Taylor Darling to represent New York's 18th Assembly District

First-term Assemb. Taylor R. Darling, 36, had a full plate of issues even pre-pandemic. That included returning the Freeport Armory to village control and installing a monitor for the struggling Hempstead school district. These were challenges not heading toward a solution under the Hempstead Democrat’s predecessor, Earlene Hooper.

Darling’s part in achieving positive outcomes on those issues makes her deserve a second term over Republican opponent Cherice P. Vanderhall, 39, of Baldwin. Vanderhall, who serves as village attorney for the Village of Hempstead, knows the district and the issues. Both candidates agree that until the Hempstead school district is no longer the driver of local patronage jobs, it won’t be able to rise above infighting. Darling’s monitor success makes her best able to continue needed oversight.

Darling’s rising star, however, was marred earlier this year by comments she made at an Albany news conference questioning how "people who don’t speak English at all" are successful in local communities while "the people who built America" — meaning Black Americans — "can’t have businesses."

The remarks came amid intense and heated criminal justice reform debates, but they hint at potential future schisms regarding when and how Black and brown constituencies boost each other or diverge. Darling, who is Black, has called the experience a chance for reflection. She has shown that she can be a fighter for those in need in her district, expanding opportunities for all.

Newsday endorses Darling.

— The editorial board