Meet The Candidate: Steve Rhoads For State Senate

LONG ISLAND, NY — Long Island residents will be heading to the polls on Tuesday, Nov. 3.

Ahead of Election Day, Patch asked candidates to answer questions about their campaign — and the results will be published as candidate profiles in the days leading up to the vote.

Steven Rhoads is running for re-election on the Republican and Conservative lines to represent New York State Senate District 5. Incumbent Rhoads is running against challenger Andrew Piddoubny of the Democratic line.

District 5 includes parts of Nassau County, such as Bellmore, Bethpage, East Meadow, South Farmingdale, Hicksville, Levittown, Plainview, Merrick, Seaford, Wantagh, and parts of Jericho.

Name:

Steven D. "Steve" Rhoads.

How old will you be as of Election Day?

(57) My birthday is December 21, 1968.

Does your campaign have a website?

Yes: www.steverhoads.com.

What city or town do you live in?

Bellmore.

What office are you seeking?

Re-election to the New York State Senate.

If you are running in a district, you can specify the district here.

5th Senate District, Nassau County.

Party affiliation.

Republican, running on the Republican and Conservative lines.

Education

I attended Wantagh Public Schools, earned a Bachelor of Arts from SUNY Albany and my Juris Doctorate from Hofstra University School of Law. I was admitted to the New York State Bar in 1995.

What is your occupation?

New York State Senator and an attorney in private practice. I have also served as a volunteer firefighter with the Wantagh Fire Department for the past 34 years and a volunteer Youth Minister at several parishes over the past 20 years.

Do you have a family? If so, please tell us about them.

My wife and I have been married for more than 30 years and live in Bellmore. Long Island is our home, and preserving the communities we love is personal to me.

Does anyone in your family work in politics or government?

My mother previously worked in administrative assistant positions in both state and local government and is retired from full-time public service.

Have you ever held a public office, whether appointive or elective?

Yes. I have represented the 5th Senate District since January 2023. Previously, I served as Nassau County Legislator for the 19th Legislative District from 2015 through 2022.

First, why are you seeking this office?

I am seeking re-election to make Long Island more affordable, keep our communities safe, and make government more accountable. Families should not have to leave because they cannot afford to stay. I will continue fighting for tax relief, strong schools, support for first responders, and local control over development. My job is to represent our neighbors, solve problems, and deliver results.

Please complete this statement: The single most pressing issue facing constituents is:

Affordability. Property taxes, housing, utilities, insurance, and everyday expenses are putting enormous pressure on working families and seniors. I support meaningful income-tax relief, expanding STAR benefits, protecting the property-tax cap, and reducing wasteful state spending and unfunded mandates. I have advanced a plan (S. 9110), which would provide the largest personal income tax cut in New York State history; have delivered on exempting the first $25,000 of tip income from state taxes and have advanced legislation to create first-time homebuyer tax-free savings accounts to help young families build a life here on Long Island. Long Islanders deserve to keep more of what they earn. I will continue to fight for that.

What needs to be done to address water quality issues on LI?

We need sustained investment in drinking-water treatment, sewer infrastructure, and groundwater protection, with polluters held responsible for cleanup costs. I have sponsored legislation establishing independent oversight of the Grumman/Navy contamination cleanup so residents have greater transparency and accountability. We must also help water providers address emerging contaminants without placing the entire financial burden on ratepayers. Clean water must remain both safe and affordable. That is why I have co-sponsored legislation to eliminate the special franchise tax on private water providers like Liberty water which would save Liberty ratepayers roughly 30% on their water bills; fully fund the South Nassau Water Authority and permit private water providers to access infrastructure grant funding through New York State.

What do you think can be done to help improve our infrastructure, highways, etc.?

Long Island needs a fair share of state infrastructure funding and a coordinated plan for maintaining roads, bridges, drainage, and public transportation. I support stronger funding for

local road repairs, timely highway resurfacing, and improvements that reduce flooding and improve safety. I have repeatedly voted for increases in CHIPS funding, providing aid to local municipalities for road infrastructure projects. Further, agencies should be required to coordinate construction to avoid repeatedly digging up the same roads and wasting taxpayer dollars. For commuters, we need reliable LIRR service and greater accountability for how the MTA spends their money. I have repeatedly called for a full forensic audit of the MTA and a repeal of congestion pricing which is nothing more than a Hochul-imposed tax on Long Island families and businesses.

How would you plan to help local business owners, who are struggling because of high rents, inflation and labor shortages?

