A look at who&nbsp;Newsday&#39;s&nbsp;editorial board is supporting this election season.

Opinion

Endorsements

EndorsementsAssemblySG2022

The Editorial Board

Includes North and South Forks, Shelter Island, part of southeast Brookhaven 
 Fred W. Thiele Jr.&nbsp;has been a fount of legislation since joining the Assembly in 1995, focusing on issues that affect both his East End district and the region in general. 
 Thiele, 69, of Sag Harbor, was the architect of&nbsp;a bill&nbsp;to&nbsp;fund badly-needed affordable housing programs in the five East End towns. Modeled on his wildly successful Community Preservation Fund, which uses a 2% tax on real estate transfers to preserve land and protect water quality, the new program&nbsp;would levy&nbsp;an additional half-percent real estate transfer tax. Residents in East Hampton, Southampton, and Southold&nbsp;will vote in November on whether to establish such programs in their towns. They should. 
 Thiele, a Democrat, also is working to expand&nbsp;his successful South Fork Commuter Connection, which has reduced traffic congestion via a network of trains and buses. His bill&nbsp;to finally grant recognition to the Montaukett Indian Nation awaits&nbsp;Gov. Kathy Hochul's signature. 
 Of great&nbsp;importance to all Long Islanders is Thiele's recent legislation to establish a committee to study the feasibility of making&nbsp;the Long Island Power Authority a fully public utility. Thiele, a longtime LIPA watchdog and critic, has been a proponent of municipalization to address issues of performance, oversight, and accountability. But he told the editorial board in his endorsement meeting that the committee will pick the best option for ratepayers, a subtle and welcome shift; addressing LIPA's issues requires marrying Thiele's passion for reforming the utility with an open-mindedness to all solutions. 
 Republican Peter Ganley, 26, of Cutchogue, is a&nbsp;former staffer for Rep. Lee Zeldin. He says he would be an advocate for the service industry, touting his own experience working in it. He&nbsp;lists traffic and crime as his top two issues, and he also wants to lower taxes, protect the environment, and tighten ethics rules to ban contributions from companies doing business with the state. He agrees with Thiele on the need for more affordable housing and reforming LIPA&nbsp;but does not offer a compelling case to turn out one of Long Island's best and most prolific lawmakers. 
 Newsday endorses Thiele.

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Fred Thiele for New York's 1st Assembly District

Newsday endorses Thiele for 1st Assembly District

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Includes Riverhead, Northeast Brookhaven, Northwest part of Southampton 
 Jodi Giglio has grown ably into the role during her first term in the Assembly. Her best moments have been working across the aisle on&nbsp;environmental and district issues which she knows exceptionally well given her years of service on the Riverhead Town board. 
 The 54-year-old Republican from Baiting Hollow understands the importance of transit-oriented development in Riverhead, and has been an effective representative for her constituents. One highlight was her work on behalf of Fishers Island residents to get smoother access to state Department of Motor Vehicles services, including her advocacy toward a DMV terminal on the island. 
 Giglio’s opponent, Democrat&nbsp;Wendy Hamberger, is a 54-year-old attorney from Center Moriches making her first run for office. Hamberger is rightly focused on affordability, but doesn’t have Giglio’s depth of experience on local issues. 
 Newsday endorses Giglio.

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Jodi Giglio for New York's 2nd Assembly District

Newsday endorses Giglio for 2nd Assembly District

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Includes much of South Brookhaven 
 With two terms under his belt, Joseph P. DeStefano, 62, plans to continue his bipartisan work in Albany to “advocate for ideas and things that make sense.” 
 The Medford Republican, who has worked across the aisle since being elected in 2018, teamed with Democrats to get a bill passed that recognized&nbsp;911 dispatchers as first responders, making them eligible for more training and benefits. He&nbsp;says he plans to introduce more bills with bipartisan support in the coming session,&nbsp;including a measure that would provide up to three years of pension credits for volunteer firefighters and EMS personnel. 
 DeStefano has a granular knowledge of his district, which allows him to provide excellent constituent service, and he&nbsp;is proud that he was able to keep his office open throughout the pandemic. 
 Opponent&nbsp;Trina Miles, 47,&nbsp;a&nbsp;Mastic Democrat, is not actively campaigning. 
 Newsday endorses DeStefano.

