STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. -- A sixth Democrat has emerged to challenge Republican Rep. Daniel Donovan in next year's election, as the incumbent faces a possible primary from former Rep. Michael Grimm.

Paul Sperling, 25, is a lifelong Staten Islander who works in real estate, investing in rental homes, flipping properties and property management mostly in Pennsylvania and Nevada.

The Tottenville resident contends his status as a lifelong Staten Islander gives him a unique perspective over the other five Democrats running.

"No offense to them, but I don't think most of them have lived on the Island long enough to understand the challenges we face on a daily basis," he said.

One candidate grew up on Staten Island but now lives in Brooklyn; another never lived on Staten Island and is a Brooklyn resident.

One was born in Brooklyn and raised on Staten Island, now living in Westerleigh.

One moved from Brooklyn to Staten Island a few months ago; one grew up in Brooklyn and has lived on Staten Island for a couple years.

Sperling is the youngest of the bunch, so it's unclear whether he actually has spent more time in the borough than the others.

But "I think everyone will find that I have the values that are most in line of the people of Staten Island," he claimed, but wouldn't expand on what those values are.

His social media posts show he is sympathetic with the "antifa" movement and bills himself as a millennial equipped to challenge Donovan.

This sixth candidate will have to fight against five other candidates before he gets to the Republican congressman.

By mid-May, there were three Democrats challenging Donovan.

By the end of the month, a fourth emerged.

The fifth candidate jumped in the race at the beginning of August.

Sperling sees a "litany of missed opportunities for Staten Island" on transportation investment.

While the city has been going through the "summer of hell," officials are planning for a BQX streetcar for commuters in Brooklyn and Queens; there has been massive investment in Penn Station; other areas of the city have seen a fast ferry expansion, with stops in every borough except Staten Island.

"Every day on Staten Island is a commute from hell," he said. "They're all getting investment in transportation. Staten Island's got nothing, we can't even get a ferry from the South Shore."

He argues the money is there to be had, but Donovan doesn't go after it.

When asked where the money is, Sperling said, "There's many ways to find funding" at the city, state and federal levels -- but wouldn't say what specifically.

He proposed adding four new railway lines on the Island, connecting the shores with the center of the island, and connecting to New Jersey Transit, Newark Airport and Brooklyn.

Early in his first term, Donovan and Sen. Charles Schumer teamed up to ensure cuts to New York City mass transit funding would be restored.

The MTA has included $4 million in its amended capital plan for 2015-2019 to study a potential West Shore light rail. If the project is recommended for the corridor, then Donovan, or whoever the congressman is at the time, would advocate for federal funding.

The MTA also has $5 million to study a potential five-mile bus rapid transit. That project would also need federal funding if approved.

While Staten Islanders enjoy a resident discount on the Verrazano-Narrows Bridge, Sperling argues Brooklyn residents should also get a discount, and blames Donovan for a lack of one.

Staten Island's state lawmakers, led by state Sen. Andrew Lanza and Assemblyman Michael Cusick, have secured the resident discount over the years from the MTA, a state agency.

Sperling criticized Donovan and other Staten Island officials for not doing enough to bring jobs to the borough.

"We really have a terrible jobs problem for young people on Staten Island," he said. "It goes back to missed opportunity" of not courting businesses before they moved to New Jersey and elsewhere.

Donovan spokesperson Jessica Proud said, "Whether it was his work to get critical mass transit and homeland security funding, securing permanent Zadroga benefits for our 9/11 heroes, his leadership against the opioid crisis or his fight for fair trade and good-paying jobs, we are happy to debate the congressman's record with any of our opponents whose liberal policies are wrong for our district."