Find out the candidates the editorial board chose and why.

Opinion

Endorsements

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Find out the candidates Newsday endorsed on your ballot

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The Editorial Board

Election season is an exciting time of year, especially for the editorial board. It's a&nbsp;unique opportunity to&nbsp;meet&nbsp;candidates seeking to represent some of the 3 million people who&nbsp;call Long Island home.&nbsp;We get insights into&nbsp;overarching topics like the opioid crisis, water quality, and&nbsp;the cost and shortage of&nbsp;housing, and&nbsp;specific trouble spots like a local bus stop shelter. While the board focuses&nbsp;on more regional&nbsp;issues during much of the year, candidates tell us where stop signs are needed, which storm drains are overflowing, and how individual constituents are having trouble making ends meet. 
 This year, we evaluated 47 races and interviewed 81 candidates vying for Suffolk County executive, town supervisor and county legislator. Some presented new solutions to old problems, others stuck to familiar refrains. Some&nbsp;literally get&nbsp;their hands dirty when creeks need cleanups, others know every traffic intersection. Some candidates have decades of experience; others are new to politics. 
 With few exceptions, those hoping to represent their fellow Long Islanders are thoughtful about the region's pressing challenges and dedicated to making&nbsp;their neighbors' lives better. 
<h3> A DIVERSE COLLECTION </h3> 
 Promising newcomers&nbsp;offer increasing diversity that&nbsp;reflects recent immigration patterns. They bring&nbsp;fresh energy, new ideas, and different assumptions about what is possible.&nbsp;With candidates from&nbsp;China, India, Pakistan, Ethiopia and Central America, including some&nbsp;first-generation Americans who graduated from Long Island schools,&nbsp;gracing&nbsp;this year's ballots, more voters can&nbsp;choose representatives who look like them. Many candidates speak of&nbsp;having sought some version of the American&nbsp;dream&nbsp;and want&nbsp;to give others the same opportunity. 
<h3> SAFETY, AFFORDABILITY </h3> 
 The first issue mentioned by many candidates was public safety, even as they admitted the Island and their districts are generally&nbsp;&quot;safe.&quot; They noted residents' perception that crime — particularly property crime&nbsp;like stolen catalytic converters or convenience store thefts that result in items stashed behind locks&nbsp;— remains a key concern while also pointing to dangerous roads and&nbsp;the desire for more traffic safety enforcement.&nbsp;Often, regardless of party they&nbsp;advocated for more police officers&nbsp;—&nbsp;no matter the cost. Others supported&nbsp;raising public sector salaries across the board to keep and attract workers.&nbsp; 
 But they expounded more on the high cost of living. Candidates said affordability is one word&nbsp;they hear most often campaigning&nbsp;door-to-door, but they also know effective solutions are elusive. After all, they have no influence on big cost drivers like school taxes and can do little about inflationary concerns like food and gas. But most&nbsp;have plenty to say about the biggest expense on Long Island — housing.&nbsp; 
<h3> NO MORE&nbsp;DEBATE </h3> 
 A few years ago, there were extensive debates over the need for more housing. Now, candidates in both parties recognize&nbsp;the Island's dire housing crisis must be addressed. The question now is how. 
 Disagreements remain. Many candidates say they'd&nbsp;welcome additional housing near train stations or on plots of vacant or underused land. Some continue&nbsp;to&nbsp;reject&nbsp;new development in their districts. Most, however, now speak knowledgeably about sewers, a previously unsexy topic considered the key to downtown and affordable housing development. 
 Similarly, there is no longer dispute&nbsp;about the dangerous threat of climate change. Candidates are calling for&nbsp;infrastructure improvements to tackle&nbsp;expensive projects that mitigate&nbsp;flooding. Many are working with communities to address&nbsp;rising sea levels, while putting off taking stands on more difficult decisions such as whether to&nbsp;retreat from the shoreline. 
 Overall, environmental problems&nbsp;are near the top of their issue&nbsp;lists, reflecting polling showing&nbsp;it is of great concern. 
<h3> THINKING … REGIONALLY?&nbsp; </h3> 
 Perhaps nothing surprised us more than the number of candidates, who typically focus on hyperlocal issues, embracing regional approaches to complex problems. That was particularly true with regard to the impending closure of the Brookhaven landfill and the garbage crisis that will follow. Thinking regionally has never been an Island staple, but the trash conundrum might force&nbsp;that connectivity. 
 But will that open the door for&nbsp;regionwide work on other issues? 
<h3> HOW THEY GOVERN </h3> 
 Still, for many legislative candidates, their district takes priority. That includes helping constituents navigate the maze of local, state and federal bureaucracies to get needs addressed. Often, candidates related&nbsp;personal experiences&nbsp;with friends, family or neighbors&nbsp;to&nbsp;illustrate why an issue resonated with them, especially on topics like the opioid epidemic. 
 As for their county work, surprisingly few legislative candidates expressed the view that they are part of a coequal branch of government that should demand oversight and accountability from the county executive. 
<h3> BUILDING SUPPORT </h3> 
 Unlike years past, many candidates were unusually supportive of larger&nbsp;development plans, from Midway Crossing in Ronkonkoma to the casino resort proposal at the Nassau Hub. Instead of responding with skepticism or outright rejection, more candidates seem more open to the potential for big proposals to deliver an economic shot in the arm. 
 Of course, it wouldn't be a Long Island election season if there wasn't plenty of fodder for discussion and debate. But if one thing was clear through our seven weeks of interviews, it's that&nbsp;for all of Long Island's candidates, and for all of us,&nbsp;there's always something to learn.