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Joseph P. DeStefano for New York's 3rd Assembly District

Newsday endorses DeStefano for 3rd Assembly District

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Includes much of Northwest Brookhaven 
 This November marks a pivotal moment for Steven Englebright. Beyond his&nbsp;bid for another term in the Assembly he joined in 1992, the Setauket Democrat is fighting for approval of the Clean Air, Clean Water and Green Jobs Bond Act, also on this fall's&nbsp;ballot. 
 Englebright, chair of the chamber's environmental conservation&nbsp;committee,&nbsp;has many such worthy goals&nbsp;on his agenda. 
 A principal one is coming to an elusive agreement on an &quot;extended producer responsibility&quot; (EPR) program that would put the onus for the life cycle of products, from&nbsp;packaging to delivery to&nbsp;recycling, on the producers themselves, perhaps giving them incentives for less packaging or to pay for the recycling process.&nbsp;The legislature wasn't able to get an EPR bill done during the last session.&nbsp;Englebright, 76, must take the lead on getting it done next year. 
 Englebright also must do more to stop the illegal dumping that still afflicts the Island, recognizing that he can't rest on his past actions. He needs to make sure, for instance, that the tracking documentation law he wrote in 2020&nbsp;keeps the legal teeth it has despite attempts to weaken it. 
 Republican Edward Flood, 40, also has made the environment a focus, as a Brookhaven&nbsp;assistant town attorney who prosecutes environmental crimes. But rather than presenting new ideas, the Port Jefferson resident&nbsp;spotlights sound-bite phrases about crime&nbsp;without any insights into what changes are needed. 
 Beyond his environmental leadership, Englebright has rightly helped to add funding to Stony Brook University's Cancer Center, in an effort to help it achieve a National Cancer Institute designation. He's also pushing for improvements to the Long Island Rail Road, including electrification, adding&nbsp;a rail yard to the Lawrence Aviation site, and moving&nbsp;the Port Jefferson station a bit&nbsp;west&nbsp;which could result in the removal of a dangerous grade crossing. Those efforts&nbsp;are welcome — and worth additional urgency. 
 Englebright should use his stature and past successes to be a louder voice and a more aggressive leader, one willing to find the right compromises and solutions, and bring some of his long-standing ideas to reality. 
 Newsday endorses Englebright.

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Steven Englebright for New York's 4th Assembly District

Newsday endorses Englebright for 4th Assembly District

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Includes Northeast Islip and Central and Western Brookhaven 
 Douglas M. Smith, 32, had a busy second term serving what he calls&nbsp;his “gateway to the East End” district. The Holbrook Republican helped thousands of constituents with unemployment claims during the COVID-19 pandemic, co-sponsored the bill that eliminated the state sales tax on gas and other housekeeping and food supplies, and continued to advocate for Middle Country Road improvements. 
 As an appointee to the state commission analyzing the future of the Long Island Power Authority, he can have an impact on making energy more affordable and reliable for residents. As the ranking GOP member on the education committee, he should delve&nbsp;into the need for sites&nbsp;school districts can use&nbsp;for universal pre-K.&nbsp;While lofty, his goal of cleaning Lake Ronkonkoma to make swimming possible there once again is admirable. 
 His Democratic opponent, James Anthony, 39, of Holbrook,&nbsp;is not campaigning. 
 Newsday endorses Smith.

