Thursday, October 1, 2026
Mike Pentola, an East Rockaway native and a Long Beach resident for more than eight years, entered the race for the seat in Nassau County 4th Legislative District, looking to oust incumbent Legislator Pat Mullaney.
Pentola, a 35-year-old Democrat, attended Kellenberg High School, graduated from CUNY Hunter in 2014 with a bachelor’s degree in sociology, and earned a law degree from Hofstra University in 2018.
Pentola said that affordability, small businesses and community development would be among his priorities if elected. “I think the problems that have been building for years and years, particularly with regard to affordability, only seem to be getting worse,” he said. “I think that one of the big reasons that is happening is because of the Republican majority in the Legislature.”
An attorney, Pentola said he hopes to make Nassau County a place where younger residents and families can afford to put down roots. Bringing a relatively younger perspective to the County Legislature is one way he plans to effect change.
“I think that when the average median first-time home-buyer age in Nassau County is 40 years old,” Pentola said, “more millennial and Gen Z representatives need to have a seat at the table.”
He added that he wants to protect small businesses from increasing competition coming from national chains, for economic as well as societal reasons. “I just worry that if we don’t do something to prioritize our small businesses at the legislative level,” he said, “our district runs the risk of turning into an Anytown, USA. It would kind of be tragic to see to see that that befall a community that’s so original and has so much character.”
While Pentola is new to politics, his experience as a litigator has required him to work with people with whom he disagrees, giving him the expectations that he can highlight bipartisanship. He would like to develop collaborative relationship with local elected leaders including the all-Republican Long Beach City Council and Island Park Mayor Mike McGinty, who is also a Republican.
Looking at the development of Long Beach’s northern bayfront area, Pentola supports increased housing, but warned against excessive luxury development and retail projects that could potentially change the demographics of established neighborhoods. Residents, he said, should have a major role in decisions affecting their communities, and he expressed concern that certain projects could contribute to displacement.
Pentola supports Veterans Village in Island Park, calling affordable housing for veterans a positive development. He said that any potential tax impact should be weighed against the benefits of supporting veterans, and could be addressed through changes in county spending. He supports additional tax credits for first-time homebuyers and increased county support for child care. “I loved growing up around here,” Pentola said. “I want that to be an option for my son. I want that to be an option for anybody who wants to stay here. Young, old, everything in between.”
If elected, Pentola said, he would consider a successful first term one that achieves measurable and documented improvements in residents’ lives — particularly changes that ease financial pressures and address communities that he believes have been underserved. “I want Nassau County to be somewhere that works for everybody,” he said, “not just the privileged few.”
