Queens County GOP Chair Tony Nunziato (left) and Col. (Ret.) Tom Sullivan (right). Photo via The Wave Archives

Col. (Ret.) Tom Sullivan (R) secured a key endorsement in his campaign for State Assembly earlier this week, as the Queens County GOP officially announced its unanimous support for the Breezy Point resident.

Sullivan is running on the Republican line to replace his former opponent, NYS Assemblywoman Stacey Pheffer Amato (D), who will retire at the end of the year after a decade in office as the representative for Assembly District 23, which includes most of the Rockaway peninsula and Broad Channel, as well as Howard Beach and sections of Ozone Park.

“I’m honored to have the unanimous endorsement of the Queens County GOP,” Sullivan said in a statement. “Our city and state deserve accountable leadership that puts families and small businesses first. As costs continue to rise and both state and property taxes threaten to increase, our families and small businesses are being pushed to the brink. In Albany, I will fight for policies that ease the burden and create the conditions for our communities to thrive.”

Sullivan first confirmed his candidacy in an exclusive interview with The Wave late last year. His latest campaign marks his fifth attempt at running for public office, following two attempts for State Senate against NYS Senator Joseph Addabbo Jr. (D) in 2018 and 2020 and two attempts for State Assembly against Pheffer Amato in 2022 and 2024.

In 2022, Sullivan came within striking distance of Pheffer Amato, falling just 15 votes short after a two-month legal battle to count ballots that were invalidated by the Board of Elections for being cast erroneously. During their rematch in 2024, Sullivan lost by a much wider margin – 1568 votes, to be exact.

This time around, Sullivan said he plans to center his candidacy on limited government, public safety, responsible spending, infrastructure upgrades, and improving “core services,” such as public health, education, and transportation – all while drawing from his military and corporate backgrounds to address constituent concerns.

Raised in Brooklyn as the son of a retired NYPD detective, Sullivan, a small business owner, financial services professional, and 30-year U.S. Army Reserve veteran, built and managed family and independent businesses while helping organizations navigate crises including 9/11, the 2007-2008 financial crisis, and Hurricane Sandy recovery efforts.

Now, with the party’s full support, Sullivan is expected to go up against either longtime political staffer Pesach Osina (D), of Far Rockaway, or attorney Mike Scala (D), of Howard Beach, in the general election this November.

“The Queens County GOP is proud and excited to back Tom Sullivan for the 23rd Assembly District this year,” Queens County GOP Chair Tony Nunziato said in a statement. “Tom is an individual dedicated to his community, with a pristine and impeccable background, from his military service to his career in the business world. He is an all-around great candidate that we will send to Albany to provide some common sense to a place that badly needs it – in the New York State Assembly.”