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Douglas M. Smith for New York's 5th Assembly District

Newsday endorses Smith for 5th Assembly District

Includes most of Central Islip, Islip above Sunrise Hwy, Brentwood below 495 (LIE), Hauppauge below 495 (LIE) 
 After 20&nbsp;years in the Assembly, Philip R. Ramos, 66, of Brentwood&nbsp;is not ready to give up his seat. 
 Ramos, a Democrat,&nbsp;argues that more funding for education, homelessness, and alternatives to criminal activities to deter gang recruitment&nbsp;is needed in impoverished communities to help prevent crime. The former Suffolk County police officer&nbsp;feels strongly about&nbsp;addressing inequities in the justice system yet realizes adjustments are needed&nbsp;to address flaws in the pretrial discovery process and better education for&nbsp;judges about cases in which defendants should be remanded. 
 Republican&nbsp;Kevin Surdi, 35, of Bay Shore,&nbsp;is an ER nurse&nbsp;and small business owner who supports removing all vaccine mandates and making lifesaving drugs like EpiPen and insulin free for low-income communities. 
 Ramos’&nbsp;rise through the leadership ranks and his advocacy for constituents have earned him another term. 
 Newsday endorses Ramos.

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Philip R. Ramos for New York's 6th Assembly District

Newsday endorses Ramos for 6th Assembly District

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Includes southeast section of Town of Islip and Village of Patchogue and Fire Island 
 In his first term, Jarett C. Gandolfo built on his knowledge of the district's local issues and the state's larger ones. The Sayville Republican has spotlighted constituent service, sending out mobile vaccination and cancer screening vans to get residents the help they need&nbsp;and securing funds for improvements to downtown Sayville and a new playground in Bayport, among other things. Gandolfo, 32, is attentive to the need for new housing, though he hopes to keep the &quot;charm&quot; of communities like Sayville. 
 Bayport Democrat Douglas Pearsall, 39, is not actively campaigning. 
 Sewer expansion and the congested Oakdale Merge are rightly among Gandolfo's&nbsp;top priorities. But he also noted that as the father of a 13-month-old, he has his eyes on universal pre-K. In his next term, Gandolfo should make expanding pre-K a signature issue, while continuing his focus on his district's many needs. 
 Newsday endorses Gandolfo.

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Jarett Gandolfo for New York's 7th Assembly District

Newsday endorses Gandolfo for 7th Assembly District

Includes town of Smithtown and Northern parts of Islip 
 In&nbsp;20 years in the Assembly minority, Michael J.&nbsp;Fitzpatrick&nbsp;has often been a lonely voice calling for fiscal sanity. He says, “A lone voice shouting into the wind is better than no voice at all.” 
 Fitzpatrick, 65,&nbsp;is&nbsp;right that pension reform, caps on raises set in mandatory arbitration, and opposition to&nbsp;laws that give public-sector unions outsize power at the bargaining table deserve championing. But he knows he must do more, by focusing on areas where he can get Democratic support. 
 On a hyperlocal level, that means pushing hard for more sewer money in downtown Smithtown and Kings Park. On a broader level, the St. James Republican is energetically pushing a new idea: positioning Stony Brook University as a flagship University of New York, joining a top-tier athletic conference, and garnering a national profile. 
 His opponent, Democrat Jeanine Aponte, 60,&nbsp;of Hauppauge, is not actively campaigning. 
 Newsday endorses Fitzpatrick.

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Michael J. Fitzpatrick for New York's 8th Assembly District

Newsday endorses Fitzpatrick for 8th Assembly District

Includes southern east section of Town of Oyster Bay and South east section of Town of Babylon, Gilgo Beach 
 Michael A. Durso’s first term was a productive one. 
 A prime sponsor on 28 introduced bills, the Massapequa Park Republican spotlighted&nbsp;issues ranging&nbsp;from a&nbsp;Long Island Rail Road fare&nbsp;refund program for any delayed or canceled trains&nbsp;to a designated&nbsp;statewide&nbsp;Overdose Awareness Day.&nbsp;Problem-solving on “kitchen table topics” has been his focus, and he repeatedly reached out to Democrats&nbsp;to do so, which is how a version of his bill that accelerated middle-class tax cuts was ultimately put into the budget. 
 Durso, 42, also advocated for the bipartisan All Means All bill that would expand BOCES to all students interested in trades by lifting enrollment and budget restrictions. A carpenter himself who went through the program, Durso says delivering this for the region’s next generation is a priority for him next term. 
 Democratic opponent Steven Dellavechia, 29, of Babylon, is not actively campaigning. 
 Newsday endorses Durso.

