Candidate Answers to JOLDC: Ana María Archila for Lt. Governor
Candidate Name: Ana María Archila
Office Seeking Election for: Lt. Governor
Website: https://www.anamariaforny.com/
1. Explain, based on life experiences and accomplishments, why you believe you are best qualified for the role you are seeking.
I have been a leader in New York and nationally in the fight for worker justice, immigrant rights, LGBTQ rights, and women’s rights for two decades. Born in Colombia, I spent my entire adult life in New York. I co-founded and led several grassroots progressive organizations, including Make the Road New York and the Center for Popular Democracy, and I have dedicated my life to fighting for the rights and dignity of working people -Black, Latino,Asian, white, immigrant and native born.
I approach LGBTQ rights through an intersectional lense.As a queer Latina, it is impossible for me to separate my identities, and therefore have integrated the fight for the rights of those disenfranchised into all of my work as a Co--Founder and Executive Director of Make the Road New York and the Center for Popular Democracy.
2. Please identify any openly LGBTQ candidates for public office you have previously or presently endorsed?
I am an LGBTQ candidate. Either individually and in my prior capacity as a Board member of Make the RoadAction and CPDAction, I have previously endorsed and supported many LGBTQ candidates. In New York, over various cycles, these have included Tiffany Caban (for both Queens DAand City Council), Crystal Hudson, Jimmy Van Bramer, Danny Dromm, Brad Hoylman, and more.
3.
If applicable, what legislation directly affecting the LGBTQ community have you introduced or co-sponsored?
I have not previously held elected office, so have not introduced or co-sponsored legislation. I have, however, fought as an advocate for such legislation, including No CondomsAs Evidence, marriage equality, GENDA, and more. As a board member of Make the Road New York in recent years, I have been very proud of the work that its members and allies did to repeal the Walking While Trans ban.
4.
What LGBTQ organizations have you been involved with, either on a volunteer or professional basis?
I founded the LGBTQ+ Justice Project at Make the Road New York, led by and centering the our Trans and Non-Binary Latinx community.
5.
If applicable, what LGBTQ organizations have you allocated funds to?
N/A
6.
Do you consider yourself a member of the LGBTQ community?
Yes
7.
Have you marched in any Pride parades? Which marches and for approximately how many years?
Yes.And the LGBTQ+ Justice Project I founded at Make the Road New York created Pride events in Bushwick (Bushwick Pride) and Queens (the TransLatina March).As a proud member of the LGBTQ community, I have organized and attended countless such events.
8.
Have you employed openly LGBTQ individuals previously? Do you employ any currently?
All of the staff that I hired for the LGBTQ+ Justice Project at Make the Road New York were openly LGBTQ+.At the Center for Popular Democracy, where I was also co-director, we hired many LGBTQ+ people and had an LGBTQ+ caucus among the staff, in which I also participated. Finally, my current campaign manager is a Queer woman of color.
9.
If you receive the Jim Owles endorsement, do you agree to identify the club on all literature and electronic materials where you list endorsements?
Yes, I look forward to publicly identifying with and supporting the causes of Jim Owles Liberal Democratic Club.
10.
What press conferences, demonstrations, rallies and protests in support of LGBTQ issues, pro choice legislation, criminal justice reform issues and the Resist Trump Movement have you attended and/or participated in?
I participated in a continuous series of actions to protest the Trump era–honestly too many to list! The organization I co-led, Center for Popular Democracy, worked with affiliates across the country to raise the alarm about Trump’s attacks on our communities: LGBTQ+ people, immigrants, Black people, and more. I am perhaps best known for confronting then-Senator Jeff Flake in an elevator as part of the efforts to stop Brett Kavanaugh’s nomination, given his retrograde views. But that action was part of a much longer sequence of direct actions that we planned and executed. During the Trump era, I was also particularly involved in pushing back against Trump’s attacks on immigrants, frequently through direct action in NY, DC, and across the country.
11.
Have you ever been arrested in pursuit of legislation or for protesting an injustice? Please elaborate.
Yes, I have been part of many civil disobedience actions in New York and nationally. Just last month, I was arrested with housing and criminal justice reform advocates calling for “Homes not Jails.” Over the years, I have taken arrest for participation in protests for immigration reform, to stop the confirmation of Brett Kavanaugh to the Supreme Court, and more.
12.
If you are an incumbent, what have you accomplished in your most recent term?
