Karen Bhatia for Nassau Legislative District 18

The 18th District includes most of northern Oyster Bay Town, Old Westbury, East Hills, Muttontown and Brookville, plus parts of Roslyn and Syosset.

Karen Bhatia, 49, of Roslyn Heights, the Democratic challenger in this race, brings a sophisticated mix of professional and educational experience. She’s a lawyer with a master’s degree in public policy from Harvard and a former senior vice president at the New York City Economic Development Corp.

Bhatia is well-versed in issues of her district. She envisions an innovative approach to its water pollution problems — helping homeowners find less expensive but more effective high-tech septic systems.

Bhatia has a novel suggestion for using opioid settlement funds for a greater law enforcement effort against gangs to combat addiction.

A first-time legislative candidate, she also knows countywide issues. She sees at the Nassau Hub an opportunity to develop an entertainment, recreational and sports center. For nearby educational institutions she’d focus on creating a “living lab” to harness artificial intelligence.

First-term Republican incumbent Samantha A. Goetz, 37, of Locust Valley, hasn’t done anything that stands out. She did not meet with the editorial board.

Newsday Opinion endorses Bhatia.