Thomas McKevitt for Nassau Legislative District 13

The 13th District includes Salisbury and parts of East Meadow and Levittown.

Whether it is a mundane issue like overgrown grass or a high-stakes Nassau Hub lease transfer vote, Thomas McKevitt relies on feedback from his constituents to govern pragmatically. 

This term, the East Meadow Republican regularly took phone calls and held one-on-one meetings and community forums on these topics and others. Now he faces a redrawn district that is 60% new and excludes North Bellmore, North Wantagh and North Merrick.

McKevitt, 52, said the Las Vegas Sands casino vote was the most difficult of his career, especially since the project sits adjacent to his district, and his yes vote came only after serious concerns about traffic and crime were somewhat alleviated. He said he plans to be a critical voice if problems arise in surrounding areas.

He wants to hire more police officers but use data to determine where to increase patrols. For example, he said Salisbury accounts for 4% of the county's population but has 13% of recent catalytic converter thefts. He understands the need to change the county contracting process to get opioid settlement funding to treatment providers.

Democrat Biju Chacko, 53, of East Meadow, is making his first run for office. The respiratory therapist is tuned into district issues like the casino, affordability, traffic and catalytic converter thefts. He'd prefer a biotech campus instead of a casino at the Hub, but does not otherwise have concrete plans for addressing any of these issues.

McKevitt, considered a contender for presiding officer, has the potential to lead forward-thinking, bipartisan conversations that can move Nassau County in the right direction on assessment, Nassau University Medical Center and more.

Newsday endorses McKevitt.