Cast your ballot for Denenberg in 19th L.D.

Voters would be hard-pressed to find a candidate for the Nassau County Legislature who is more committed to the job and more active in community affairs than Democrat David Denenberg, of Merrick, who has represented the Bellmore-Merrick community for 13 years.

Denenberg, an attorney, is something of a policy wonk, able to recite whole passages of legislation and heavily involved in drafting bills, many of which became law when Democrats held the Legislature, before the recent Republican takeover.

But don’t be fooled by Denenberg’s legal credentials. He is very much a community activist, having attended countless Board of Education and civic association meetings while also hosting community forums of his own to keep people current on local affairs. To date, Denenberg has hosted more than 500 meetings.

At the same time, he maintains a district office on Merrick Road, in Bellmore, at his own expense — the county does not pay for legislators’ district offices, so most don’t have them. Denenberg can meet with constituents there, saving them the trouble of trekking to Mineola.

Two of his greatest moments came during Tropical Storm Irene in 2011, and Superstorm Sandy last October. Immediately after the storms subsided, Denenberg went to work, meeting with constituents, helping in any and all ways possible to relieve their hardships. He seemed to be everywhere in the dark days after those storms, and people appreciated his unwavering commitment to helping them get back on their feet.

Denenberg’s challenger, Republican Steve Rhoads, of Bellmore, is clearly committed to the community, serving as a volunteer firefighter in Wantagh, where he grew up. He, too, is an attorney. And he has political experience. But he gave us no reason to believe that he was better qualified for the Legislature than Denenberg.

We urge voters to return Denenberg to the Legislature’s 19th District seat on Tuesday.