Editorials

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Here's what we learned from Long Island's 2023 candidates

Our 2023 candidate conversations

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Newsday's 2023 picks for town supervisors

Voters this year are&nbsp;deciding&nbsp;on&nbsp;two proposed amendments to the state's constitution. Both&nbsp;are presented in&nbsp;turgid language that is, unfortunately,&nbsp;typical. Don’t be discouraged. 
 First, both proposals appear on the reverse side of the ballot, so make sure to flip it over and fill those boxes before submitting it. Essentially, the amendments involve the choices&nbsp;state residents have in authorizing&nbsp;the necessary financing for desired school and sewer projects. 
 Proposal One would eliminate the constitutional debt limit for small-city school districts. Small cities are defined as those with 125,000 or fewer residents. On Long Island, this means Glen Cove and Long Beach, both in Nassau County. Upstate, it includes Albany, Ithaca, Niagara Falls, Troy, and Hudson. 
 In small-city districts, the debt cannot exceed 5% of the value of taxable real estate. Other school districts, however, have a different deal. Their limits can be modified by simple legislation. More importantly, these other districts can issue debt as high as 10% of property value. 
 Having one debt limit for some districts and another for the rest defies common sense; Proposal One would correct that. 
 Proposal Two also affects borrowing mechanisms. It would extend, for another 10 years, New York municipalities’ ability to finance and add to sewer systems — improvements that are crucial to meet the rising challenges of climate change and development. 
 The New York&nbsp;Constitution limits the debt that various counties, cities, towns and villages can incur. Fortunately, that limit does not include debt for sewage treatment and disposal facilities,&nbsp;which is a crucial matter for both Long Island counties. But the exception would end on Jan. 1 if the amendment does not pass, potentially throwing a wrench into key financing plans. If the measure passes, as we’d recommend, the necessary debt exception will apply until Jan. 1, 2034. 
 One argument heard against both proposals is that the state’s multiple levels of government already have too much debt and whatever caps or discouragements are written into law should be preserved. But these proposals are the wrong forum for discussing what level of debt is ideal.&nbsp; 
 These proposals merely affect&nbsp;the options&nbsp;for borrowing that&nbsp;the public then gets to vote&nbsp;on; voter choice on important capital improvements shouldn’t be arbitrarily limited. 
 The state in the meantime needs to present these measures in an easier-to-understand way by providing clearer explanations. Officials must provide better ballot display and jargon-free language so that voters don’t shy away from learning what’s to be decided. 
 Newsday urges “yes” votes on both proposals.

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Vote 'yes' on Proposals 1 and 2

