The race for Nassau County Legislature District 10 pits businessman Weihua Yan running on the Democratic line against Mazi Melesa Pilip, the incumbent, who is running on the Republican and Conservative lines.

Both candidates have inspiring stories of new Americans contributing to their new country that would be an asset in representing a district that includes Great Neck, all of Manhasset except Flower Hill, Manhasset Hills, North Hills and Roslyn Estates.

Pilip was born in a small poor village in Ethiopia, where she grew up without running water in her home. She immigrated to Israel in 1991 when she was 11 years old, along with her family, as part of Operation Solomon.

She attended high school in Israel, served in the Israeli Defense Forces in the paratrooper unit and graduated from Tel Aviv and Haifa Universities with degrees in diplomacy, politics and security.

She emigrated to the United States with her husband, Dr. Adalbert Pilip, where she manages his practice and helps raise their children.

Pilip was elected to the Nassau County Legislature in 2021. She is chair of the Legislature’s Towns, Villages & Cities Committee, vice chairwoman of the Health & Social Services and a member of the public safety, senior affairs and veterans committee.

Yan first came to America as a high school exchange student from China in 1987.

He returned to the U.S. to study physics and computer Science at Bowdoin College and Brown University, and eventually put down roots in Great Neck with his wife Carey, where they raised their sons.

Weihua founded several successful software and e-commerce companies and currently serves as a partner at Rise Capital and as chief technology officer at Wonder Inc., a food delivery platform that brings top chefs from iconic restaurants to people’s homes.

In 2009, he began volunteering in local groups like the Great Neck Chinese Association, and he became an active parent leader in his son’s Boy Scout Troop.

He continued his service as an elected trustee of the Great Neck Library, where he served as president through 2022.

Pilip has been a visible presence in the community.

But we are troubled by her lack of independence from Republican Nassau County leaders.

She said she trusted Nassau County Executive Bruce Blakeman to set the timetable for fixing the county’s long dysfunctional assessment system, did not believe there was a need for greater transparency or accountability from Nassau County police and was comfortable with Blakeman’s efforts in dispensing money for combatting opioid use and the environment.

Pilip did acknowledge that President Biden won in a free and fair election in 2020 and that she would not support former President Trump if he was convicted on one or more of the 91 charges against him.

She also said she supported a community-wide effort to address housing but did not have answers to downtown business districts – a priority she identified in her first run two years ago.

Yan, on the other hand, cited reassessment as one of his main goals noting the unfairness of the current system. He said he wants to “modernize and solve inefficiencies” to fix the system and demand that a reassessment is done.

He also called for more action to address climate change and advocated measures to lower crime rates.

He said he also said he brings expertise and knowledge that would help the county operate more efficiently.

We also believe Yan would add balance to a county government now dominated by the Republican Party.

We endorse Weihua Yan for Nassau County Legislature District 10.