Who we're endorsing: New York State Senate 1-4

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?

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.

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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.