Vote 'yes' on two proposals

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Change is coming to the Nassau County Legislature. 
 After redistricting shifted some lines substantially, many Nassau residents&nbsp;find themselves in unfamiliar districts&nbsp;with unfamiliar names.&nbsp;This year's four open seats&nbsp;mark&nbsp;the most in more than two decades. Neither legislative leader —&nbsp;Richard Nicolello nor Kevan Abrahams — is&nbsp;seeking reelection. And one additional seat would give&nbsp;Republicans a supermajority with&nbsp;the power to make borrowing, spending and other decisions on their own. 
 The challenges are big:&nbsp;affordability, dangerous roads, aging infrastructure that can't handle more intense and frequent storms,&nbsp;the opioid crisis, making sure homes are fairly taxed,&nbsp;and keeping Nassau University Medical Center solvent.&nbsp; 
 This year, the legislature did act&nbsp;on one of the county's most valuable and vexing properties when it approved the transfer of the Nassau Hub lease to Las Vegas Sands. While the final decision on whether a resort casino becomes a reality is out of the county's hands, Nassau lawmakers must make sure the money already received from Sands, and any possible future funding, is well used. 
 There is general agreement that the county has been&nbsp;slow to get&nbsp;opioid settlement funds into the hands of nonprofits that can put them to good use. Candidates note that the county has access to&nbsp;$60 million to be spent over four years,&nbsp;but has distributed less than $5 million so far. How can the process be improved while making sure the dollars are well spent?&nbsp; 
 There are other questions.&nbsp;When will county officials hire a qualified, professional assessor, and what steps will that person take to fix Nassau's broken assessment system? What will Nassau do to maintain its strong financial footing after federal pandemic-&nbsp;and infrastructure-related&nbsp;funds dry up? What's the best strategy&nbsp;to bring NUMC into an&nbsp;era of capable management and financial stability? 
 The legislature's internal operations are another issue. Nicolello was a capable presiding officer,&nbsp;but he held tight to the reins of&nbsp;control. Whomever&nbsp;lawmakers elect&nbsp;to&nbsp;take the chair should allow&nbsp;bills to move to committees for review so that all have a chance of coming up for a vote. To do otherwise would deny&nbsp;all county residents the opportunity to have their needs addressed. 
 Nassau residents need thoughtful leaders willing to use their voices, bill-writing abilities&nbsp;and oversight powers to&nbsp;fulfill their roles as a coequal branch of government and&nbsp;move the county forward.&nbsp;In making its endorsements, the Newsday editorial board is seeking lawmakers who will do just that.

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What to watch in Nassau legislative elections

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Newsday's 2023 picks for Nassau County Legislature 

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After a dozen years as&nbsp;Suffolk County executive, Steve Bellone’s tenure is coming to an end. While county&nbsp;finances are in good shape thanks largely to an infusion of federal aid, he will&nbsp;leave behind numerous challenges and several notable disappointments that must be faced immediately by his successor. 
 Fortunately, voters have a choice of capable candidates. Republican Edward P. Romaine has been the Brookhaven Town supervisor for 11 years, and before that served as a Suffolk legislator and county clerk. Democrat David L. Calone is a private investment manager&nbsp;and lawyer who has some experience as a federal attorney and in the state attorney general's office, and who has served on several county committees, notably as chairman of Suffolk's&nbsp;planning commission. 
 Romaine knows better than anyone the ins and outs of government and how to use that machinery to get things done. Calone emphasizes his status as a newcomer&nbsp;whose public service gives&nbsp;him&nbsp;a good grasp of county&nbsp;issues. 
 Both men agree that one top priority will be to get the recently&nbsp;tabled&nbsp;plan for sewers and innovative septic systems back on track so voters can make the final decision in a referendum. The plan&nbsp;is essential to protect&nbsp;our underground water supply and promote&nbsp;new businesses and affordable housing projects that need to be built. Both Romaine and Calone favored the plan that was more than a decade in the making and must work with the legislature to get a new version passed&nbsp;as soon as possible. 
<h3> CYBER CHALLENGE </h3> 
 Another task is dealing with Suffolk’s devastating ransomware attack, which temporarily shut down vital county services last year and has yet to be fully rectified. Romaine notes that unlike Suffolk, Brookhaven&nbsp;carries&nbsp;cyber insurance and keeps&nbsp;much of its basic information in the&nbsp;cloud, which offers better protection&nbsp;than Suffolk’s troubled system. Calone says he is better equipped to solve Suffolk’s cyber problems, based on his business background with&nbsp;technology, and calls for a more unified IT system than currently exists. 
 For years, Romaine has been one of Long Island's strongest voices on developing regional solutions for the county’s looming solid waste crisis. As supervisor, he championed an innovative way to recycle glass that should be emulated across Suffolk and&nbsp;pledges&nbsp;to work with&nbsp;towns across the Island on jump-starting a glass-to-dust recycling facility. Even as he has skillfully managed the impending closure of the Brookhaven landfill — the last of its kind on Long Island&nbsp;— his oversight demands&nbsp;further scrutiny by state officials,&nbsp;given allegations in a long-pending lawsuit&nbsp;that the town and state Department&nbsp;of Environmental Conservation ignored possible health and safety concerns about incinerator ash dumped there for years. Calone has turned this into a major campaign issue but there has yet to be any determination of&nbsp;wrongdoing. Regardless of its merits, Romaine must keep in mind environmental justice and the health of all residents in tackling the broad problem&nbsp;of getting rid of Suffolk’s garbage. 
 Calone, 50, who lives in Setauket, offers a number of impressive insights about Long Island&nbsp;based on his service on Suffolk's&nbsp;planning commission and other panels.&nbsp;He chaired a Superstorm Sandy task force that recommended better ways to prepare for the next big storm in this era of climate change. He also brought Suffolk's towns together to write a code for solar panel installations that removed red tape stalling its adoption. 
<h3> EXPERIENCE PLUS IDEAS </h3> 
 Romaine complements his years of experience with a willingness to consider&nbsp;new ideas and innovations, not only on&nbsp;the environment but with affordable housing. He supports taking tax-delinquent properties claimed by the county and turning them over to nonprofits to build new housing. It's&nbsp;an idea worth trying. As an effective supervisor in Brookhaven, he has pushed more housing to help keep both the young and old living here. 
 In this time of political extremism, Romaine has been a voice of moderation, willing to work with Democrats to find effective solutions in the public interest. He knows how to navigate byzantine agencies like the Metropolitan Transportation Authority to ensure Suffolk’s transportation needs are addressed. 
 At age 76, Romaine, of Center Moriches,&nbsp;still exudes a vigor for government service, contrary to TV ads for Calone that suggest he is sleepy and too old for the job. If he wins, Romaine must make sure he negotiates new municipal contracts, especially with law enforcement unions, that make sure departments are properly staffed but&nbsp;eliminate&nbsp;work rules that generate excessive overtime.&nbsp;Romaine also should aim to ensure that the county's&nbsp;well-paid police department continues&nbsp;its path toward&nbsp;professionalism and never again&nbsp;exhibits&nbsp;the corruption and civil rights abuses&nbsp;we’ve witnessed over past decades. 
 Calone's resume is polished.&nbsp;But what Suffolk needs most in Hauppauge is experience, proven leadership,&nbsp;and an&nbsp;ability to work with the county's famously fractious Republican-led legislature. 
 Newsday endorses Romaine.

