Thursday, October 22, 2026
For Joy Jankunas, her campaign for the Nassau County Legislature is an extension of the work she has done throughout her career helping people navigate complicated legal and family matters.
Jankunas, 47, Legislator John Giuffre’s Democratic challenger, grew up in Elmont, attended Elmont Memorial High School and earned an undergraduate degree from Duke University and a law degree from Georgetown University. She worked for a large New York City law firm before moving into nonprofit work with Sanctuary for Families, where she represented survivors of domestic violence and their children, an experience that she said shaped her views on many of the issues she wants to address in county government.
Her legal career, she said, gave her a firsthand look at the financial, housing and family pressures residents can face, particularly during difficult transitions.
Jankunas lives in Garden City with her husband and their twins, a boy and a girl who are ninth-graders at Garden City High School.
A central focus of her campaign is keeping Long Island affordable while creating more opportunities for residents to remain in the area. “I want it to be a place that people have good associations with,” Jankunas said, “that they're not running to move down South where the cost of living is going to be better, where people are getting priced out, where people aren't finding jobs because innovation’s happening elsewhere.”
Local and regional economic development, she said, should include investments in research and innovation.
Property taxes are another priority. Jankunas said that the county's assessment system should undergo a comprehensive review, arguing that homeowners who have the time or resources to challenge their assessments can have an advantage over others. She added that the county should focus on maintaining accurate assessments and tax rolls while examining how the system affects homeowners.
Public safety is also a focus of her campaign. Jankunas supports a proposed 311 system that would allow residents to report nonemergency issues without tying up 911 lines. She also wants county funding for police and fire departments to be based on community needs rather than political affiliation.
In District 8, Jankunas said, she has heard concerns about parking and traffic, particularly in Franklin Square and Garden City South. She pointed to Clinton Avenue and Stewart Avenue, near Stewart School, as an example of how overlapping village and county jurisdictions can complicate efforts to address traffic safety.
She also wants to explore creating a county Family Justice Center to offer legal assistance, advocacy and other services to domestic violence survivors in one location. The closure of the Safe Center in 2025 highlighted the need for reliable resources.
If elected, Jankunas said, she would approach legislating by examining proposals, gathering information and listening to residents before deciding how to vote. “I will bring an inquisitive and analytical mind,” she said. “My whole, life I've been a person who studies information and synthesizes information and tries to make the best decisions based on what you know.”
