Wednesday, October 28, 2026
Democratic state Senate candidate Rory Lancman is campaigning on affordability, government accountability and environmental protection, arguing that New York officials must do more to address the rising costs facing Nassau County residents.
Lancman, 57, a Great Neck resident and attorney, is challenging Republican incumbent Jake Blumencranz for the 7th State Senate District. A former state assemblyman and New York City Council member, Lancman said his experience in government has prepared him to address problems affecting Long Island families.
“Some of the things that are more expensive than they should be are because of mistaken government policy,” he said, “and other things have just been let to be because government hasn't taken action.”
He identified health care, housing and utility costs as three major concerns, citing prescription drug expenses, long-term care, property taxes and homeowners insurance.
Lancman said Nassau County's property tax assessment system requires reform, arguing that homeowners frequently receive inflated bills and must challenge them, often paying attorneys to handle the process.
“State law needs to be changed so that counties cannot go on year after year with a broken tax assessment system that basically scams taxpayers by sending out knowingly inflated bills in the hopes that enough of us won't grieve our taxes, that the county can support its budget,” he said.
Lancman also pointed to his experience on the Nassau University Medical Center board, where he chairs the finance committee, and his previous role as vice chairman of the Nassau County Interim Finance Authority. He said those positions exposed him to government waste and mismanagement, including excessive legal expenses and financial problems at the public hospital.
On environmental issues, Lancman said he supports the Propel NY Energy transmission project as a potential way to improve electricity transmission to Long Island, but stressed that officials must address community concerns about construction and environmental impacts.
However, Lancman said businesses affected by construction should receive compensation for disruptions and questioned whether concerns about Hempstead Harbor had been adequately addressed. He said his experience overseeing the state Public Service Commission could help him push for stronger protections.
Lancman also called for greater investment in protecting Long Island's drinking water supply, including replacing aging septic systems, upgrading water infrastructure and cleaning contaminated areas of the aquifer.
“We need to address this now,” he said, “because there'll come a point where the problem is too acute that that it can't be remedied.”
Civil rights are another central component of his campaign. Lancman, who works for the Louis D. Brandeis Center for Human Rights Under Law, said New York should strengthen anti-discrimination laws to make it easier to hold institutions accountable when they fail to address antisemitism.
He also supports increased security funding for Jewish institutions and reimbursement for expenses incurred protecting their communities.
On immigration enforcement, Lancman criticized U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement and supported state efforts to limit cooperation with the agency, citing concerns about enforcement practices and residents avoiding public institutions out of fear.
Lancman also expressed concern about artificial intelligence replacing students' analytical and reasoning skills. He said the state should research best practices and help school districts develop appropriate policies without overriding local decision-making.
“I am deeply embedded in these communities, as someone who lives here, pays taxes here, and is serving the community in very many different capacities,” Lancman said. “And I'm telling you, not just as a neighbor, but as someone who is on the front lines of trying to make government work better for us, that government could be doing a lot better job to make our lives more affordable, hold government accountable for how our tax dollars are spent, and keeping us safe.”
