Cynthia Nuñez for Nassau Legislative District 14

The 14th District includes Lynbrook and parts of Valley Stream.

After a decade in office, C. William Gaylor isn't running again in this newly shaped district.

Democrat Cynthia Nuñez, who has lived in Valley Stream for 16 years, serves on the local school board and directs operations for a Manhattan law firm that's focused on data and privacy rights issues. Elmont Republican Sheharyar Ali previously worked in the county attorney's office and now has his own law firm.

Nuñez, 47, is particularly well-versed on the district's distinct needs, down to the block. She's focused on promoting housing in transit-oriented communities like Valley Stream and Lynbrook, establishing community green spaces and addressing the area's infrastructure challenges, particularly flooding. She deeply understands the concerns of Liberty Water customers, as she is one, and thinks the county should do more to push the process along. Nuñez pledges to partner with state officials and notes a deep connection with the residents she'd serve, saying, "Their issues are my issues."

Ali, 32, ran for the legislature two years ago in the 3rd District, and is claiming that an apartment adjacent to a gas station in Elmont gives him residency. He did not meet with the editorial board.

Nuñez brings a fresh perspective, new ideas and genuine enthusiasm from which the moribund legislature could benefit.

Newsday Opinion endorses Nuñez.