Candidate Answers to JOLDC: Jenifer Rajkumar for NY Assembly District 38
Candidate Name: Jenifer Rajkumar
Office Seeking Election for: New York State Assembly, 38th District (Queens)
Campaign Address: 86-20 Park Lane South, Woodhaven, NY 11421
Campaign Website: www.jeniferforny.com
Campaign Telephone: 917-690-0891
Campaign Social Media Handles (Facebook/Twitter):
Twitter: @JeniferRajkumar
Campaign Page on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/jrk4ny/
Personal/Campaign Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/jenifer.rajkumar
Campaign Contact (name/phone/email):
Campaign Manager: Arvind Sooknanan; Cell: 347-935-5192; Email: sooknanan125@gmail.com
Candidate: Jenifer Rajkumar; Cell: 917-690-0891; Email: jenifer.rajkumar@gmail.com
1. Explain, based on life experiences and accomplishments, why you believe you are best qualified to represent your district.
I am running against the incumbent Assembly Member Michael Miller, who was installed in the State Assembly by the political bosses in a backroom county committee deal in 2009. During his 10 years in office, he has voted against marriage equality, against a woman’s right to choose, and against equal pay for women. He also presides over a district that is 72% minority—mostly South Asian and Hispanic—and he has ignored these vast minority populations.
Who better to replace Michael Miller than a young South Asian woman of color who has spent her career advocating for women’s rights, civil rights, and immigrants’ rights?
I am ready to lead. A graduate of Penn and Stanford Law School, I have been a civil rights lawyer for 10 years. When Trump was elected President, I took a job as the Director of Immigration Affairs for New York State, where I pushed back against Trump’s anti-immigrant policies. I built a $31million first-in-the-nation project to ensure indigent immigrants in New York had access to legal counsel. Studies show that with a lawyer, an immigrant’s chances of success in an immigration proceeding increase by 14 times. This state project made a big different in the lives of immigrant’s statewide.
Earlier in my career, I worked at the National Women’s Law Center, where I fought for women’s reproductive rights. I also worked for several years at a top civil fights law firm where I litigated the largest gender discrimination class action ever to go to trial, on behalf of 5,000 women who experienced pregnancy discrimination and equal pay issues on the job. The U.N. called it one of the top 10 cases in the world advancing women’s rights.
I am also dedicated to our city’s youth. Since 2015, I have been a Professor at CUNY’s Lehman college, helping to sculpt young minds.
As the daughter of South Asian immigrants who came to the United States with just $300 and a suitcase and first settled in Queens, I decided to dedicate my life to social justice to honor a country that gave my family so much opportunity. I have now returned to my family’s Queens roots to uplift the rest of the South Asian and immigrant community—to help this community navigate American institutions and to make sure they have the opportunities I had. I will also be an effective, and passionate advocate for all communities in my Assembly District. My Assembly District out in South Queens is in a corner of the city that has been overlooked for decades. I have the strength, skill and energy to bring my district the resources and funding that it needs.
2. Do you now support or have you ever supported an openly LGBTQ candidate for public office?
In 2011 and 2012, I supported Tammy Baldwin for the United States Senate in Wisconsin. She became the first openly gay person and the first openly LGBT person ever elected to the United States Senate.
3. If applicable, what legislation directly affecting the LGBT community have you introduced or co-sponsored? (indicate accordingly)
This is not applicable, as I have never been elected to a government office. However, I would like to point out that my past track record as an advocate shows that when elected, I will be strong on LGBT issues. While at the National Women’s Law Center in 2009, I wrote and advocated in support of the repeal of “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell,” a destructive anti-LGBT policy in the military that was repealed in 2010. I have always supported marriage equality and GENDA.
4. What LGBT organizations have you been involved with, either on a volunteer basis or professionally?
I was previously a proud Board Member of the Jim Owles Liberal Democratic Club. I have attended events for and supported the Human Rights Campaign and the Victory Fund.
5. If applicable, what LGBT organizations have you allocated funds to?
This is not applicable as I have never been elected to a government office.
6. Do you consider yourself a member of the LGBT community?
I am a strong and longstanding ally of the LGBT community, but I myself identify as a straight woman.
7. Have you marched in Pride? Which marches and for approximately how many years?
Yes. I marched in 2015, 2018. and 2019.
8. Have you employed openly LGBT individuals previously? Do you employ any currently?
Yes. The current director of my campaign’s media and video identifies as transgender. A previous campaign manager of mine identified as bisexual.
9. If you receive the endorsement, do you agree to identify the club on all literature and electronic materials where you list endorsements?
Yes, I would be proud to list the club.
10. What press conferences, demonstrations, rallies and protests in support of LGBT issues, pro choice legislation, criminal justice issues and the Resist Trump Movement have you attended?
I have attended the Women’s March and spoken on pre-march panels in support of the march. I have attended an innumerable number of rallies with Planned Parenthood, NARAL, and other pro-choice groups. I used to work in the reproductive rights unit of the National Women’s Law Center. I have attended a press conference by women against gun violence. I attended a Citizen Action event last year rallying in favor of sweeping criminal justice reforms.