N/A
13.
For the following pieces of legislation, please answer if you support and how you have publicly indicated such support:
A. Fair andTimelyParole (S.7514A/A.4231A):AbillpendinginAlbanythat would ensure access to a fair parole release process for incarcerated people in New York State. This bill ensures that decisions on parole are not solely based on the nature of the original crimes but centers incarcerated peoples’ record of rehabilitation and assessment of current risk to public safety.
I support this bill and have publicly shared that throughout my campaign and include it as part of my 10-point plan for safe and thriving communities.
B. Elder Parole (S.15A/A.8855):AbillpendinginAlbanythat would allow elderly incarcerated people who have served at least 15 years in prison an opportunity to appear before the Parole Board for a chance at release.
I support this bill and have publicly shared that throughout my campaign and include it as part of my 10-point plan for safe and thriving communities.
14.
If you do not support any of the above legislation, why not?
N/A
15.
Do you oppose life without parole sentences and other extreme prison sentences that don’t allow incarcerated peoples’ cases to be reassessed regardless of how much they change?
I am an advocate for extending dignity and respect to every person, which includes incarcerated individuals. I oppose life without parole and other extreme prison sentences.
16.
What is your position on the recent revisions to bail reform?
In 2019, the State took key steps to rectify this fundamental injustice by passing comprehensive bail reform legislation that eliminated bail for most misdemeanors and non-violent offenses. However, fear-mongering and sensationalism led to these reforms being rolled back almost immediately after they took effect, making dozens more of offenses bail-eligible.And we are again in the same situation today with the right wing misinformation machine and many state leaders capitulating to fear, instead of facts.
We must defend our bail reform laws, ensure the right to a speedy trial, and stop incarcerating New Yorkers for simply being poor. Instead of increasing the numbers of poor people being thrown in jail for shoplifting or repeat “quality of life” offenses as some have called for, we should be investing in greater pretrial services both in NYC and especially upstate.
17. The recent changes to bail reform will criminalize people for crimes of poverty. If someone is arrested for allegedly stealing diapers twice, judges are allowed to set bail and keep the person incarcerated pre-trial. Do you agree with this change to the bail law?
No, the reflexive overwhelming focus on incarceration as our response to advancing safety and accountability has simply
not
worked
to reduce violence or address poverty, and has instead caused family separations and destabilized whole generations of New Yorkers and their communities. Indeed, the localities in New York with the highest levels of incarcerated community members are often the most unstable. Reuniting families and keeping communities whole will lead to greater safety in the long term for all of us.
18.
Do you commit to visiting constituents who are incarcerated in state prisons and city jails? If incumbent, when did you do so last?
Yes, I would. Since I’m not currently an elected official, I have not done so yet.
19.
Do you support legislation outlawing solitary confinement in all prisons statewide including city jails? Will you work to ensure that the HALT Solitary ConfinementAct, which went into effect onApril 1, is fully and effectively implemented?
Yes, I support legislation outlawing solitary confinement in all prisons statewide, including city jails and I will work to ensure that the HALT Solitary ConfinementAct is fully and effectively implemented.
20.
When was the last time you were inside a correctional facility?
Since I’m not currently an elected official, I have not done any recent visits. I have been held in correctional facilities a number of times after participating in civil disobedience actions.
21.
Do you believe sincere remorse and actions taken while incarcerated should be considered over the original crime in determinations of parole?
Yes, I believe that all individuals should be treated with dignity and respect regardless of their involvement with the justice system. Rehabilitation and well-being must be at the center of the function of correctional facilities, and that should be extended to those eager to participate in a system that supports them.
22.
Do you support the frequent, year-round use of executive clemency?
Yes.
23.
Will you publicly support calls to release 200 incarcerated New Yorkers within 200 days of the Governor’s re-election?
24.
Will you affirmatively seek to hire formerly incarcerated individuals?
25.
Do you supportClean Slate legislation (S1553C/A.6399)that allow for the automatic sealing of certain convictions and protect against the discrimination of formerly incarcerated people in housing and employment?
Yes, I support the Clean State legislation.
26.
Do you believe in the decriminalization of sex work? Do you support the bill introduced by Julia Salazar (S.6419 /A. 8230), which fully decriminalizes sex work?
Yes, I am an advocate for and proponent of the Stop Violence in the Sex TradesAct.
27.
