Dean Murray for State Senate District 3

Dean Murray, who put down political roots during the Tea Party era, has perfected his role as challenging the state's Democratic majority for more than a decade, first in the Assembly and for the past four years in the State Senate.

A proud penny pincher, the Republican contends the state spends too much money on programs without measuring whether the results justify the costs. Murray is a persistent critic on the Senate floor of Democrats whom he describes as advocates for ideas without much follow-up on how to implement them. "So, will we be able to pay for it," is a frequent and justifiable parry from him.

Murray, 62, of East Patchogue, believes recent changes in criminal justice laws have allowed too many of those arrested to be released before trial. He would allow judges to consider dangerousness as a factor in determining the conditions of pretrial release. He has long advocated to increase penalties for those who leave a fatal accident, an effort he would continue if reelected to a third Senate term.

He's a persistent critic of the Metropolitan Transportation Authority, opposing congestion pricing and advocating that the Long Island Rail Road replace its grade crossing at William Floyd Parkway with an underpass. And he is seeking more funding to raise  the height of homes  on the South Shore to make the Tri-Hamlet area more resilient. He supports the state moratorium on data centers until more information can be gleaned about why they are needed and what their energy sources will be, and complains about fraud in the Medicaid payment system. 

Murray says GOP senators, though in the minority, are a suburban counterweight to some Democratic proposals. "We support green energy," Murray told the editorial board, "but not if you are going to ram it down our throats" with impossible mandates and timelines such as the requirement for electric school buses that was postponed for five years in the last session. "It took kicking and screaming to get that done," he said.

This year's challenger, Democrat Antonio Vargas-Ayala, 49, of Brookhaven, is not actively campaigning.

Newsday Opinion endorses Murray.