Editorial: Re-elect Thomas McKevitt in the 17th Assembly District

After eight years in the Assembly, Thomas McKevitt, 43, has moved into the Republican leadership and is now the third-ranking minority member. While he works in an overwhelmingly Democratic chamber, his rise shows that the political acumen of this affable and sharp lawmaker are valued.

McKevitt, a lawyer, now has to debate every bill on the floor as the loyal opposition, giving him prominence in the chamber.

His opponent is Jonathan Clarke, a Levittown Democrat who made an unsuccessful bid for a seat on the Nassau County Legislature last year. The 37-year-old lawyer wants to go to Albany to eliminate the multiple layers of local government. Ethics reform, to restore public confidence in elected officials, also would be a top priority.

McKevitt, of East Meadow, is plotting a strategy to get some of the billions the state is receiving from bank mortgage-fraud settlements to repair local roads. The effort would be a good test of his skill at building coalitions.

Newsday endorses McKevitt.