Lisa Lin for New York State Senate 5th District

Voters in the 5th Senate District have a choice between two well-qualified candidates who tilt different ways on party-line issues but are clearly committed to representing district needs in Albany.

Incumbent Steven D. Rhoads is finishing his first term. Partly due to his earlier seasoning in the Nassau County Legislature, the Bellmore Republican has a working familiarity with his district and infrastructure issues. As a longtime volunteer firefighter and lawyer for first responders, he prioritizes public safety bills. He is still pushing to support and expand to other schools the Nassau Community College S.A.F.E.R. program that provides free tuition for volunteers on ambulances and in fire departments and auxiliary police. He backs another measure with a Democratic co-sponsor that extends for one year eligibility for a death benefit to survivors of public employees who died of COVID. He said not everyone entitled was aware of this substantial fund.

Democrat Lisa Lin of Merrick is a sharp newcomer to campaigning for public office but comes from government service. She’s a supervising court attorney in Queens who offers perceptive analysis of judicial issues, including smart and specific ways to amend bail and discovery laws. Lin, 38, has young sons in the public schools and an acute interest in getting the right amount of state aid to Long Island school districts as the formula is revamped. She's also rightly focused on affordability. As a strong moderate voice in the Senate majority, Lin would bring fresh ideas and a needed suburban balance to that city-dominated caucus.

Newsday’s editorial board endorses Lin.