11. Have you ever been arrested? If so please explain why and outcome of arrest.
No.
12. Will you advocate and sponsor legislation to mandate the review of sentences of incarcerated individuals over the age of 55 who have served in excess of 15 years to determine if they warrant release?
Yes. According to the organization RAPP, older people, especially those who have been convicted of the most serious crimes, have the lowest recidivism rates of any age cohort, posing little, if any risk to public safety. That is one reason that I fully support the Elder Parole Bill. Also, I reject “death by incarceration” policies that break up families and deny freedom to people who have transformed themselves while in prison.
13. Do you commit to visit constituents who are incarcerated in state prisons such as Bedford Correctional Facility?
Yes. I commit to visiting constituents incarcerated in state prisons. I will check on the conditions of their imprisonment and their life circumstances, to see how I may aid in justice.
14. Do you believe sincere remorse, risk of reoffending and actions taken while incarcerated should be considered over the original crime in determinations of parole?
Yes. Unbelievably, the New York State Board of Parole interviews roughly 60 people for parole a day via videoconferences that last an average of 15 minutes. The vast majority of people are denied parole. It is imperative that the Board is guided by principles of mercy, rehabilitation and redemption, and not by political pressure. The board should take into account a person's age, accomplishments in prison, and personal transformation.
15. Have you participated in any demonstrations or protests in relation to the issues of clemency and parole?
Yes, I participated in the Jim Owles’ Candles for Clemency demonstration in front of the Governor’s former home in Mt. Kisco, New York. It was a tremendous experience that informed by later work with the Governor’s office.
16. Will you affirmatively seek to hire formerly incarcerated individuals?
Yes. I would be proud for my campaign to be a place where people can get a new start and uplift themselves.
17. Do you believe in the decriminalization of sex work? Are you sponsoring the bill introduced by Jessica Ramos?
Yes. Decriminalization promotes safe working conditions. Decriminalization also improves access to justice for sex workers; when sex work is criminalized, sex workers feel unsafe reporting crimes. Decriminalization reduces the risk of police abuse too; when sex work is criminalized, police wield power over sex workers. For these reasons, I support the decriminalization of sex work and Senator Ramos’ bill.
18. Will you actively oppose legislation that would implement the dangerous Nordic model instead of decriminalization of prostitution?
Yes. The Nordic model focuses on punishing the consumers of sex work. But studies show that this merely drives the sex industry underground. I support the repeal of “Nordic model” styled laws. Amnesty International and UN Women also favor decriminalization of sex work, and I join with them.
19. What proposals will you advocate for to protect immigrants and the further New York as a Sanctuary City?
As the Director of Immigration Affairs for New York State during the Trump presidency, I helped lead New York state’s push against Trump’s anti-immigrant agenda. I built the Liberty Defense Project, the first-in-the-nation state project to provide legal counsel to indigent immigrants in immigration proceedings. Studies show that with legal counsel, an immigrant’s chances of success in an immigration case improve 14 times. I am proud of the immigrant families around New York that I was able to help by driving forward this historic project. Other states followed New York’s lead and created similar projects to secure the rights of immigrants.
I support State efforts to build the Liberty Defense Project’s capacity, through additional state funding each year.
I also support stronger state action to prevent ICE from arresting immigrants near and outside of courthouses. Despite guidelines issues by the New York State Office of Court Administration outlining procedures for when federal agents can arrest immigrants in courthouses, such arrests are still occurring, especially in outer boroughs such as in my borough of Queens. Such arrests are an affront to justice. As a civil rights lawyer, I believe we must protect the sanctity of our courthouses as places of justice. It is not appropriate to arrest immigrants in and around courthouses.
I also support the designation of New York State as a Sanctuary State. Further, I support the creation of a 24 hour state “ICE hotline” that immigrants can call if they need help when encountered by federal agents.
20. Will you advocate, including introducing legislation, to remove public funding from religious schools?
Yes.
21. Do you support the establishment of supervised drug consumption spaces?
Yes.
22. Have you ever endorsed any member of the IDC or any candidates who challenged IDC members? Please identify all candidates
No.
23. Will you commit to hiring a member of the LGBT community to serve as a liaison to the community?
Yes.
24. Will you commit to ensuring diverse LGBT representation among your staff?
Yes. My campaign team already includes members who identify as LGBT.
25. Who did you support for office in the following races A) mayor and Public Advocate in 2014 B) President in 2016 C) Governor and Attorney General 2018
A) Mayor: No one, I was working for the Governor and could not take public stances. Public Advocate: No one. I was working for the Governor and could not take public stances. B) Hillary C) Governor Cuomo & Letitia James
26. Describe any legislation and policy changes that you support in order to address the ongoing effects of slavery, racism, colonialism, and discrimination.