Willyou actively oppose legislation (S.6040/A.7069)that wouldimplementthe dangerous Nordic model instead of the decriminalization of prostitution? Explain in detail your views on full decriminalization, the Nordic model, legalization, and the existing criminalization approach.
Yes, I will actively oppose legislation that would implement the dangerous Nordic model instead of the decriminilazation of prostitution. I support the Stop Vioence in the Sex TradesAct, which would amend NY Penal Law article 230 for consenting adults who trade sex for resources and/or money. The existing laws have of course been disastrous to sex workers–criminalizing them instead of providing them with the support they need. The Nordic model would keep criminalization at the center of the equation and fail to keep sex workers safe.
28.
Do you support ending qualified immunity for police and other law enforcement individuals?
Yes, I support ending qualified immunity for police and other law enforcement.
29.
What proposals will you advocate for to protect immigrants and further New York as a “Sanctuary State”?
Yes.
Yes
Over the last two years, immigrant frontline workers bore the brunt of this devastating economic crisis and global health pandemic. The Excluded Worker Fund (EWF) was a critical intervention in 2021 that began to provide life-saving relief to thousands of New York’s working families. However, too many members of our communities across the state still have received no relief. New York State has long been a beacon of hope for immigrants; as a state, we need to live up to our reputation by ensuring immigrants can access the social safety net and engage in our democracy.
As Lt. Governor, I would fight to:
.
Ensure immigrant neighbors are protected by passing #Coverage4All, creating a state-funded Essential Plan for all New Yorkers up to 200% of the federal poverty level who are currently excluded because of their immigration status
.
Fund excluded workers by allocating $3 billion for the Excluded Workers Fund to ensure everyone who is eligible for the program has access to it.
.
End the criminalization of undocumented communitites by passing New York for All, prohibiting all local law enforcement and state agencies from conspiring with Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and Customs and Border Patrol (CBP)
.
End immigration detention by barring ICE from contracting with New York state and local jails and passing the Dignity Not DetentionAct.
30.
Do you supportNewYork'sMedicalAidin DyingAct(A.4321a/S.6471)?
Yes.
31.
Do you support the establishment of supervised drug consumption spaces?
Yes.
30.
Have you ever endorsed any member of the IDC or any candidates who challenged IDC members? Please identify all candidates
I never endorsed a member of the IDC. I was on the national board of the Working Families Party, which helped lead the effort to defeat the IDC, backing all of their challengers. I was also on the board of Make the RoadAction when the organization endorsed Jessica Ramos as part of the successful effort to defeat the IDC. The organization also backed Julia Salazar that year, who was up against a similarly conservative Democratic incumbent (Martin Dilan). Both the Ramos and Salazar victories were critical for changing the composition of the Senate.
31.
Will you commit to ensuring diverse LGBTQ representation among your staff?
Yes
32.
Who did you support for office in the following primaries or special elections:
A) Mayor in 2021: Maya Wiley
B) President in 2016 and 2020: Bernie Sanders
C) Governor andAttorney General in 2018? Cynthia Nixon and Zephyr Teachout
33.
Do you support term limits for statewide office holders? For State Legislators?
Yes.
34.
Describe any legislation and policy changes that you support in order to address the ongoing effects of slavery, racism, colonialism, and discrimination.
I believe that many policy issues are tied to the perpetuation of slavery, racism, colonialism, and discrimination. These include issues of housing, policing, education, healthcare, immigration and the judicial system.
35.
What legislation or other policy changes do you support in order to make college and graduate school affordable for poor, working-class, and middle-classAmericans and to alleviate the crushing loan debt that many students and alumni are facing?
At the federal level, I strongly support canceling student debt, and have been disappointed by President Biden’s failure to do so.
At the state level, I fully support the effort to fully fund CUNY and SUNY. I am particularly supportive of the push for a New Deal for CUNY, including this year’s budget push for a $500 million investment, to:
.
1. Increase the ratio of full-time faculty-to-students ratio and professionalize adjunct compensation.
.
2. Reset the ratios of mental health counselors and academic advisors to students, in line with national standards.
.
3. Make CUNY free: eliminate undergraduate tuition and fees for in-state undergraduate students and replace tuition income with public funds.
This year’s budget allocations for CUNY and SUNY were insufficient and the state must go further.
36. Do you support a single-payer universal health care system? Do you support the New York HealthAct? Please elaborate.
Yes.