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Michael A. Durso for New York's 9th Assembly District

Newsday endorses Durso for 9th Assembly District

Includes central section and most of south sections of Town of Huntington and a small section of central east of Town of Oyster Bay 
 Steve E. Stern understands the needs of his district and the region. And he's willing to lead on both. 
 The Dix Hills Democrat rightly spotlights improvements to&nbsp;sewer infrastructure in Huntington Station and the need for a new academic&nbsp;building at&nbsp;Farmingdale State College. He also wants&nbsp;to ease the region's building permitting process&nbsp;and allow small businesses to create tax-deferred savings accounts to store&nbsp;income for future needs. 
 Aamir Sultan, 55, who works in information technology, paints a dark picture of the district&nbsp;with concerns about crime and gender topping his list.&nbsp;The Dix Hills Republican&nbsp;said he worries about what his district's schools are teaching, especially in terms of gender identity, and wants the state to mandate a&nbsp;parental role in curriculum. 
 Stern, who turns 54 on Oct. 30, should utilize his leadership qualities to complete his to-do list. His focus on long-term care insurance&nbsp;and renewable energy, including the future of wind and solar,&nbsp;is welcome.&nbsp; 
 Newsday endorses Stern.

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Steve Stern for New York's 10th Assembly District

Newsday endorses Stern for 10th Assembly District

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Includes parts north west down through the south west section of Town of Babylon and small section of south east section of Town of Oyster Bay 
 Running for a&nbsp;fourth term, Kimberly Jean-Pierre, 36, a Democrat from&nbsp;Wheatley Heights, knows the specific needs of her constituents. 
 Jean-Pierre is helping to make&nbsp;communities accessible with legislation to combat housing inequality. Her housing discrimination law increases penalties against real estate brokers and creates statewide standards on the prerequisites prospective homebuyers must meet to receive services. She has also secured $20 million in capital funding for public library construction and expansion statewide, focusing on digital equity needs for various communities. 
 Christopher Sperber, 37, a Republican from&nbsp;West Babylon, a former court officer working in private security, wants to address the rising cost of living, repeal all vaccine mandates, and put an end to bail reform. 
 Jean-Pierre's success in providing financial relief to constituents for child care and expanding eligibility for subsidized care has earned her a return to&nbsp;Albany to continue that work. 
 Newsday endorses Jean-Pierre.

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Kimberly Jean-Pierre for New York's 11th Assembly District

Newsday endorses Jean-Pierre for 11th Assembly District

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Includes northern and eastern sections of Town of Huntington and northeast section of Town of Babylon and northwest section of Town of Islip 
 In his first term, Keith P. Brown showed he can play a collaborative and constructive role in a chamber where his party is perpetually in the minority. 
 Brown, 54, of Northport, wrestles with constituents’ problems with state agencies, organizes useful discussions involving community&nbsp;institutions,&nbsp;and looks to amend majority-approved legislation with an eye to improving it. 
 As&nbsp;ranking GOP member of the alcoholism and drug abuse committee, Brown has agitated to get opiate-settlement funds effectively distributed and champions “best practices” in addiction treatment. He also pushes for environmental infrastructure improvements. 
 Democrat&nbsp;Cooper Macco, 36, of Halesite, a lawyer specializing in bankruptcy issues, calls for &quot;common-sense gun control laws&quot; and defends abortion rights protections. Macco is bullish on cannabis businesses; Brown is not a fan. Macco&nbsp;touts a child care tax credit and universal pre-K as top priorities, and&nbsp;seems a promising prospect in&nbsp;future elections. 
 Newsday endorses Brown.

