Michaelle C. Solages for New York State Assembly 22nd District

Michaelle C. Solages is emerging as an influential leader in the Assembly which only increases her stature as a voice for Long Island. She is well aware the region is not getting its fair share of spending for roads, schools and housing and wants to play a larger role in organizing the entire delegation to press leadership for more funding.

Included in that view of regional needs is increasing the reimbursement rate for safety net hospitals, which would especially be a boon for the Nassau University Medical Center. Another top budget priority is fully funding universal prekindergarten for all school districts as well as steering more dollars to a Long Island resource center for training more teachers and aides to staff these programs. Concurrent with that push is increasing the funding for Nassau and Suffolk schools to make free lunches available for all students.

Solages, 39, has made access to health care her calling card and her focus now is to increase the stipend paid for medical leave, as well as job protections for those who take those leaves. The Elmont Democrat is also deeply concerned about the gambling addition problems spurred by mobile betting as well as providing more funding for behavioral programs to help those in trouble. Acknowledging that mobile gambling is not going away, she wants some of that revenue to fully fund the Metropolitan Transportation Authority's capital plan.

Solages, who is seeking her seventh term, has been on a leadership path within the Assembly, most recently serving as deputy majority leader and as elected chair of the Black, Puerto Rican, Hispanic and Asian Legislative Caucus. With her considerable seniority, if reelected, she wants to be head of a committee to further develop her legislative skills and clout. "I do want to become a chair. I want to be able to have a pulse on legislation and policy and I want to do more," she said in her endorsement interview. That can only benefit the Long Island region.

While Solages has a large statewide portfolio, her sights stay focused on local issues such as keeping pressure on Belmont Park project developers to get the doors opened on the Elmont community center that was part of the deal for state support for UBS Arena.

Republican Ian Joseph Bergstrom, 32, of Floral Park, is an attorney who works for Nassau County. He is not actively campaigning. 

Newsday's editorial board endorses Solages.