Dean Tarulli for Assembly District 15
Dean Tarulli, of Glen Head, is the Democratic candidate in this district. Credit: James Escher
Find out the candidates Newsday's editorial board has selected on your ballot: newsday.com/endorsements2026
It's a game of musical chairs. State Sen. Jack Martins retired, leading Assemb. Jake Blumencranz to vie for that seat. Blumencranz's move in turn leaves open the Assembly seat he has occupied for nearly four years. Enter two newcomers: Glen Head Democrat Dean Tarulli and East Norwich Republican Paolo A. Pironi.
Tarulli, 39, is a marine scientist who has spent years working in local government on coastal resiliency, infrastructure and flood mitigation. That experience gives him a breadth of knowledge when it comes to the environmental needs of the district, but also a familiarity with how government works and how it can be better. Tarulli recommends taking closer looks at the amount of money the state spends on consultants, when public employees in house might be able to do the job better and less expensively.
He has specific ideas big and small for his district, ranging from expanding tree-planting efforts to electrifying the Long Island Rail Road's Oyster Bay Branch. Tarulli said district residents worry about Liberty Water's high bills; he supports public water. And he intricately understands the details of the Propel NY Energy transmission line effort, pointing particularly to how Propel has handled its communication with residents. "They have done the worst possible job presenting this project to the public," Tarulli said.
Pironi, 38, a developer of single-family homes, emphasizes that housing affordability requires reducing regulations to "make it easier for single-family homes to be built while keeping our suburban way of life." He recommends providing homebuying tax credits for blue-collar workers and advocates for smaller home development and a potential rent-to-own model, where young residents could start by renting and then graduate to buying their first homes. When asked about specifics for the district, Pironi spoke generally about Oyster Bay's work on water quality, saying he'd like to secure funding to protect shellfish and the aquifer.
The Assembly — and the district — could benefit from Tarulli's well-honed skill set and his ability to distill, evaluate and address the complex challenges facing the state and region.
Newsday Opinion endorses Tarulli.
ENDORSEMENTS ARE DETERMINED solely by the Newsday editorial board, a team of opinion journalists focused on issues of public policy and governance. Newsday’s news division has no role in this process.
