HMOs provide reconstructive surgeries for breast cancer. This is a major concern to Becker, whose mother is a breast cancer survivor, because in Nassau County, in the 4th Congressional District, there is one of the highest rates of breast cancer in the nation. He said that he has fought on these issues in the Assembly and will continue to if elected to Congress.

Becker has spoken out against what he considers McCarthy's lack of representation of the district and her lack of experience in politics. He said, "My campaign, to date, has been on the issues and the 16 years of experience that I've had in Albany." Becker is confident in his ability to beat both Maher and McCarthy in the November election because of his political background. He said, "That everyone will realize that in me they have the best possible person, with a great passion to fight on their behalf and to make a difference in their lives, their futures, their children's lives, and their children's futures."