New York State Senate: An overview of our endorsements

Nine of the State Senate's 63 seats are apportioned to Long Island. Seven are held by Republicans and two by Democrats, whose party enjoys a supermajority. Party alignments are significant, yet the city-suburban divide can transcend those labels as Long Island representatives from both parties often collaborate to get local issues addressed.

The most significant and contentious issues next year are the same in both the Senate and the Assembly. Heading the list: How will the state determine the amount of money it sends to each school district as it seeks to revise an opaque funding formula that hasn't changed in 17 years? Will the new formula take into account declining or increasing enrollment, mental health needs, English language learners, and inflated housing prices that can make Long Island communities appear wealthier and less in need of funding?

Candidates asking to be sent to Albany for a two-year term universally say affordability is a top concern. Will the effort to provide free lunch to every K-12 student get over the finish line? Candidates are telling voters about ways to decrease regulations for small businesses and incentivize construction to create more housing. Most eschew the Metropolitan Transportation Authority's congestion pricing plan but few have realistic suggestions for funding regional transit without it.

Mitigating the impacts of more severe storms has surged to the top of many candidates' agendas. Top of mind are suggestions on tapping into state and federal funding for infrastructure projects that can mitigate flooding and storm impacts, and regulating the insurance market to make sure homeowners can obtain and afford coverage.

Another overarching issue is the use of state funds to assist New York City in dealing with the influx of migrants seeking asylum. While candidates from both parties say the federal government should pay and many argue it's time for the state to end its support, almost all acknowledge the complexity and frustration of dealing with the problem. As crimes in most categories are falling post-pandemic, there is recognition that further adjustments to bail laws are needed to keep repeat offenders off the streets. Many candidates deplore the Senate's embarrassing conduct in torpedoing the nomination of Hector LaSalle as chief judge and manipulating the selection and confirmation process to install someone with an activist liberal ideology.

In making our endorsements, a key criteria was analyzing how well a candidate can advocate for their district and assessing whether they have the skills, track record and spirit of bipartisanship to effectively meet the many challenges facing New York.