Our endorsements reflect a public service mission to inform

Long Islanders are about to cast the most supersized ballots in memory.

These ballots are lengthy. They bulge with choices. That’s due to a new state law requiring local elections to be held in even-numbered years, in the same cycle as state and federal contests, ostensibly to maximize turnout.

So global and national affairs are on the ballot this year in congressional races as stability in the Middle East and tariffs have become pocketbook issues, as is trying to find common ground on immigration policy. Statewide, energy has become paramount in the governor’s race: the construction of data centers, green energy and natural gas, battery storage, and finding ways to cut everyday costs. In state legislative races, there’s the matter of childcare and social programs and how to pay for them. Town supervisors, meanwhile, are challenged on housing, road conditions and water quality.

In keeping with our public service mission to inform, the Newsday editorial board will be endorsing in 63 races for elected offices across Long Island. We will have held interviews with more than 120 candidates running on the major party lines. Both because of the sheer number of races and the partisan political times, the board is meeting with candidates running for the Nassau County Legislature, and for state Assembly and Senate, in groups, by party caucus. Amid polarization, with lopsided majorities in the different legislative bodies, we are seeking to distill how members of the same party view key issues, what their agenda for 2027 will be, and the prospects for governing rather than posturing.

Some contests held last year are back in play Nov. 3 as a one-time adjustment to the election calendar. This includes town supervisors in Hempstead, North Hempstead, Riverhead and Southampton.

Seats on the Nassau Legislature are up again for a second straight year, this time for two-year terms. Not so for the Suffolk County Legislature, where members now run for four-year terms.

Atop the ballot are the four-year elections for governor, state comptroller and state attorney general. Nassau County Executive Bruce Blakeman is challenging Gov. Kathy Hochul who’s running with state Attorney General Letitia James and state Comptroller Thomas DiNapoli.

Battles for four U.S. House seats will give Long Island a potential national impact, coming at the midpoint of President Donald Trump’s second four-year term. All four Long Island incumbents — two Democrats and two Republicans — are seeking to fend off challenges. House margins are very close, with 219 in the Republican caucus and 214 Democrats now serving, plus two vacancies.

Endorsements will be published throughout October for salient races with at least two candidates. Our nonpartisan choices are based on the board’s tracking of national, state and local issues as well as how candidates described their priorities and the experience they would bring to the job.

The extensive ballots, the national drama to discern the mood of the country, the reach for the governor’s mansion by a Long Island county executive, and priorities of local and state lawmakers make this an extraordinary election. We invite you to consider our analyses and conclusions about the candidates, presented in Newsday’s continuing tradition of public service.