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Keith Brown for New York's 12th Assembly District

Newsday endorses Brown for 12th Assembly District

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Inludes City of Glen Cove, North sections of Town of Oyster Bay&nbsp; and central west section of Town of Oyster bay and central east section of Town of North Hempstead 
 Glen Cove Democrat Charles D. Lavine, 75,&nbsp;is no stranger to taking on big fights for his constituents. Lavine&nbsp;supports recent legislation barring the state from cooperating with out-of-state investigations into&nbsp;legal abortions performed in New York. On crime prevention, Lavine proposes more funding for public schools to&nbsp;allow&nbsp;them to remain open for longer hours in economically challenged neighborhoods, helping to keep&nbsp;kids in the classroom and out of trouble. He calls it an &quot;expensive proposition,&quot; but&nbsp;says there should be a greater emphasis on trying to reach young people when they are still young. 
 Republican Ruka Anzai, 45,&nbsp;of Jericho,&nbsp;an information technology&nbsp;professional,&nbsp;wants&nbsp;to repeal cashless bail, make the property tax rebate permanent, and &quot;refund&quot; the police. But she's a newcomer with little&nbsp;public service experience and lacks the depth of knowledge&nbsp;Lavine has acquired in&nbsp;18 years in the Assembly. 
 Newsday endorses Lavine.&nbsp;

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Charles D. Lavine for New York's 13th Assembly District

Newsday endorses Lavine for 13th Assembly District

Includes south east section of Town of Hempstead 
 Republican David G.&nbsp;McDonough, 85, of North Merrick, has worked hard as a minority&nbsp;assemblyman to serve the constituents of his district for 21 years. During this last term, that meant helping more than 500 people get desperately needed unemployment benefits when the state faltered. He rightfully supports term limits on leadership positions, and has consistently fought hard for a fair share of state funding for the schools in his district. He ought to rethink his opposition to tolling Manhattan’s central business district, though, to align with his support of mass transit and lower fares. 
 His opponent, Merrick Democrat Dustin Ginsberg, 27, works in business development for Israel Bonds. He has good ideas on property tax relief for districts with little commercial property, but is hazy in his grasp of key state issues, including bail reform and budgeting. 
 Newsday endorses McDonough.

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David G. McDonough for New York's 14th Assembly District

Newsday endorses McDonough for 14th Assembly District

Includes most of the Town of Oyster Bay and the south east corner of City of Glen Cove 
 The 15th District is the site of Long Island’s sole open-seat Assembly matchup this year, and the field includes two qualified, energetic candidates. 
 The Democrat, Amanda Field of Old Bethpage, is a Plainview water commissioner who previously ran for Oyster Bay Town supervisor. The Republican, Jake Blumencranz of Oyster Bay, works in insurance and has an advisory board member role with the Nassau County Police Department Foundation. 
 Both have much going for them. Field, 46, displays a practical sense of what is possible and what needs to happen to protect Long Island’s water supply, and she has a good sense of many issues affecting district residents. Blumencranz, 26, calls himself a “housing policy nerd” who understands the need to push affordable housing projects to fruition, despite the challenges of building larger multifamily construction in communities that might not be comfortable with such development. They have similar broad positions on important matters from criminal justice to congestion pricing — the plan to toll drivers going into Manhattan’s central business district —&nbsp;to affordability. 
 Blumencranz brings a granular understanding of knotty state policies, and a refreshing openness to creative solutions. He has crucial knowledge of the energy field, including the minutiae of what ratepayers are going to be on the hook for from long-term contracts to purchase power,&nbsp;which he rightly argues need to be carefully investigated as the state makes the massive shift to renewable energy. He knows that tackling addiction and mental health will be central to the state’s public safety in the future. And he wisely acknowledges the good that can come from state criminal justice policies like elder parole and raising the&nbsp;age at which someone can be prosecuted as an adult; both&nbsp;insert some humanity into the criminal justice system, even if other areas can still be perfected. 
 This&nbsp;is&nbsp;the kind of pragmatism Albany needs, one&nbsp;Blumencranz&nbsp;must maintain and deepen if elected. And the Democratic-dominated Assembly needs&nbsp;a GOP member who can question lucrative contracts&nbsp;to determine who benefits&nbsp;from the needed&nbsp;shift to renewable energy.&nbsp;It’s a role Blumencranz is primed to play. 
 Newsday endorses Blumencranz.

