Tuesday, October 13, 2026
Paolo Pironi, the Republican candidate for New York’s 15th Assembly District, is running on a platform centered on affordability, public safety and restoring local values to government, drawing on his experience as a third-generation Long Island home builder.
Pironi, 38, lives in East Norwich and grew up in Glen Head. He studied architecture at the New York Institute of Technology in Old Westbury and works as a developer building single-family homes throughout Nassau County through his family’s business, Pironi Homes.
Pironi said he decided to run because he wants future generations to be able to afford to remain on Long Island.
“I want my kids to live here. I want them to be able to afford to live here,” Pironi said. “I’ve had family and friends move out of Long Island and New York because they just can’t afford to live here.”
Affordability is one of Pironi’s three central campaign issues, along with crime and safety and “having (constituents’) values back in government.”
As a business owner, Pironi said he would bring a customer-service mindset to the state assembly and focus on maintaining a direct connection with constituents.
Pironi added that he wants to ensure police departments have the support they need and that residents feel safe in their communities.
“I want to make sure that our police are taken care of,” Pironi said, “and that our streets are safe for my kids to walk down.”
On Propel NY Energy, the proposed transmission project that has drawn opposition from some North Shore residents, Pironi said constituents should have a significant voice in determining how the project proceeds.
“I want to make sure my constituency is heard,” he said. “I want to make sure they get what they want.”
Pironi said he believes more housing, including single-family homes, could be a better use of land in the district.
He also connected housing affordability to the permitting process, arguing that local governments should retain control over development decisions rather than face additional state oversight.
He spoke about aquifer protection as a major environmental concern and said Nassau County could consider incentives for more advanced septic systems that protect groundwater.
“As a home builder, I have come in contact with aquifer issues,” Pironi noted, “and we’ve done everything we can to work with environmental groups to make sure those aquifers are protected.”
He also expressed support for protecting Long Island’s waterways and wildlife, pointing to Oyster Bay’s efforts to protect shellfish as an example of local environmental stewardship.
Pironi said veterans affairs would also be his top legislative priority if elected, ensuring that Veterans of Foreign Wars posts have the resources needed to support those seeking services and assistance.
Ultimately, Pironi said he wants voters to see him as an accessible representative who can combine his business experience with constituent advocacy.
“I want to make sure that those constituents have someone to go to when there is an issue,” he said, “and that they know that there’s going to be someone to fight for them in government, in state politics, in local politics.”
