2026 Candidate Interview | New York State Assembly District 10
Democratic Party
Assemblyman Steve Stern, the incumbent Democratic candidate for New York State Assembly District 10, joined Huntington Matters on October 29 for a 2026 General Election Candidate Interview.
Huntington Matters asks candidates seeking the same office the same core questions about issues affecting Town of Huntington residents, with follow-up questions providing opportunities for more detailed discussion.
As Huntington Matters President June Margolin explains, “Our goal is to help Town of Huntington residents get to know your choices at the polls so you can vote with confidence for you and your family.”
Among the topics explored were Stern’s legislative record, property taxes and affordability, housing and sewer infrastructure, rising energy costs, public safety, school funding and his proposal to give Long Island greater control over its transportation funding by separating Nassau and Suffolk counties from the larger downstate planning region.
▶️ WATCH THE COMPLETE INTERVIEW:
Experience, Legislative Record and Priorities
Stern is seeking his fifth term in the New York State Assembly, having first been elected in a 2018 special election following six terms in the Suffolk County Legislature. He recalled arriving in Albany with approximately six weeks remaining in the legislative session and passing six bills during that period. Stern described his legislative record as a central reason for seeking reelection, emphasizing his efforts to bring state resources back to Long Island.
Stern also discussed his longstanding practice of knocking on thousands of residents’ doors each year, explaining that those conversations help him understand community concerns and shape his legislative priorities. He identified public safety, affordability, accountability and opportunity as guiding principles.
“My community comes way before the politics. And way before the party.”
He emphasized that representing Long Island frequently requires working across party lines. Stern described the challenges of advocating for Long Island’s interests within a statewide Legislature, where the region competes with other parts of New York for funding and legislative priorities.
▶️ Watch Stern discuss his experience and legislative record — 3:08
Public Safety and Supporting First Responders
Stern identified public safety as a top priority and discussed his support for law enforcement, volunteer firefighters and emergency medical personnel. He emphasized the growing recruitment and retention challenges facing volunteer fire departments and ambulance services, warning that maintaining Long Island’s volunteer emergency response system requires continued support.
Stern discussed tax exemptions passed during the most recent legislative session to benefit volunteer first responders, along with funding he said he has helped secure for local fire departments and emergency medical services. He argued that supporting these volunteers is essential not only to public safety but also to avoiding the substantial expense of replacing volunteer services with paid emergency response systems.
▶️ Watch the public safety and first responders discussion — 12:21
Affordability, Property Taxes and Homeownership
Stern described the high cost of living as one of the concerns he hears most frequently from Huntington residents, particularly the burden of property taxes. He argued that Long Islanders should receive meaningful value for the taxes they pay, pointing to road conditions, public education and other government services.
Stern expressed strong support for New York’s property tax cap, noting that it limits the growth of certain property taxes while requiring greater transparency and accountability when local governments seek to exceed it. He opposed proposals to eliminate or weaken the cap, but acknowledged that slowing tax increases is not the same as reducing the financial burden on homeowners.
Stern called for renewed efforts to control property taxes, particularly for young families trying to purchase homes and older residents struggling to remain in their communities.
“That premium cannot translate into an absolute demolition of the American dream or our Long Island dream and even our Huntington dream of homeownership.”
He also questioned whether Long Island is investing heavily in educating young people only to see them leave for more affordable parts of the country.
▶️ Watch the affordability and property tax discussion — 16:34
Affordable Housing, Local Control and Sewer Infrastructure
Stern emphasized his longstanding support for local control over housing and development decisions, arguing that municipalities should determine what types of development are appropriate for their communities. However, he distinguished local decision-making from the state’s responsibility to provide financial support.
Stern identified sewer and wastewater infrastructure as essential to expanding housing opportunities, protecting Long Island’s sole-source aquifer and supporting economic development. He highlighted the ongoing sewer construction in Huntington Station, describing it as the result of years of planning and cooperation among county, state and federal governments.
Stern traced his involvement in the project to his service in the Suffolk County Legislature, when he helped initiate efforts to identify priority areas for sewer expansion. He later worked at the state level to help secure the funding necessary to advance the project. He described Huntington Station’s infrastructure improvements as an opportunity to support new housing, businesses, recreation and economic development.
“In a year and a half, two years, come to Huntington Station. What’s going to be going on there is going to bring great pride to all of us that call Huntington home.”
Stern also discussed transit-oriented housing near Long Island Rail Road stations, including Huntington and Wyandanch, as examples of development that can provide additional housing options when supported by local communities. He emphasized the need for housing that serves both young adults seeking their first homes and seniors who want to remain in the communities they helped build. Drawing on his personal experience caring for aging parents, Stern discussed the pressures facing families balancing childcare, employment and eldercare responsibilities.
