Who we're endorsing: Town Supervisors

This Election Day, Long Islanders will choose county legislators and town supervisors, and Suffolk County will select a county executive. A once-in-a-decade redistricting took place, so make sure to enter your address into our interactive here to see the candidates on your ballot.

This edition premieres our picks for North Hempstead and Riverhead town supervisors, two races getting a lot of attention. In North Hempstead, residents will choose between giving freshman incumbent Jennifer DeSena another term to grasp the reins of town government or returning to office Jon Kaiman, who ran the town for 10 years. A lot of money is being spent to get those votes. 

In Riverhead, there has been a lack of steady leadership for too long. The town has had three supervisors in seven years — and it shows.

All supervisor contenders answered our questions about many key governance issues — from sewers and waste disposal to housing, traffic and roads. Other topics covered included how to protect our waters, improve infrastructure, and handle the migrant crisis. Candidates told us their priorities and explained how their experience could help them tackle the social and economic challenges of the region’s towns, like opioid use, smart budgeting and more. 

Interviews took place in person at Newsday’s Melville headquarters, as well as on Zoom.

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.