HERALD ENDORSEMENT

In 15th A.D., vote for Montesano

Posted

The Herald Gazette endorses incumbent Michael Montesano to represent Nassau County’s 15th Assembly District. For the past eight years, Montesano, a Republican from Glen Head, has fought hard for his constituents, using his background in law and law enforcement to help shepherd ideas to fruition in the State Assembly.

He became an assemblyman when he won a special election in 2010. Before that, he had been an attorney, a school board trustee and board president, and a New York City police officer and detective. His breadth of experience in education and the public and private sectors prepared him well to address — and help solve — the issues that affect his constituents.

Montesano is accessible to his constituents, and has proven effective in his four terms in the Assembly. He is a forward-thinking representative who does not condone the political divisiveness that plagues the State Legislature, and he has worked with his colleagues across the aisle to create bipartisan legislation for sensible gun reform, infrastructure improvements and environmental conservation.

Montesano hopes to resurrect businesses and expand transportation services in historic downtown Oyster Bay, and work with local stakeholders to revitalize the area and help it realize its potential. He plans to propose legislation to give the state comptroller greater auditing authority, and improve oversight of development contracts.

Montesano’s Democratic challenger, Allen Foley, comes from the hardscrabble world of union organizing, but has no experience in politics, and lacks a legislative vision for many of the issues the North Shore faces. Though we admire his interest in public service and his dedication to getting a fair shake for workers, we believe his talents would be better suited to a local government seat.

The Herald Gazette encourages voters to re-elect Montesano on Tuesday.