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Jake Blumencranz for New York's 15th Assembly District

Newsday endorses Blumencranz for 15th Assembly District

Includes most of Town of North Hempstead 
 Among the items on Gina Sillitti's to-do list two years ago: the critical need for sewers along Plandome Road&nbsp;in Manhasset.&nbsp;Now, the Port Washington Democrat proudly notes that she has secured $5 million in state&nbsp;funding for that work. 
 But Sillitti, 44, hasn't stopped there. She is laser-focused on constituent issues, from the impact of COVID-19 to flooding from Hurricane Ida to&nbsp;recent schedule changes on the Long Island Rail Road's Port Washington branch. And she has built key legislative relationships with Democrats and Republicans. 
 Port Washington Republican Vibhuti N. Jha&nbsp;works on corporate turnaround strategies. Jha, 70, says he is a &quot;problem solver&quot; who is concerned about crime and overcrowding. But he offers few specific&nbsp;solutions. 
 In her next term, Sillitti should turn her attention to what she calls Long&nbsp;Island's &quot;serious housing problem.&quot; 
 Newsday endorses Sillitti.

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Gina Sillitti for New York's 16th Assembly District

Newsday endorses Sillitti for 16th Assembly District

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Includes parts of Town of Hempstead and parts South west Town of Oyster Bay 
 John K. Mikulin&nbsp;continued to focus on constituent services in his second full term. 
 Mikulin, 34, from Bethpage,&nbsp;takes pride in being a resource for his district on quality-of-life issues, as members of the Republican minority have little power to pass substantive legislation on their own. This term, he worked to get tax-exempt status for a Sikh house of worship in Hicksville and introduced several other bills, like increasing penalties for the criminal sale of prescriptions and tightening sex offender registry rules. He also pushes to bring a catheterization lab to Nassau University Medical Center.&nbsp; 
 Going forward, Mikulin should continue to monitor the plume remediation&nbsp;in&nbsp;the Bethpage Water District, and focus on&nbsp;potential NUMC&nbsp;revenues and bringing stability to&nbsp;the public mission hospital that sits in his district. 
 Paul Kaminsky, 61, an East Meadow Democrat, is not actively campaigning. 
 Newsday endorses Mikulin.

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John K. Mikulin for New York's 17th Assembly District

Newsday endorses Mikulin for 17th Assembly District

Includes parts of central Town of Hempstead and down through South Shore 
 Seeking a third term, Democrat&nbsp;Taylor R. Darling, 38, bases her appeal on assuring equitable funding for her district from&nbsp;Albany. She puts first&nbsp;the long-glaring problem&nbsp;of insufficient bus transportation for the Hempstead school district, where some kids walk two miles or more each way through unsafe pedestrian pockets.&nbsp;Darling favors allowing judges more latitude to assess and appropriately deal with a criminal defendant's potential for violence if released. She supports recreation facilities, but not a&nbsp;casino, at&nbsp;the Nassau Hub. 
 GOP nominee Lamont E. Johnson, 50, also of Hempstead,&nbsp;is that&nbsp;school board's vice president. He says elected officials downplay crime and do&nbsp;too little to&nbsp;grapple with its spread. He emphasizes that the&nbsp;Uniondale and Roosevelt communities and school districts must not&nbsp;get short shrift. He&nbsp;favors single-family housing in the district over big apartment buildings. 
 Newsday endorses Darling.

