Editorial: Experience earns our vote

There are plenty of familiar faces on this year’s ballot. They’ve heard what North Fork residents are asking for: homes that year-round families can afford, clean drinking water, working farms and taxes that leave enough to keep living here.

Those concerns came up again and again when candidates visited our Mattituck office. Incumbents and challengers differed on how to address them, but their passion for this community came through.

In the 1st Senate District, Democrat Chris Murray brings experience in higher education and environmental advocacy to his challenge against Republican incumbent Anthony Palumbo. His proposals include first-home savings accounts and increased state support for community colleges, approaches aimed at two major costs facing young families.

Mr. Murray also proposes reducing the state sales-tax rate by 1 percentage point, replacing the lost revenue with higher income taxes on the top 8% of earners. He supports the New York Health Act, which would establish a statewide single-payer health care system, arguing that it could reduce expenses for businesses, school districts and local governments.

Mr. Palumbo brings a legislative record and firsthand knowledge of the North Fork. The New Suffolk resident sponsored the Senate legislation enabling East End community housing funds. While serving in the Assembly, he also helped establish Southold’s first-time-homebuyer exemption from the Community Preservation Fund transfer tax.

Those measures created tools for local communities. Putting the housing fund to work through programs residents can use remains a separate task.

He has been able to get things done, even with a Democratic majority. That’s because he’s able to work across party lines, something that we could use more of at all levels of government.

Mr. Palumbo deserves a fourth term for his legislative work and established relationships in Albany.

In the 1st Assembly District, Republican Stephen Kiely brings extensive municipal-law experience and an emphasis on local control. His interest in converting vacant commercial buildings into housing addresses how communities might add homes without developing more open land.

Mr. Kiely also calls for substantially revising or repealing the state’s bail laws and supports cooperation between local police and federal immigration authorities. His municipal-law background includes work in Southold, Southampton, Brookhaven and Shelter Island, giving him firsthand experience with the challenges facing East End governments.

Democratic incumbent Tommy John Schiavoni also identified home rule as a priority. The former teacher and East End town official said he opposed this year’s changes to the state environmental-review process. The enacted changes allow certain qualifying projects to bypass additional environmental review, but do not eliminate local zoning.

Mr. Schiavoni’s first-term record includes support for septic-system assistance and state infrastructure funding announced in Greenport. He also co-sponsored legislation increasing the income-tax credit for eligible volunteer firefighters and ambulance workers. That measure was signed into law this month.

The editorial board has selected Tommy John Schiavoni for a second term.

In the race for New York’s 1st Congressional District, Democrat Chris Gallant brings military and community service to his first congressional campaign against Republican incumbent Rep. Nick LaLota. His affordability proposals include adapting underused buildings for housing. He also called for immigration-enforcement oversight and objected to using municipal funding requests as leverage in policy disputes.

The former Black Hawk helicopter pilot has also worked as an FAA air traffic controller, served as a union leader and volunteered with the Copiague Fire Department. But he has never held elected office and declined to debate Mr. LaLota, passing up an opportunity for voters to compare the candidates side by side.

Mr. LaLota’s record includes helping secure a substantial increase in the federal deduction cap for state and local taxes, known as SALT. The cap rose from $10,000 to $40,000 for 2025 and stands at $40,400 for 2026.

Mr. LaLota has also secured funding for Southold police vehicles and radios, Riverhead environmental cleanup and public-water connections for Calverton homes. Those projects document his work on East End needs beyond the ceremonial check presentations.

While we wish Mr. LaLota had accepted our invitation for an in-person or virtual interview — he declined, citing scheduling conflicts — the Navy veteran has shown up for the North Fork.

The editorial board has selected Nick LaLota for a third term.