Wednesday, October 21, 2026
Wantagh resident Andrew Piddoubny is embracing his first campaign for public office with open arms, focusing on affordability and securing a greater share of state funding for Long Island.
The Democratic candidate in the 5th State Senate District is originally from Queens, and has lived on Long Island with his wife since 2019. A father of 2-year-old twins, Piddoubny said he understands the struggles Long Islanders face.
“I have ideas for how to directly address those,” he told Herald reporters at a recent roundtable interview. “It’s going to benefit everybody — my neighbors, friends, family.”
Affordability is a concern Piddoubny is hearing about from residents of the district. The cost of child care, for many, can often be higher than a mortgage. Piddoubny said that New York state will have universal pre-K beginning in the 2028-29 school year, which he said will be a great first step. He also pointed to New York City’s programs, which include a robust 3-K program and a pilot 2-K program.
“What about us?” he said. “I think that we’re not getting our fair share of state-allocated funds. I want to make sure that we’re on par with other counties. I think there needs to be more fairness and equity here on Long Island,” he added. “We pay much more into the state than we get back.”
Piddoubny also pointed to rising homeowner’s insurance premiums as another affordability issue. His own family’s bill, he said, has gone up by several hundred dollars in each of the past two years, and research has shown that the average annual cost in New York has increased by about $1,000 since 2020 — more than the national average.
He argued that insurers are making disproportionately high profits in New York, saying that companies keep about 24 cents of every premium dollar here, compared with about 8 cents nationally. He suggested that New York consider capping excessive profits or preventing insurers from raising rates after especially profitable years, with excess money returned to ratepayers instead of going to large companies.
On the subject of the state budget’s increases over the past decade, Piddoubny said it would be worth looking into where funds are being allocated. “I think we do have to look at areas of where we are overspending, and at the same time, making sure that we’re putting them in the proper place,” he said.
Piddoubny is an attorney who works as a law clerk for a State Supreme Court judge, and is active in the Ukrainian-American community, serving on the board of the Ukrainian-American Bar Association. He has been involved in sometimes complex legal negotiations, he said, which he feels has prepared him for working with others in government he may not necessarily caucus or agree with.
“It’s [about] diffusing tense situations, trying to keep the focus on practicality and the resolution, what’s best overall,” he said. “Find that middle ground … that’s been essentially my entire career.”
If elected, Piddoubny said, serving in the state’s majority caucus would put him in a strong position to advance legislation and deliver results for the district.
“We need somebody who’s in the room where it happens, who’s there for negotiations,” he said, “to make sure we can secure our fair share of funds, and get laws and bills passed.”
