Vote for Josh Lafazan in the 18th Legislative District

At 23 years old, Josh Lafazan became Nassau County’s youngest legislator in 2017. He is now in his second term, representing the North Shore’s 18th Legislative District.

A registered Independent who caucuses with the Democrats in the Legislature, Lafazan brings innovative ideas and a forward-thinking approach to crafting legislation. He has written 12 laws that have been passed in the past four years.

Lafazan has solid, well-constructed plans to address the county’s housing crisis, which is deterring younger generations from staying on Long Island. He wants to focus on providing affordable housing in Nassau’s downtowns, centered on Long Island Rail Road stations.

One of his top legislative priorities, he said, is fighting the heroin and opioid epidemic. Timothy’s Law, which established a 24-hour hotline for substance-abuse intervention, was introduced by Lafazan and passed in August 2018. Related legislation mandated the creation of a smartphone application with resources to prevent substance abuse, such as treatment center locations.

Lafazan also introduced the Dignity For Our Heroes package, signed into law in April 2019, which designated veterans as a protected class under the county’s Human Rights Law, in addition to creating the Nassau Commission on Ending Veteran Homelessness, which guides projects meant to reduce the number of veterans who are housing insecure in the region.

In addition to public service, Lafazan advises Northwell Health on implementing policies and initiatives to best care for employees, protect the environment and assist communities through strategic partnerships.

He appears to genuinely enjoy working to improve his constituents’ lives, which he describes as “the best job on earth.” As an elected leader who knocks on residents’ doors every year, Lafazan strives to foster a working relationship with the people of his district in order to best address their concerns.

We liked Lafazan’s Republican opponent, Paolo Pironi, who is active in his local chamber of commerce and civic affairs throughout Long Island. We believe he is sincere in his desire to do good for the community and appreciate his fervent take on the issues. We do not see any reason, however, to unseat Lafazan.

He has the passion and determination needed to follow through on campaign promises and effect positive change. We urge residents of the 18th District to re-elect him on Tuesday.