▶️ Watch the housing, local control and sewer infrastructure discussion — 22:00
Energy Costs, Utility Oversight and Renewable Energy
Stern discussed rising electricity and heating costs and called for greater transparency and accountability in New York’s utility regulation process. He criticized the authority exercised by the New York State Public Service Commission, arguing that decisions affecting utility rates are too often made without sufficient public input or legislative accountability.
Stern discussed recent efforts to strengthen oversight of utility companies and return more financial benefits to ratepayers.
“Job number one is not to just control costs, but to reduce them.”
On renewable energy, Stern supported expanding alternative energy sources, including offshore wind, while emphasizing the importance of a balanced transition that maintains reliable service and protects consumers. He said reducing dependence on traditional energy sources could provide environmental, economic and national security benefits, but cautioned against moving too quickly without adequate infrastructure and reliable alternatives.
▶️ Watch the energy costs and utility oversight discussion — 35:17
Drug-Impaired Driving and Roadway Safety
Stern identified aggressive driving and drug-impaired driving as serious public safety concerns on Long Island. He argued that New York’s laws have not kept pace with the challenges law enforcement faces when investigating drivers impaired by cannabis and other drugs.
Stern explained that existing legal requirements can make drug-impaired driving cases more difficult to prosecute than alcohol-related offenses, particularly when officers must identify the specific substance involved. He described working closely with law enforcement professionals and the Suffolk County District Attorney’s Office on legislation intended to address those enforcement limitations.
Stern said support for the proposal has grown among legislators over successive sessions, but the measure did not advance to passage during the most recent session. He identified passage of the drug-impaired driving legislation as one of his highest priorities if reelected.
▶️ Watch the drug-impaired driving discussion — 41:26
School Funding and Foundation Aid
Stern discussed New York’s Foundation Aid formula and whether it adequately reflects the actual costs facing Long Island school districts. He emphasized the importance of accounting for special education services, English-language learning programs and student transportation when determining state education funding.
Stern described bringing state education officials to Huntington-area schools to meet directly with administrators and learn about the challenges facing local districts. He said those visits have helped demonstrate where the funding formula fails to reflect local needs and have contributed to improvements in state support.
“We give so much, we get so little back.”
Stern argued that securing a fair share of education funding is essential both to maintaining strong public schools and to reducing pressure on local property taxpayers.
▶️ Watch the school funding and Foundation Aid discussion — 46:38
Giving Long Island Greater Control Over Transportation Funding
Stern discussed legislation he introduced to change how transportation funding priorities are established for Nassau and Suffolk counties. Currently, Long Island participates in a larger downstate metropolitan planning organization that includes New York City and other surrounding regions.
Stern argued that this arrangement places Long Island in competition with other areas for transportation resources despite the region’s substantial number of registered vehicles, insured drivers and roadway miles.
“I introduced a bill that would pull Long Island out of the downstate region and make us our own Long Island MPO, so that at least we get a fighting chance.”
Stern said the proposal has attracted bipartisan support from elected officials at multiple levels of government. He also described working with Suffolk County and the Long Island Contractors Association to develop an analysis documenting Long Island’s transportation needs and strengthening the case for the proposed change.
Stern acknowledged that restructuring the planning organization would be challenging but expressed optimism that broad regional cooperation could help advance the legislation.
▶️ Watch the Long Island transportation funding proposal — 49:36
Hear the Candidates. Know Your Choices.
These highlights represent only part of the conversation. Huntington Matters encourages residents to watch the full interview to hear each question, the candidate’s complete response and any follow-up discussion.
As Huntington Matters President June Margolin reminds viewers:
“An informed community is a stronger community. Get to know your candidates, make your voice heard, and get out and vote!”
Candidate: Steve Stern
Office Sought: New York State Assembly District 10
Ballot Lines: Democratic
Incumbent: YES
Facebook: Steve Stern NY
Instagram: @stevesternny
Election Day: Tuesday, November 3, 2026
Early Voting: October 24 – November 1, 2026
General Election Information | Early Voting Information | Voter Information
Watch more Huntington Matters Candidate Interviews: HuntingtonMatters.com
After November 4, 2026, find the Candidate Interviews: HuntingtonMatters.com/elections/ and on our Election Candidate Interviews and Events YouTube Podcast.
About Huntington Matters Candidate Interviews
Huntington Matters has conducted candidate interviews since 2015 to help residents get to know their choices at the polls.
All candidates have been invited to participate in the 2026 General Election Candidate Interview series. If a candidate does not appear, they were unavailable or did not accept the invitation.
Huntington Matters does not endorse any political candidate or political party.
