Taylor R. Darling for New York's 18th Assembly District
Democratic Assemb. Taylor Darling. Credit: James Escher
Find out the candidates Newsday's editorial board selected on your ballot: newsday.com/endorsements22
Includes parts of central Town of Hempstead and down through South Shore
Seeking a third term, Democrat Taylor R. Darling, 38, bases her appeal on assuring equitable funding for her district from Albany. She puts first the long-glaring problem of insufficient bus transportation for the Hempstead school district, where some kids walk two miles or more each way through unsafe pedestrian pockets. 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 casino, at the Nassau Hub.
GOP nominee Lamont E. Johnson, 50, also of Hempstead, is that school board's vice president. He says elected officials downplay crime and do too little to grapple with its spread. He emphasizes that the Uniondale and Roosevelt communities and school districts must not get short shrift. He favors single-family housing in the district over big apartment buildings.
Newsday endorses Darling.
ENDORSEMENTS ARE DETERMINED solely by the Newsday editorial board, a team of opinion journalists focused on issues of public policy and governance. Newsday’s news division has no role in this process.
