Tommy John Schiavoni for New York State Assembly 1st District

The 1st Assembly District is unique in its geography and demography, with its extensive coastline jutting into the ocean, its bucolic farmland and vineyards, and its immense wealth juxtaposed with pockets of residents who are struggling. It faces major issues, from the outflow of middle-class residents who can no longer afford to live where they grew up to the ravages of erosion from a changing climate, problems that require a breadth of experience and depth of thinking.

For 30 years, that's what Fred W. Thiele Jr. brought to the seat and he was one of Long Island's most effective legislators. With Thiele retiring, 1st District voters must choose between two candidates who also are deeply rooted in the district.

Democrat Tommy John Schiavoni, 61, of Sag Harbor, is a lifelong district resident and a Southampton Town councilman. He has served on a variety of municipal boards, taught social studies and government in the Center Moriches school district for 30 years, and received a hands-on education in his family's plumbing and heating business.

Republican Stephen F. Kiely, 49, of Mattituck, is the town attorney for Shelter Island and can match Schiavoni in his municipal experience.

Both candidates acknowledge the region has a housing crisis but Kiely sees no role for the state in solving it. He opposed the controversial Liberty Gardens proposal in Tuckahoe that would have added 50 units of workforce and veterans housing,

Schiavoni voted for the proposal not only for its desperately needed affordable housing but also because he sees the refusal to make smart housing choices as linked to its school enrollment crisis. Schiavoni says 24 of 27 public school districts in the area he would represent are losing enrollment, a trend that could be reversed by attracting more families. That can only happen, he says, if they can find housing that is affordable. It's a good example of his ability to think big and see how problems are interconnected.

Both candidates understand the threat of coastal erosion but when asked about the Army Corps of Engineers' plan to protect the coastline, Kiely said he is not an environmentalist and would "have to defer." As town councilman, Schiavoni helped negotiate easements for the project and says the state can help local governments with shoreline protection but that sand replenishment won't be enough; retreat, especially in Montauk, must be on the table.

Kiely's extensive background as a land-use attorney is well-suited for local office but too narrow to deal with the range of challenges he would face in Albany.

Both understand well the 1st District's issues but Schiavoni has a wider-ranging skill set and the enthusiasm, inquisitiveness and imagination needed to solve them.

Newsday's editorial board endorses Schiavoni.