Jodi A. Giglio for Assembly District 2

Now serving her third term, Republican incumbent Jodi A. Giglio, 58, of Baiting Hollow, puts several affordability-friendly proposals out front in her reelection campaign. She has talked about expanding tax credits to decrease out-of-pocket childcare costs, for example.

It’s a discussion that will have to take place on both sides of the aisle but ranks among the top proposals backed by the GOP minority, which has limited opportunities to claim credit for what they may consider the positive parts of a state budget.

In a meeting with the editorial board, Giglio said she is drafting a bill for a first-time homebuyers program modeled on the popular 529 investment plan that allows families to save for future education costs. “They could take money out of a paycheck pretax and put it into a savings account for a down payment and closing costs for a first-time home purchase,” Giglio said.

She said a down payment assistance plan to foster first-time homebuying for working people should also be available from the Community Preservation Fund. She noted the fund has been flush from a tax on real estate transactions in the five East End towns, justifying expanding its use beyond preserving open space and farmland to help cover water and sewage projects and preserve historical structures. Another goal, motivated by concerns about water quality and the Calverton plume, is to have all district residents hooked up to public water.

Two years ago, Giglio finished 6.9 percentage points ahead of President Donald Trump in the district.

Democratic candidate Michael J. Szika, 27, of Manorville, is not actively campaigning.

Newsday Opinion endorses Giglio.