Healthcare is inadequate and unaffordable for millions of New Yorkers. If the federal government can’t or won’t do it, New York must lead the effort for universal, single-payer healthcare. Every New Yorker should have fully covered healthcare that includes dental, mental health, and long-term care without worrying about insurance companies dictating their health.
All New Yorkers have the right to safe, free, culturally competent health care. Decades of underinvestment in health services created the conditions for the coronavirus to spread most rapidly, the public health system to be overrun most quickly, the pain to be felt most deeply, New York to become the epicenter of the epicenter. We need to reverse the damage done to Medicaid in the last administration and provide universal health care—including for people often left behind. It’s critical that we combat health disparities and inequities, from food insecurity, to Black maternal morbidity to underfunding of hospitals in already underserved areas.
As Lieutenant Governor, I would fight to:
.
Pass the NewYorkHealthAct: we need universalhealthcare disconnectedfrom big insurance profiteering for all New Yorkers, including access for all immigrants and coverage for mental health services and abortion care.
.
Create a large-scale mental health infrastructure across the state, including culturally competent outreach, neighborhood clinics, mobile units, and school services.
.
Ensure immigrant neighbors are protectedbypassingCoverage forAll, creating a state-funded Essential Plan for all New Yorkers up to 200% of the federal poverty level who are currently excluded because of their immigration status.
.
Invest in research and programs to support Black maternal health.
.
Protect women's reproductive health and the right to choose.
.
Build and fund state of the art public hospitals.
.
Regulate and hold for-profit nursing homes accountable.
.
Build strong elder care services.
38. Do you oppose efforts to change laws that banned private contract labor for incarcerated people? Please elaborate.
Yes. I oppose the effort to bring back private contract labor of incarcerated people.
While we work to cut off the numerous pipelines that feed into the mass incarceration system, we must also improve the conditions of those who are incarcerated and work to ensure that our penal system is centered around rehabilitation rather than punishment. Creating dignified educational and employment opportunities for those in prison is the right and moral thing to do, but will also make their return home more seamless – something that is good for safety and communities and can help end the brutal cycles of incarceration that too many New Yorkers and their families experience.
Rehabilitation and well-being must be at the center of the function of correctional facilities. For this to occur, these facilities must be staffed with an adequate number of social workers. Connection with loved ones is also critical to the mental and emotional well-being of incarcerated New Yorkers. Especially with the current pandemic making in-person visits an impossibility, we must strengthen access to videoconferencing.
Those who work for the State while incarcerated carry out important work, including producing much-needed hand sanitizer for the public during the current pandemic. Yet, these New Yorkers make an average of $0.65 per hour, which amounts to less than 5% of the State’s minimum wage. The Governor is now proposing that incarcerated labor be contracted out to private corporations. This racialized exploitation of prison labor must end. In incentivizing the continuation of mass incarceration and failing to humanely compensate workers, New York is, quite simply, extending of the legacy of slavery.
Instead of this backward approach, New York should end forced labor, guarantee fair wages, and ensure robust employment protections for incarcerated people. The State should pass a Real Wages forAll New YorkersAct that would ensure that prison labor is compensated at the State minimum wage. The State should additionally pass The Freedom From Forced LaborAct, which would ensure that all prison labor occurs voluntarily and with dignity, without any form of coercion. Until these needed reforms are made, the State must stop forcing municipalities, including New York City, to contract with the Department of Corrections and Community Supervision (DOCCS) for needed supplies.
Further, New York must make a number of reforms to the commissary system to eliminate exploitation of incarcerated New Yorkers and their families. First, the State must pass legislation which would repeal the unjust law requiring commissaries to make a profit via markups on goods and replace it with a mandate for commissaries to sell goods at market price. Second, the DOC must establish a cost-free remote mechanism by which members of the public can remotely deposit money into a facility resident's commissary account. Currently, the only way to deposit money to a facility resident's DOC account without incurring a fee is in person at a DOC cashier's window.
The DOC must significantly improve the programming it provides to those in its custody. In order to do so, it must provide detailed plans and reporting regarding its legal obligation to provide five hours of daily programming to incarcerated New Yorkers. To ensure that all residents have access to these programs, all facilities should provide menus that lay out what programs are offered.
