Re-elect Jon Kaiman in North Hempstead

Political, polished, confident and aggressive, North Hempstead Supervisor Jon Kaiman's governing style is bold, and he manages his town well. The budget always balances and services are delivered competently. What's more, Kaiman, a 49-year-old Democrat who lives in Great Neck Village, never settles for a stay-the-course routine. Instead, he seeks improvement and innovation for his town with a devotion bordering on the fanatical.

His opponent, 36-year-old Republican Lee Tu, is a political comer with a grassroots approach who sought the job in 2009 as well. Tu, a senior audit manager from Albertson, cares about the community. At the same time, he seems to portray relatively minor issues as major battles to paint Kaiman as an out-of-touch executive who discounts the needs of certain neighborhoods and constituencies, a charge that does not resonate.

In fact, Kaiman has shown the detail-oriented tenacity to keep improving on his past innovations, like the town's 311 call-answering system. At the same time, he is continuing to introduce vital programs. Perhaps the most impressive is a new initiative that eliminated lightly used town buses meant to transport senior citizens. Now, taxis take the seniors when they wish; the town pays half, the senior pays half, saving the town hundreds of thousands of dollars and helping thousands of seniors. Kaiman steadily seems to be getting better: He has, over his four terms, become less abrasive, more inclusive and a better communicator, while continuing to brandish the intellectual power and ambition to better his town. Newsday endorses Kaiman.