BACKGROUND
Johnson, 34, of Bethpage, is a registered Democrat and is running on the Democratic party line in the general election. He ran unsuccessfully for this seat in 2025. He is an attorney at the Mineola firm of Meltzer Lippe, specializing in commercial litigation, and is a former law clerk for the U.S. House of Representatives’ Committee on Oversight and Government. Johnson received his law degree from Hofstra University and has a bachelor’s degree from Temple University.

Ryan J. Johnson and County Legislator 17th District

What city or town do you live in?

Bethpage

Patch Candidate Profile: Ryan Johnson, District 17 Nassau County Legislator

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

I am married to Kimberly Johnson and together we have two children, Logan and Zackary. My wife and my children are why I am running. I want to make sure the county is a better place for them.

Ryan J. Johnson earned a bachelor's degree from Temple University and a law degree from Hofstra University. He lives in Bethpage with his wife, Kimberly, and their two children.

Long Island Voters Guide 2026: NYS, Nassau and Suffolk county ...

Meet The Candidate: Ryan Johnson For District 17 Nassau County ...

Experience
Associate
Meltzer, Lippe, Goldstein & Breitstone, LLP · 2026 to now
Attorney
L'Abbate, Balkan, Colavita & Contini, L.L.P. · 2023 to 2026
Assistant General Counsel
Citnalta Construction Corp · 2022 to 2023

Ryan J. Johnson

Experience
Attorney
L'Abbate, Balkan, Colavita & Contini, L.L.P. · 2023 to 2026
Assistant General Counsel
Citnalta Construction Corp · 2022 to 2023
Updated Oct 22, 2026

BACKGROUND
Johnson, 34, of Bethpage, is a registered Democrat and is running on the Democratic party line in the general election. He ran unsuccessfully for this seat in 2025.

He is an attorney at the Mineola firm of Meltzer Lippe, specializing in commercial litigation, and is a former law clerk for the U.S. House of Representatives’ Committee on Oversight and Government.

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

I think my experience as an attorney, as a public servant and as a husband and father all make me a great candidate for office. At Hofstra I was awarded a Public Service Certificate for the highest level of hours spent working for the public, so public service is nothing new to me. I worked as general counsel for two companies where I revamped their internal policy and worked on negotiating several contracts.

Ryan J. Johnson currently works as an associate at Meltzer, Lippe, Goldstein & Breitstone, LLP. He previously worked as an attorney at L'Abbate, Balkan, Colavita & Contini, L.L.P. and as assistant general counsel at Citnalta Construction Corp. He also worked as a law clerk for the U.S. House of Representatives’ Committee on Oversight and Government and as general counsel for two companies.

Ryan J. Johnson for Nassau County Legislature - Sway

Ryan J. Johnson currently works as an associate at a law firm. He previously worked as a law clerk for the U.S. House of Representatives’ Committee on Oversight and Government and as general counsel for two companies.

BACKGROUND
Johnson, 34, of Bethpage, is a registered Democrat and is running on the Democratic party line in the general election. He ran unsuccessfully for this seat in 2025.

Ryan previously ran for Nassau County Legislator for District 17 in 2025 but did not win.

2026 New York General Election

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

Labor shortages and the rising costs first will be impacting local small businesses, which are the backbone of our communities. It is important for us to invest in housing options that increase the labor pool through affordable housing. We also should be helping our small businesses through community outreach programs and through tax incentives or tax relief for small businesses.

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

I worked with the House of Representatives Committee on Oversight and Government Reform and the idea of oversight from a legislative body is something we need to bring into Nassau County. We need to address the corruption in the County. We are wasting so much taxpayer money on hiring outside legal counsel, redoing signs to have elected officials’ names, and sending taxpayer funded direct mail campaign literature. We need a full accounting of the spending, and we would need to make the difficult decisions to cut spending where the programs are not working and reinvest in programs that work and help deliver a better Nassau County. We should be using taxpayers’ money for things that truly matter like fixing our roads and infrastructure.

Supports community outreach, tax incentives, or tax relief for small businesses, and affordable housing to expand the local labor pool.

Calls for a full accounting of county spending, cuts to ineffective programs, and reinvestment in effective programs and infrastructure.

- Supports community outreach, tax incentives, or tax relief for small businesses, and affordable housing to expand the local labor pool.
- Calls for a full accounting of county spending, cuts to ineffective programs, and reinvestment in effective programs and infrastructure.

Economy

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

Ensure that Nassau will provide vital services, including services in mental health, addiction treatment, and support for victims of domestic abuse. Federal cuts along with the current county administrations failures have left vulnerable populations without adequate support. The current administration failed the people of Nassau County when they stopped funding the Safe Center in Bethpage without any plan in place to have a new shelter for victims of domestic violence. They also continue to fail us by not spending the close to $100 million dollars they received in the opioid-related settlement. This money can and should be used to address the opioid epidemic facing Nassau.

Calls for Nassau to provide mental-health and addiction-treatment services, as well as services supporting victims of domestic abuse.

- Calls for Nassau to provide mental-health and addiction-treatment services, as well as services supporting victims of domestic abuse.

Public Services

ISSUES
Johnson said that if elected he will work to make Nassau more affordable for young working families. He supports affordable housing development and said the county should explore programs to combat rising costs, including through tax incentives and alleviating the cost of child care.

Supports affordable housing development and exploring tax incentives and relief for child-care costs to make Nassau more affordable for young working families.

- Supports affordable housing development and exploring tax incentives and relief for child-care costs to make Nassau more affordable for young working families.

Housing & Urban Development

Calls for using Nassau's opioid-related settlement funds to address the opioid epidemic.

- Calls for using Nassau's opioid-related settlement funds to address the opioid epidemic.

Public Safety

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

We as a county need to invest in our infrastructure to a greater degree. With global warming and major weather events becoming increasingly common we need to ensure that all of our residents are protected, and our infrastructure can withstand natural disasters. This involves working with our drainage systems, burying our power lines where possible, and investing in projects that will protect people. We also have some of the least safe roads in the country which need to be addressed between the towns, the county and the state to ensure that all roads and adjoining roads are being taken care of.

Calls for greater county investment in disaster-resilient infrastructure, including drainage systems and the burial of power lines where possible.

Calls for greater county investment in disaster-resilient infrastructure, including drainage systems and, where possible, the burial of power lines.

Calls for coordination among towns, Nassau County, and New York State to address road safety and maintenance.

- Calls for greater county investment in disaster-resilient infrastructure, including drainage systems and, where possible, the burial of power lines.
- Calls for coordination among towns, Nassau County, and New York State to address road safety and maintenance.

Transportation & Infrastructure

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

Being a Bethpage resident, this is one of the most important issues to me. I know through settlements the Bethpage Water district is above and beyond, however the plume and the increase in cancers in my district is a huge issue that needs to be addressed. Another big concern is the use of lead pipes on Long Island, including several houses on my block. We need to continue to do more to address these problems and keep an open line of communication with all residents.

Calls for further action on the Bethpage water plume and lead pipes, along with ongoing communication with residents.

- Calls for further action on the Bethpage water plume and lead pipes, along with ongoing communication with residents.