Finally, New York must provide comprehensive resources and infrastructure for New Yorkers returning back home from prison.Again, this is the right thing to do, but also critical for our collective public safety. New York must increase resources for formerly incarcerated New Yorkers, particularly investing in guaranteed transitional housing that has wrap-around services including mental health treatment, job training, and peer counseling.
38.
Discuss your stance on reproductive rights, including access to contraceptives and abortion services.
All New Yorkers, including immigrants, should have universal healthcare that upholds their reproductive rights, including access to contraceptives and abortion services. As I have said before, I believe in a system of care that instills dignity and respect toward every person, and reproductive rights are critical to ensuring that. I am perhaps best known for confronting then-Senator Jeff Flake in an elevator as part of the efforts to stop Brett Kavanaugh’s nomination. This effort was heavily motivated by Kavanaugh’s anti-Roe views. I am firmly pro-choice and believe in universal access to both contraceptives and abortion.
39.
Will you refuse money from individuals or PoliticalAction Committees representing the real estate industry or law enforcement unions/associations?
Yes.
40.
Will you refuse and refund any contributions from executives at corporations complicit in the Trump agenda?
Absolutely yes.
41.
Will you commit to not hire any vendors or consultants who are complicit in union-busting?
Yes.
41.
Do you support the legislation to prohibit evictions without good cause (S.3082 / A.5573)? Please explain.
Yes. Housing is a human right and in New York State we have the power to make that right a reality. It is the government's responsibility to ensure safety and shelter, and to make housing accessible for New Yorkers in need. No one in New York should worry about where they or their families might sleep at night. We need to protect vulnerable tenants and immediately pass statewide good cause eviction.
42.
Will you push for the passage of Home Stability Support (HSS) to bridge the difference between the public assistance shelter allowance and fair market rents for NY's 95,000 homeless? Do you support S.856 /A.6032, which amends the Social Services Law to create a statewide rent supplement for families and individuals who are eligible for public assistance benefits and who face eviction, homelessness, or loss of housing due to domestic violence or hazardous living conditions?
Housing is a human right, and we have a moral obligation to make that right a reality. And let’s be clear: it is the government's responsibility to ensure safety and shelter, and to make housing accessible for New Yorkers in need. I support the Home Stability Support (HSS) bill, but my understanding is that most advocates for affordable housing and ending homelessness have turned their focus to the HousingAccess Voucher Program (HAVP). I strongly support HAVP and have already been at multiple actions in New York City andAlbany to call for its inclusion in the budget.
43.
What should happen to 421-a? Would you end it, mend it, continue it?
End it.
44.
Do you support legalizing accessory dwelling units?
Yes
45.
Do you support more state funding for NYCHA? If so, how much?
We need to address the public housing that we have and dramatically upgrade New York’s public housing infrastructure while ensuring management is held accountable.As Lieutenant Governor, I will prioritize dramatically increasing funding and improving oversight and transparency of entities like the New York City HousingAuthority, and working closely with federal and local partners to realize a Green
New
Deal
for Public Housing. Let’s finally update New York’s public housing for the 21st century. New York has neglected public housing for far too long and its residents, our neighbors, and our communities deserve better. I absolutely support more state funding for NYCHA.
46.
Do you support the Climate and Community InvestmentAct? (S.4264A/A.6967)? Please explain.
Yes. From water contamination to unhealthy air to rising utility costs to the impacts of extreme weather events, the climate crisis disproportionately impacts working people and communities of color. We must rapidly reduce reliance on fossil fuels and instead invest in climate resilience projects, green infrastructure, and public utilities and transit across the state. To ensure that our children and grandchildren have a livable planet, we need to accelerate the transition away from fossil fuels toward a clean energy economy that both reduces toxic emissions and will lower costs for families through greater public control over utilities and energy production. We must ensure our water is free of contamination, keep our buildings free of harmful emissions, and create family-sustaining jobs. I believe we must fully fund and implement the state’s landmark climate bill, the Climate Leadership and Community ProtectionAct to jump-start the transition to a clean energy economy.
47.
Do you support the New York Public BankingAct (S.1762A/A. 8290)? Please elaborate.
Yes.
48.
Do you support the New Deal for CUNY (S.4461 /A.5843)? Please elaborate.
Yes. We must absolutely invest more in CUNY. CUNY and SUNY are absolutely essential higher education institutions, but they are now both too expensive to be fully accessible for all New Yorkers, under-resource staff, and need real capital improvements. CUNY should be tuition-free.
49.
