State Senate election endorsements overview

This year's statewide election in New York highlights the sharp geographic and partisan contrasts between the interests of politicians from suburban and rural districts on one side and those from New York City and upstate urban centers on the other.

The Democrats' 40-22 majority in the New York State Senate differs from the partisan scenario on Long Island, where seven of nine seats belong to Republicans. But two of the seven GOP seats have no incumbent running on the Nov. 3 ballot because Jack Martins and Alexis Weik are leaving the State Senate.

At the Capitol, Democrats are currently two seats short of a two-thirds supermajority in the upper chamber. One seat in Queens is vacant and a safe bet to remain Democratic. Getting to 42 would give the dominant party the ability to override gubernatorial vetoes. Democrats already have a supermajority in the Assembly which is not likely to change this fall.

If GOP Nassau County Executive Bruce Blakeman becomes governor in an upset, he'd need all the legislative support he can muster to govern effectively. That's why Republicans have an extra incentive this year to expand their numbers.

Several Democratic Senate candidates from Long Island argue that Nassau and Suffolk counties benefit from having as many representatives as possible in their entrenched party. Still, New York Republicans maintain that even in the minority, their opposition to left-leaning policies in Albany serves as an important bulwark for balance in a polarized time.

The broader agendas of the Long Island candidates mainly reflect the current policies of their parties. That includes taxes, green energy, the limits of cashless bail, approaches to housing development, and the decades-long tension over the state mandating programs for which localities must pay.

But based on the editorial board's interviews with candidates from both parties, there appear to be opportunities for suburban representatives to wield power — through coalitions on issues of interest to their constituents. Candidates across Nassau and Suffolk expressed the importance of sewer construction to accommodate growth and residential housing, as well as water quality improvements and coastal resiliency.

Even after giving bipartisan support in Albany to pension gains for state and local employees by expanding Tier 6 benefits, most of those running wish to keep the current property tax cap; some favor calibrating it to cover increasing costs on local governments.

From one district to the next, we heard in our conversations about specific local concerns and how state dollars can address them, from infrastructure problems such as roads and bulkheads to refurbished parks, education funding, and the need to modernize technology used by the public.

It's always in the realm of these very specific problems, not slogans and rhetoric, that government can work. Our endorsements are based on who we believe will work most effectively to achieve the best results for Long Island.