Judy A. Griffin for Assembly District 21
Assemb. Judy A. Griffin (D-Rockville Centre) is running for reelection. Credit: James Escher
Find out the candidates Newsday's editorial board has selected on your ballot: newsday.com/endorsements2026
Incumbent Democrat Judy A. Griffin, 63, of Rockville Centre, is seeking to serve a fourth term but this time her opponent is not Brian Curran, whom she unseated in 2018 only to have him eke out a one-term win in 2022 before she won the seat back in 2024.
In 2025, Griffin successfully championed a much-needed law that allows for confidential peer-to-peer counseling for police officers. She supports a state law regulating the use of e-bikes for riders and pedestrians. As part of her advocacy for the municipalization of Liberty Water, Griffin supports a proposal for the state to give $1 million to the South Nassau Water Authority to take it over.
Higher on her to-do list are concerns about education funding. Griffin, who is critical of charter schools, would give the state's Board of Regents sole control of approving charter schools, eliminating any ability for SUNY to create ones. She would fight for additional school funding to make sure students with special needs are placed in the proper programs and would allow pre-K funding to be used to expand space in existing buildings to seat more children. Incentivizing districts to share procurement and other services, she said, would help keep costs down.
Republican Irene V. Villacci, 62, of East Rockaway, is an elder care attorney in private practice who also serves as Nassau County's executive director of community development, an office which distributes federal dollars known as block grants for local projects. In Albany, she would advocate for increased tax credits for volunteer firefighters whom she describes as the backbone of local communities. She also supports more generous pensions to recruit more talented people to public service. Villacci would like to restore a penal law that requires those ages 16 and 17 charged with felonies to be prosecuted as adults.
Griffin is well-versed in the needs of her district and the intricacies of school funding, which is especially needed for the expansion of pre-K programs.
Newsday Opinion endorses Griffin.
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.
