Nassau County Legislator Dennis Dunne, the incumbent for the 15th Legislative District, won the Republican primary against challenger Rich Ahrens on Sept. 25. Dunne, receiving 1,838 votes, defeated Ahrens, who took in 481 votes. Dunne also won the primary for the Independent Party of the district, receiving 21 votes while his opponent, David A. Lewis, received 19.

Dunne will be facing Democratic Candidate Theresa Butler in the Nov. 6 election. If elected, this will be his fourth term.

In a recent interview, Dunne said the reason he is running to stay in office, and the reason he has stayed in office so long, is to fight for a better quality of life for the residents of Levittown and surrounding communities of the 15th Legislative district. A lifelong resident of Levittown, whose mother still lives in the area, Dunne said he hopes to continue to fulfill his promise to the people by helping lower taxes for all residents, including seniors, so they can afford to stay in the area.

Dunne also said that he would continue to help seniors be able to afford to stay on Long Island. "I'd like to try to keep them here. That's a tradition of our Republican Party; [to focus on] our senior citizens, our youth; things that are very important to us."

He said that since he has been a resident of Levittown his whole life, he feels he can relate to the members of the community and understand their true needs and that he enjoys working closely with residents in an effort to keep Levittown the great community it is today.

"It's a great job because you're able to help people," he said of being a legislator. "I love what I do because every day, you're able to help somebody.

"I just want to thank the men and women of the 15th Legislative District for their support and I will continue to work as hard as I can for the resident of the Levittown, Island Trees, North Wantagh and Salisbury area," he concluded.