In view of the fact that Ed Koch has been documented to have caused the deaths of hundreds of thousands of people withAIDS, and was blatantly racist, would you support a city bill to rename the former Queensboro Bridge? Do you authorize the use of your name for such a purpose?
Yes, I would support renaming it. I think the question of its renaming should be dealt with through a consultative process with community organizations to find a better choice.
50.
What is your position on removing the Christopher Columbus statue in Columbus Circle and if so, what should replace it?
Yes, I would support removing it. I think the question of its renaming should be dealt with through a consultative process with community organizations to find a better choice.
51.
Do you support reducing the budget of law enforcement throughout the state, and if so, by how much?
Yes, I support divesting resources from police, prosecutors and jails and investing in the things that make people whole and keep people safe: housing, education, childcare, healthcare, transportation, good jobs, income support for those who need it, spaces for recreation and joy, and more. The safest communities are well resourced communities, where everyone has time to rest, time to play, and time to work and learn. In particular, we need to redirect resources to poor, black and brown communities, which have traditionally been neglected and abandoned, even as they are sandwiched between poverty, gun violence and over-policing. In New York City, last year I supported the call by Communities United for Police Reform for a reallocation of $1.5B in funding from the NYPD to invest in communities.
This campaign is rooted in the idea that, if we prioritize the needs of poor and working class New Yorkers, we can build a New York where everyone can live with dignity.Across the state we fall short of ensuring that is the case. I have dedicated the last 20 years to building power rooted in working class communities in the pursuit of a more just nation, a more just New York. This becomes more possible when the very people who have been silenced and relegated to the margins of our democracy build power together and use that power to dismantle the structures of exclusion and exploitation from below. When we rely on police as first responders to situations that they are not equipped to handle, we jeopardize everyone’s dignity and safety. I will always fight for interventions that acknowledge and uplift the dignity inherent in each of us, which is why I believe it is necessary to move resources away from institutions that have historically exacerbated the marginalization of black and brown communities and instead invest directly in the communities.
52. Are you in favor of removing police from any of the following?
a)
Schools
b)
Mental health response calls
c)
Homeless outreach and social services
d)
Traffic enforcement
Yes to all and replacing them with trained outreach and support staff, including mental health response teams, school counselors, outreach workers, and more.
53. Do you support New York City’s current initiatives to remove homeless New Yorkers from the subways and dismantle homeless encampments?
No, absolutely not.
Housing is a human right and in New York State we have the power to make that right a reality. It is the government's responsibility to ensure safety and shelter, and to make housing accessible for New Yorkers in need. By removing New Yorkers experiencing homelessness from the subways and dismantling homeless encampments, we are failing to address the root of the issue, and instead stripping away the dignity of our fellow New Yorkers.
54.
Should law enforcements "Vice Squads" be eliminated?
55.
How would you recommend law enforcement officers be penalized for refusing to wear masks in public while on duty, in defiance of city and state rules?
The Police Department should model behavior that reflects public health guidelines. I would recommend those who do not be held accountable, but need to give more thought to the question of how.
56.
Would you support state legislation to make CCRB disciplinary determinations binding?
Yes.
57.
What will you do to support nightlife in New York State?
58.
State Democratic Chair Jay Jacobs is promoting the idea of creating a third party so that if a progressive candidate wins the primary race there would be a chance to defeat them in the general election. Do you oppose this effort?
Yes.
59.
State Democratic Chair Jay Jacobs uses his title and organization to bash and demagogue against progressive Democrats to the point that he is now supporting a candidate who claims commemorating a Klan leader “has nothing to do with race.” Do you call for his removal?
I support calls for his removal.
60.
What are the top 3 issues you aim to address legislatively?
1.
Affordable housing
2.
Working people’s economy
3.
System of Care: healthcare, childcare, elder care
Yes
1.
How much money do you presently have in your campaign account?
We have not had a filing yet, but we are well into six figures and growing. Our first filing is in late May.
2.
What additional information would you like members of The Jim Owles Liberal Democratic Club to consider when we are making our endorsement decision concerning your candidacy?
If elected, in addition to being the first LGBTQ+ person elected to statewide office, I would also be the first Latina (in fact, first Latinx person of any gender). But my identity alone is not why I am running: I am running, and hope you and voters across the state will support me, because I am fighting a New York State government that is accountable to working families and struggling New Yorkers, not the ultra-wealthy and the powerful.