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Edward P. Romaine for Suffolk County executive

Newsday endorses Romaine for Suffolk County executive

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This year’s battle for seats in the Suffolk County Legislature occurs in the shadow of the race to succeed County Executive Steve Bellone.&nbsp;Going into the election, Republicans command 11 of 18 legislative seats, just one shy of a supermajority, resulting from the 2021 regional “red wave.” 
 These contests take place on a redrawn battlefield. In the once-a-decade redistricting process, the major parties managed to agree, after posturing and negotiation, on a map that&nbsp;for the first time&nbsp;includes four districts where ethnic minorities are in the majority. The result, as usual for the process, is the creation of new boundary lines&nbsp;that shifted some communities in and out of the old districts. 
 The new legislative class will be responsible for responding to a series of changing circumstances in a county of more than 1.5 million people. Each lawmaker's&nbsp;positions&nbsp;could have an impact on the local effects of rising sea levels, water quality and solid waste removal,&nbsp;county spending and taxes, services, economic&nbsp;development, affordability of new housing, and the destructive effects&nbsp;of drug addiction. 
 The current legislature this year left hanging an important item of business — action to fund the replacement of&nbsp;hundreds of thousands of outdated septic systems with modern equipment that removes nitrogen from wastewater, which is harmful to ecosystems, as well as add new sewers. 
 How quickly a new version of the plan, requiring voter approval of a minuscule rise in the county sales tax, can be advanced next year&nbsp;remains to be seen, with the current crop of Democratic and Republican&nbsp;candidates showing some division on the details. 
 The approaching closing of the Brookhaven landfill, which accepts ash and construction-and-demolition waste, poses not just a county challenge but a regional one, testing whether lawmakers can help forge plans for recycling and disposal that improve on a patchwork of town-by-town solutions. 
 The next legislative term will also show the public the degree to which the county’s police unions influence legislation and policy of interest to their members, how well abuses have been curbed, and the ability of the county to fully recover from the major cyber-hack that has staggered services. 
 Underlying all these questions is whether county lawmakers regardless of party can provide constructive, independent oversight and input regardless of who becomes county executive. The Newsday editorial board’s endorsements are based on&nbsp;consideration of such&nbsp;issues.

All of Newsday's 2023 election endorsements

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