The biggest policy changes I support to address the above inequalities have to do with education. Equal access to a quality education for low-income and minority individuals is key to remedying these inequalities and to opening up opportunity. To that end, I support the expansion of the New York State Excelsior Scholarship to include more families; More families in New York should have access to free college tuition. I support free college tuition for all at the point of entry. I will expand to increase the Excelsior Scholarship’s eligibility requirements to include more families. Also, public schools in low-income, minority-heavy areas, should be as well-funded as schools in more affluent areas. I will push for fiscal equity in education funding.
Next, I support major policy changes in the area of criminal justice. According to renowned scholar Michelle Alexander, author of “The New Jim Crow,” one-third of the African-American population in the United States will be imprisoned in the next few decades. In order to fully realize the promise of the 13th Amendment, which banned slavery and involuntary servitude, we have to reform our criminal justice system. I support policy changes to break the school to prison pipeline, which is why my platform emphasizes changes to education policy. As a civil rights lawyer, I also support changes that make court proceedings more fair and just for criminal defendants, such as changes to discovery laws that allow defendants to be presented with all the evidence against them in a timely manner so they can prepare a defense. I also support “the right to a speedy trial,” guaranteed by the Bill of Rights but so often unrealized.
27. What legislation or other policy changes do you support in order to make college and graduate school affordable for poor, working-class, and middle-class Americans and to alleviate the crushing loan debt that many students and alumni are facing?
I support free college tuition for all families, for all public universities in New York State (i.e. all CUNYs and SUNYs). The New York State Excelsior Program, created in 2017, was a good start. It mandated free college tuition for some, provided they meet certain eligibility requirements. As an Assembly Member, I will seek to expand the number of people eligible for the Excelsior Scholarship by pushing for changes to the eligibility requirements to include more people.
I also support the cancellation of student loan debt. I support progressive tax policies and other sources of funding to cancel the more than $1 trillion in student debt faced by Americans across the country. The average a student borrower owes is $30,000, which is too much.
28. Do you support a single-payer universal health care system? Please elaborate.
Yes, I support a single-payer universal health care system. “Single-payer,” which refers to a “single” public authority paying for health care rather than a private authority or a mix of public and private authority, will lessen the crushing economic burden of health care in our country and improve health outcomes. We already spend over 18% of the national GDP on health care, a total of $3.5 trillion, more than $10,000 per person. We should restructure this enormous spending into a single-payer model, which will likely improve overall health outcomes and lessen our total spending. Government run health care such as Medicare has been shown to be effective, with low administrative costs of 2%.
New York State has attempted passage of the New York Health Act since 1992. It has passed the Assembly 4 times but never advanced through the Senate. With both chambers now democratically controlled in New York, this can chance. I will help lead that change.
29. Discuss your stance on reproductive rights, including access to contraceptives and abortion services.
I am a long-time proponent of reproductive rights. From 2009 to 2010, I was a fellow in the Reproductive Rights unit of the National Women’s Law Center. I also was a leader in the Law Students for Reproductive Justice, and I clerked at the Center for Reproductive Rights during law school. On national TV- specifically PBS— I have argued against the “religious objection” exception corporations use to deny contraceptive coverage to employees.
I am a defender of Roe v. Wade and supported New York’s initiative to codify Roe v. Wade into law, which the Governor did unilaterally last year. I agree with Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg, who argues in her dissenting opinions that reproductive rights has to do with equal citizenship. In order to be equal citizens, women must have control over their bodies and their destinies.
30. Will you refuse money from individuals or Political Action Committees representing the real estate industry?
Yes.
31. Will you refuse and refund any contributions from executives at corporations complicit in the Trump agenda?
Yes.
32. Are you against the opening of casinos in New York owned and controlled by Trump mega-donor Sheldon Adelson?
Yes.
33. Do you support the surrogacy bill introduced by Senator Brad Hoylman allowing women to decide control of her body in regard to surrogacy?
Yes. I support the legalization of paid gestational surrogacy arrangements. I support Hoylman’s bill which permits legally enforceable gestational surrogacy agreements, allows individuals to obtain a ‘Judgement of Parentage” from a court prior to the birth of the child, and establishes firm legal protections for both parents and surrogates. New York State must keep pace with medical advances in assisted reproduction. This is crucial for women and for same-sex couples.
34. Will you cosponsor the legislation to prohibit evictions without good cause (previously S2892A)?
Absolutely. I have been a long time advocate for tenants. I helped lead a lawsuit on behalf of 4,000 tenants against one of New York’s largest real estate developers. I have always stood up for tenants rights.
35. 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?
Yes.
36. What additional information would you like Jim Owles to consider when we are making our endorsements decisions?
For the past 8 years, from my very first District Leader race to now, I have been an enthusiastic supporter, member and Board Member of the Jim Owles Liberal Democratic Club. I have always appreciated the Club’s commitment to open democracy, its willingness to challenge elected officials, and to take aggressive stands. I was proud to participate in the “Candles for Clemency” events and other Club events. I would be very proud to run for State Assembly under your banner this year and look forward to a long friendship and partnership.