Thanks to regressive policies that act as an impediment to businesses of all sizes, Forbes Magazine ranks New York as the second worst state in the Nation to own and operate a business. As a small-business owner, I understand the pressure of meeting payroll and keeping the doors open. I support reducing taxes and unnecessary regulatory costs, streamlining permits, and getting the government out of the way of growth and innovation. New York leads the nation with over 300,000 regulations, requiring business owners to spend more time being legal experts than on building their business and creating jobs. There must be a top-to-bottom review of all regulations to preserve consumer protections and fair business practices while making it easier for business owners to do business. Additionally, maintaining reliable, affordable energy is also critical to business growth. I support a repeal of the CLCPA and the Hochul “Cap & Tax” program which has driven up energy costs for homeowners and businesses and are expected to increase costs up to an additional $4,000 per year over the next five years. To address labor shortages, we should expand apprenticeships and employer-driven training through schools, community colleges, and industry partners. New York is losing population, particularly among young people because the American Dream has become increasingly unaffordable while job creation and wage growth has not kept pace. Making New York a business-friendly innovation hub and training our up and coming workforce to meet the needs of those industries is the key to the future of both New York and the Long Island region.

How are federal issues impacting local government?

Federal decisions on funding, immigration, taxes, and trade affect local budgets, public services, and the cost of doing business. Changes in federal assistance can also affect transportation, healthcare, and environmental projects. My responsibility is to work with our congressional delegation and local officials to protect Long Island’s interests, pursue available funding, and prevent costs from simply being shifted onto local property taxpayers.

What is your stance on how ICE enforcement has impacted local communities?

I support lawful immigration enforcement and cooperation between local police and federal authorities to protect our communities, particularly when dealing with violent offenders and gang activity. I have opposed proposals that restrict that cooperation. Nassau County’s longstanding cooperation and coordination with ICE has resulted in the arrest and removal of over 2,000

criminal illegal aliens from our streets in a secure and orderly fashion. It is almost exclusively in “sanctuary” jurisdictions where local law enforcement is prohibited from coordinating with Federal authorities where you have seen the unfortunate incidents reported in the media. We don’t get to choose which laws we follow and which ones we don’t. Governor Hochul has forgotten that. Enforcement must respect due process and individual rights, and residents should feel safe reporting crimes and seeking emergency assistance. Public safety and fair treatment must guide how these responsibilities are carried out and law enforcement agencies must be permitted to work together to make that happen.

What are the major differences between you and the other candidate seeking this post?

Experience and Proven Leadership. I offer a proven record of service as a State Senator, former Nassau County Legislator, attorney, business owner and volunteer firefighter for more than 30 years. I grew up and built a life right here in Nassau County and understand our issues and needs to keep our communities safe and successful. Voters can judge me by my work on tax relief, public safety, government accountability, and constituent service. I have demonstrated that I am a passionate fighter for Long Island interests who is unafraid to stand up to Kathy Hochul and the Democratic majority in the Senate on policies that will hurt our families and businesses, yet can still work across party lines to find areas of common ground. This is evidenced by Senate passage of over 120 bills that I either sponsored or co-sponsored in 2026 alone.

What other issues do you intend to address during your campaign?

My priorities include public safety and stronger protections for crime victims; utility affordability; school funding and parental involvement; clean water; and housing opportunities for young adults and seniors that preserve local zoning authority. I will also continue advocating for veterans, people with disabilities, access to healthcare, and stronger action against antisemitism and other forms of hate.

What accomplishments in your past would you cite as evidence you can handle this job?

In the Nassau County Legislature, I helped deliver more than $100 million in tax and fee reductions, strengthened oversight of county contracting, and supported an independent Inspector General. I also helped expand emergency-alert technology in schools and houses of worship. In the Senate, I have helped secure funding for local schools and community projects and advanced legislation supporting first responders and crime victims. I have co-sponsored major legislation to protect children from AI chatbots, social media algorithms and vape products; expanded access to critical healthcare services; fought to provide resources and sensible legislation to give police the tools they need to keep us safe and advanced the largest personal income tax cut in the history of our State to put more money back in your pocket and out of Albany’s hands. My record reflects practical work to protect residents and their tax dollars.

Is there anything else you would like voters to know about yourself and your positions?

Public service means being accessible and following through. Whether someone needs help navigating a state agency or wants to discuss legislation, they deserve to be heard and treated with respect. That is why I am a consistent presence in your community, hosting mobile office hours in every part of my district; attending civic association and chamber of commerce meetings; visiting train stations and going door to door in your neighborhoods whether I’m running or not to be open, accessible and responsive to your concerns. I will continue representing every resident of this district, regardless of party affiliation, and fighting to keep Long Island a safe and affordable place to live, work, and raise a family.

What is the best advice anyone has ever given you and why?

“The answer is always ‘no’ to the question you don’t ask.” That advice reminds me to take initiative and pursue solutions, even when success is uncertain. In public service, progress often begins with asking the question, making the call, and refusing to assume that a problem cannot be solved.