Rep. Tom Suozzi, a Democrat from Long Island, says he’s the right person at the right time to lead the state of New York.

"Everything I've done in my life has prepared me for this particular job and this particular time," he said. 

The three-term congressman is one of the candidates in the Democratic primary for governor, along with New York Public Advocate Jumaane Williams.

He said his message resonates with all New Yorkers, no matter where they live.

"People are concerned about taxes. They're concerned about crime, and they're concerned about their schools. Those are my messages, I've been very clear about this," he told News 12’s Kurt Semder.

He's also very clear about his stance on Gov. Kathy Hochul's changes to the state's bail reform laws:

"When you have a crime crisis, where people are freaking out in New York City – they’re afraid to take the subway, they're afraid to take the train into Grand Central or Penn Station – you have to bring everyone on board and develop a comprehensive plan to address this problem,” he said. “It can't be a press release 10 days before the budget and say, ‘Oh, this is my political fix.’ That's all this is."

Suozzi says he wants to reduce taxes immediately.

"We have the highest taxes in the United States of America. People cannot afford to live here anymore," he said.

On schools, Suozzi says he wants to help students who have been “left behind for generations and we need to give them help at a young age."

He told News 12 that political affiliation doesn’t matter to him and asked not to be “put in a box.”

“Let's work together to actually solve problems and help people. That's what I've been doing my whole career in public life and that's what I'll continue to do."