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Taylor R. Darling for New York's 18th Assembly District

Newsday endorses Darling for 18th Assembly District

Includes southern section of Town of North Hempstead and Northern section of Town of Hempstead 
 Edward P. Ra,&nbsp;of&nbsp;Garden City South, has grown steadily in 12 years in the Assembly. The ranking Republican on the Ways and Means Committee, Ra, who turns 41 on Nov. 4,&nbsp;excels at working across the aisle to move bills, as with legislation this year that increased the cap on a tax exemption municipalities can grant to senior citizens and people with disabilities from $29,000 annually to $50,000. It was first raised several years ago, but only for New York City. 
 His opponent, Democrat Sanjeev Kumar Jindal, 45, of Williston Park, came to the United States&nbsp;in 2003, owns an&nbsp;insurance business, and works tirelessly&nbsp;in the nonprofit sector&nbsp;to help other immigrants. He needs to stay involved, and his&nbsp;knowledge of and passion about local schools suggest a bright path. 
 But Ra’s ability to get things done for the community shouldn’t be squandered. 
 Newsday endorses Ra.

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Edward P. Ra for New York's 19th Assembly District

Newsday endorses Ra for 19th Assembly District

Includes south west section of Town of Hempstead and City of Long Beach, Lido Beach and Point Lookout 
 The 20th Assembly District race started with a game of musical chairs dating to Bruce Blakeman’s win as Nassau County executive last year. Blakeman’s victory meant that he would vacate&nbsp;his seat on the Hempstead Town board, a position filled by&nbsp;Melissa Miller, who resigned from&nbsp;the Assembly.&nbsp;That led to a special election for the 20th AD in the spring, and the winner was Eric Ari Brown, who arrived in Albany in time for the final weeks of the session. 
 Brown, a 54-year-old Republican from&nbsp;Cedarhurst, is now running for a full term. He is also deputy mayor of Cedarhurst Village. His opponent, Democrat Michael Delury, 63, of Long Beach, also holds&nbsp;a local post, as treasurer of the village of East Williston. 
 The two candidates have diametrically opposed views of their side government roles. Brown has not given up his village position and does not appear sufficiently prepared for potential conflicts, other than saying he asked for the situation to be vetted by state ethics officials. Delury&nbsp;said he would resign the second&nbsp;position if elected: “To effectively be an assemblyman representing the entire district, I would devote full time to that job,” he told the editorial board. 
 That’s the prudent choice. 
 Delury brings a refreshing common-sense philosophy to the race. He highlights coastal protections needed in the district, particularly given the unique issues of the Long Beach barrier island. And he sees the urgent necessity of a “substantial increase” in housing, as well as better parameters to establish affordable housing so that students, young adults, and the aging can afford to live on Long Island. 
 Delury is also clear about the benefits of COVID-19 vaccines as well as regular, long-established vaccines for children to attend school. Brown, however, said he had&nbsp;not been vaccinated for COVID as of the board’s interview with him, and believes “the parent should have the right to decide” about other vaccines despite acknowledging their importance. 
 Delury would be a much-needed moderating influence in the Assembly majority, and deserves the chance. 
 Newsday endorses Delury.

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Michael Delury for New York's 20th Assembly District

Newsday endorses Delury for 20th Assembly District

Includes south east and central sections of Town of Hempstead 
 Neighborhood by neighborhood, Judy A. Griffin can delve into granular detail on how each school district is handling its pre-K&nbsp;programs, and where assistance is still needed. 
 That knowledge and attention is why the Rockville Centre Democrat continues to be a thoughtful&nbsp;representative for her Assembly district.&nbsp;Griffin, 59, has played a key role in making sure hamlets like Baldwin get the support they need to make new economic development, particularly affordable housing, a reality. And her focus on expanding&nbsp;mental health services, particularly in schools, is welcome. 
 Lynbrook Republican Brian Curran is a smart, experienced politician and former assemblyman.&nbsp;But Curran, who will turn 54 on Nov. 1,&nbsp;too often falls back on rote criticisms of policies like bail reform without any specifics on what should change,&nbsp;and his continued support of religious exemptions for standard school vaccination requirements is wrong.&nbsp; 
 Newsday endorses Griffin.

