Kevin M. Thomas for New York's 6th Senate District

Kevin M. Thomas, first elected to the State Senate in 2018, has already become a key presence for Long Island in Albany.

The 38-year-old Levittown Democrat has been a broker on state issues in his district, such as the endgame of the Long Island Rail Road’s crucial Third Track project which will improve the lives of countless riders. He has been rightly focused on fallout from the Bethpage plume’s groundwater pollution, as well as the fight to stabilize Nassau University Medical Center, a critical safety net hospital for the entire region.

Thomas, who is chairman of the Consumer Protection Committee, also has done admirable work in Albany on behalf of student consumers in particular. That includes pushing to make it easier for public servants to get student loan relief, ensuring more oversight for federal student loan servicers, promoting a Student Loan Borrower Bill of Rights, and prohibiting schools from withholding transcripts even if a student owes money. These are important fixes to a bureaucratic mess of a system that so many New Yorkers struggle with every day.

His opponent on the Republican line, James Coll, 50, of Seaford, is concerned that the state is heading in the wrong direction. As a former NYPD officer, Coll has reasonable questions about some of the criminal justice system changes that have been under an intense spotlight this campaign season. He is an engaged and informed member of his community, including on NUMC, and should stay involved in electoral politics.

But Thomas is the able representative the district needs. He knows crime is complicated and multifaceted, and that the state needs a careful, practical, and data-driven approach when considering further changes to the criminal justice system. He can be a moderating voice in the Democratic caucus.

Newsday endorses Thomas.