Former Rep. Anthony D'Esposito, a Senate-confirmed inspector general in President Donald Trump's administration, is expected to seek a comeback bid for New York's 4th Congressional District, setting up a third straight contest against Democrat Rep. Laura Gillen in a seat the Cook Political Report rates a toss-up.
Multiple Republican sources in New York and Washington told the New York Post that D'Esposito is close to locking up the GOP nomination for the Nassau County-based district. "D'Esposito is the odds-on favorite to get the nomination," a Republican source said.
The matchup would be a rematch of two recent, closely fought races.
D'Esposito defeated Gillen in 2022, and Gillen won the 2024 rematch, with Bloomberg reporting an Associated Press result of 50.9% to 49.1%.
Nassau County Republican Party Chair Joseph Cairo, in a statement to the Post, endorsed D'Esposito as the party looks toward 2026.
"As the Nassau County Republican Committee considers candidates for New York's 4th Congressional District in 2026, we hold former Congressman Anthony D'Esposito in the highest regard," Cairo said.
"Anthony was an outstanding representative for Long Island, focused on affordability, public safety, and tax relief," Cairo said. "A former NYPD officer, he dedicated his career to keeping families safe, and at both the local and federal levels, he consistently fought to lower taxes and rein in government overreach."
He cited D'Esposito's current work rooting out waste and fraud at the Labor Department, adding, "We are grateful for his service and his continued commitment to Long Island and our nation."
D'Esposito recently took office as inspector general at the U.S. Department of Labor after Senate confirmation on Dec. 18, 2025, the department's inspector general office said.
If he runs, he would likely have to leave that job.
Federal guidance says covered executive branch employees may not be candidates for nomination or election in a partisan race.
The Post reported that GOP insiders also expect Nassau County Executive Bruce Blakeman, who has launched a Republican gubernatorial bid, to be on the statewide ticket against Democrat Gov. Kathy Hochul, and they argued that could help down-ballot Republicans.
Republicans are tracking Gillen's budget votes and plan to attack her on taxes, including votes tied to the state and local tax deduction, a long-running issue in high-tax suburbs.
D'Esposito's likely return would also revive scrutiny from the 2024 cycle, when reporting and an outside ethics complaint alleged he placed personal associates on his congressional payroll.
Meanwhile, former Rep. Marc Molinaro, the Trump-appointed head of the Federal Transit Administration, is exploring a run for the North Country House seat that will open after Rep. Elise Stefanik said she will not seek reelection.
Jim Thomas ✉
Jim Thomas is a writer based in Indiana. He holds a bachelor's degree in Political Science, a law degree from U.I.C. Law School, and has practiced law for more than 20 years.
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