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Judy A. Griffin for New York's 21st Assembly District

Newsday endorses Griffin for 21st Assembly District

Includes north west section of Town of Hempstead 
 As Assembly&nbsp;deputy majority leader and&nbsp;chair of the Black, Puerto Rican, Hispanic and Asian legislative caucus, Michaelle C. Solages, 37, of Elmont, uses her clout&nbsp;to deliver for her district. She was key in negotiating a development deal for UBS&nbsp;Arena that would create a community center in her district;&nbsp;now there is&nbsp;$5 million in escrow to build and operate it. Solages must&nbsp;see that project through&nbsp;if she wins a fifth term, and continue&nbsp;her efforts to make the&nbsp;Southern State Parkway safer. Another priority:&nbsp;a comprehensive early childhood learning plan that would expand pre-K seats and child care. 
 Republican Cara&nbsp;Castronuova, 42, of Elmont,&nbsp;is a celebrity trainer and championship boxer focused on ensuring&nbsp;there are youth recreational programs in her community. With some&nbsp;experience under her belt&nbsp;on how government works, she has a future in politics.&nbsp; 
 Newsday endorses Solages.

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Michaelle C. Solages for New York's 22nd Assembly District

Newsday endorses Solages for 22nd Assembly District

Of the state Assembly’s 150 members, 107 — more than two-thirds — belong to the long-dominant Democratic majority. But out of Long Island’s 22 Assembly members, 12 — more than half — belong to the chamber’s clout-challenged Republican minority. 
 That power scenario is unlikely to change in any significant way on Nov. 8. For Nassau and Suffolk county voters, this election provides a chance to look past party alignment and choose incumbents, challengers, or those vying for open seats based on whom the candidates are and how they define their positions on pressing local issues. 
 Because the rest of this ballot combines a governor’s race with a polarizing congressional midterm, the major parties put out in-sync messages on crime, taxes, abortion, and energy production, among other issues. Yet there is always variation in the views and priorities of candidates, even in the same party, often depending on which district they seek to represent. 
 Parties run tickets, but coattails aren’t guaranteed — and every election is different. Some who vote for the top elected positions but don’t proceed down the ballot to the other races sacrifice a chance for some local impact. 
 On Long Island, that can mean nuanced distinctions on subjects where Assembly members can wield and echo community influence — school finances, approaches to housing development, criminal justice policies, economic development, income and business taxes, ways to fund mass transit, the possible conversion of LIPA to a public utility, responses to the ongoing drug scourge, vaccine mandates, and voting regulations. Not to mention issues unique to each district. 
 In a year when redistricting due to the census spawned vigorous court fights, the Assembly lines were the least controversial. The map used for this election was enacted by the State Legislature and drawn in the old, long-practiced way — at the behest of Democratic Speaker Carl Heastie. The map was not gerrymandered to challenge any GOP members or seats, and had not been challenged in court until after State Senate and U.S. House maps were settled. 
 But now a judge has ordered the state’s bipartisan Independent Redistricting Commission to reconvene, agree on an Assembly map for the 2024 election, and submit it to the legislature. Last time, the panel failed to reach a negotiated agreement and split along party lines. 
 For now we focus on the current choices, offering our recommendations of those candidates best able to stand up for Long Island, and encouraging voters to take time to consider them.&nbsp;<a href="https://www.newsday.com/opinion/editorials/newsday-editorial-board-opinion-new-york-state-assembly-long-island-election-endorsements-2022-thvg6vd0">Click here to see Newsday's 2022 New York State Assembly endorsements.</a>

New York State Assembly endorsements 2022

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