Daniel Norber was in a bomb shelter with his kids when Hamas attacked Israel on October 7th. Now, he's headed to Albany as the first Republican to win his Long Island district in half a century.
"Israel isn't the same anymore," says Norber, 45, whose unlikely victory has stunned New York's political establishment. "When you've lived through something like that, it changes how you see everything."
The former IDF sergeant's win over Democratic incumbent Gina Silitti reflects more than just Trump's coattails in Nassau County. After vandals defaced a local synagogue's pro-Israel banner and Silitti stumbled over Middle East issues, Jewish voters in Great Neck and surrounding communities started looking for an alternative.
For Norber, whose grandparents survived the Holocaust and whose mother fled Soviet communism, the stakes feel personal. "I saw what happened in Israel," he says quietly. "I'll do whatever I can to prevent that from happening here."
Although the Democrats still outnumber Republicans 2-to-1 in Albany's assembly, Norber isn't worried. Between fighting cashless bail and pushing for a state-wide protest mask ban, the father of four plans to stay busy. "Good ideas don't have a party label," he grins. "I learned that in the military."
The New York Post contributed to this article.
