Steve Israel

Steven J. "Steve" Israel (born May 30, 1958) is the former United States Representative for New York's 3rd congressional district, serving in the United States Congress from 2001 to 2017. Since redistricting in 2012, the district includes portions of northern Nassau and Suffolk counties on Long Island, as well as a minuscule portion of Queens in New York City. He is a member of the Democratic Party and was head of the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee until November 2014. Before serving in Congress, he served on the Huntington, New York town board. In 2017, he joined CNN as a political commentator. 2Early life, education, and career Israel was born in Brooklyn borough of New York City, New York, and raised in the Long Island community of Levittown, New York. He attended Nassau Community College and graduated from Syracuse University in 1979 with a bachelor of arts degree. He went on to attend George Washington University, and become a staff member for United States Representative Richard Ottinger of New York. Israel was elected to the town council in Huntington, New York, in 1993. 2U.S. House of Representatives 3Elections After Rick Lazio left his House seat to run for the United States Senate in 2000, Israel was elected to his seat, receiving 48% of the vote, defeating Republican Joan Jonhson, who received 34%, and four independent candidate