Candidate Answers to JOLDC: Diana Reyna for Lt. Governor
Candidate Name: Diana Reyna
Office Seeking Election for: Lt. Governor
Website: https://twitter.com/Reyna4NY
1. Explain, based on life experiences and accomplishments, why you believe you are best qualified for the role you are seeking.
The indictment and resignation of Lieutenant Governor Benjamin was a sad day for New York. Since the 2006 election, 17 people have served in New York’s top four statewide positions (Gover- nor, Lieutenant Governor, Attorney General, and Comptroller), and Benjamin is the 10th to leave in scandal. This should be a wake-up call for anyone who still needs it that our State Government and our State Democratic Party needs to change.
New York Democrats must ensure that we win the Lieutenant Governor race this fall. In order to do that, we cannot afford to nominate someone who lacks any government experience or whose views are so out of the mainstream that they would alienate swing voters.
I spent four years as Deputy Brooklyn Borough President, 12 years on the New York City Council, and five years as a District Leader and member of the State Committee. I have the political experi- ence to easily win the general election and the experience as a public official to successfully step into the Lieutenant Governor role on day one.
I understand land use, I understand government financing, I understand economic development. I understand these issues because I have worked on them for my entire career. My experience will translate across New York because people across the state want the same thing: a good job, a safe neighborhood, and a secure retirement.
I am the Lieutenant Governor candidate best positioned to win this race, carry Democrats in difficult State Legislature races to victory, and to hit the ground running next January to serve the people of New York.
2. Please identify any openly LGBTQ candidates for public office you have previously or presently endorsed?
Christine Quinn for City Council Speaker Daniel Dromm for City Council
Carlos Menchaca for City Council Jimmy Van Bramer for City Council Phil Reed for City Council
3. If applicable, what legislation directly affecting the LGBTQ community have you introduced or co-sponsored?
As a member of the New York City Council, I supported legislation recognizing same-sex marriages and supporting the rights of Americans in binational same-sex relationships to sponsor their partners for immigration the same way that those in opposite-sex couples could. I also voted to pass a resolu- tion urging the Federal Government to repeal the “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” policy and finally let LGBTQ people serve openly in the military.
4. What LGBTQ organizations have you been involved with, either on a volunteer or professional basis?
As a member of the New York City Council, I worked with Speaker Quinn to support a number of groups serving the LGBTQ community, including:
- Latino Commission on AIDS
- North Brooklyn Coalition Against Family Violence (Which was doing specific outreach to the LGBTQ community)
- El Puente de Williamsburg (A youth organization that was embracing LGBTQ youth and providing them with safe spaces)
5. If applicable, what LGBTQ organizations have you allocated funds to?
The City Council provided money to the groups listed for question 4.
6. Do you consider yourself a member of the LGBTQ community?
No.
7. Have you marched in any Pride parades? Which marches and for approximately how many years?
Yes. I have participated in Pride parades and events in Brooklyn throughout my career on the City Council and as Deputy Borough President.
8. Have you employed openly LGBTQ individuals previously? Do you employ any currently?
I have employed openly LGBTQ people throughout my career.
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.
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 at- tended and/or participated in?
For many years, I have helped plan and have served in leadership roles for the National Dominican Day Parade. One of my priorities has been ensuring that members of the LGBTQ community are honored at the event.
At the 2019 event, to honor the 50th anniversary of Stonewall, we named six LGBTQ ambassadors for the event:
- Samy Nemir-Olivares (My nominee for ambassador, who is now a State Assembly candidate)
- Chanel López
- Elvin García
- Deivis Ventura
- Genesis Aquino
- Chachita Rubio
11. Have you ever been arrested in pursuit of legislation or for protesting an injustice? Please elabo- rate.
No.
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 and Timely Parole (S.7514A / A.4231A): A bill pending in Albany that 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 would support this bill if it were part of comprehensive legislation, including improved social services, to reduce recidivism and ensure that more parolees stay out of jail.
B. Elder Parole (S.15A / A.8855): A bill pending in Albany that would allow elderly incarcer- ated people who have served at least 15 years in prison an opportunity to appear before the Parole Board for a chance at release.
I would support this bill if it were part of comprehensive legislation, including improved social services, to reduce recidivism and ensure that more parolees stay out of jail.
14. If you do not support any of the above legislation, why not?
Given the current crime wave, including the mass shooting last week in Sunset Park, it is clear that we need to do more to address crime. We cannot have a society without consequences.
At the same time, we must ensure that those who receive parole are set up for success when they get out. Too often, people only think of release but not what comes next. My husband, an NYPD Lieu- tenant, has seen far too many examples of parolees who are failed by the system after they get out.
For those who have already paid some of their debt to society, there should be alternatives to incar- ceration. We should implement a layered release program in which after a certain number of years, we can allow for non-prison settings and eventual release provided that there are better coordinated services to prevent recidivism and promote survival.
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?
Yes, as a general matter. However, there need to be exceptions. The perpetrator of last week’s do- mestic terror attack in Sunset Park should not receive parole.
16. What is your position on the recent revisions to bail reform?
I supported the goals of bail reform because people should not languish in jail awaiting trial for non- violent offenses simply because they cannot afford to pay bail. However, I support the following amendments to bail reform that were excluded from the State Budget:
- Allow judges to consider dangerousness when deciding whether to keep defendants behind bars
- Make more serious crimes subject to arrest, not merely a desk appearance
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?
The reality on the ground is that people are not incarcerated pre-trial solely for stealing diapers. While that may be a good talking point for those who opposed any legislative action whatsoever to address New York’s crime spike, it is not grounded in reality. The reason why one would be incar- cerated pre-trial would be a mitigating factor like an outstanding warrant.
18. Do you commit to visiting constituents who are incarcerated in state prisons and city jails? If in- cumbent, when did you do so last?
Yes. When I was Deputy Brooklyn Borough President, I visited New York City’s two juvenile de- tention centers, Crossroads Juvenile Center in Brownsville, Brooklyn and Horizon Juvenile Center in the South Bronx, to support arts programs in those facilities.
19. Do you support legislation outlawing solitary confinement in all prisons statewide including city jails? Will you work to ensure that the HALT Solitary Confinement Act, which went into effect on April 1, is fully and effectively implemented?
I will work to ensure that the HALT Solitary Confinement Act is implemented along with heavy oversight on incidents of violence in jails. We must keep officers, staff, and prisoners alike safe.
20. When was the last time you were inside a correctional facility?
When I was Deputy Brooklyn Borough President, I visited New York City’s two juvenile detention centers, Crossroads Juvenile Center in Brownsville, Brooklyn and Horizon Juvenile Center in the South Bronx, to support arts programs in those facilities.
21. Do you believe sincere remorse and actions taken while incarcerated should be considered over the original crime in determinations of parole?
Yes.
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?
Yes.
24. Will you affirmatively seek to hire formerly incarcerated individuals?
Yes.
25. Do you support Clean 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?
I would support this bill if it were amended:
1. In addition to sex crimes being excluded from eligibility, serious violent crimes should be as well
2. Certain potential employers like child care providers should be able to access these records when making hiring determinations
3. The bill should not seal the records of those who currently have pending cases in other states
4. The bill should have a "lifetime limit" for eligibility. As the bill currently stands, a person can keep committing crimes every few years and keep getting their records sealed
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?
Merely decriminalizing sex work is not enough. We must address the root causes of why so many (not all) sex workers choose this job even though they’d prefer to do something else. We must give sex workers the services and career opportunities need to leave the sex trade if they wish.
27. Will you actively oppose legislation (S.6040 / A.7069) that would implement the dangerous Nor- dic model instead of the decriminalization of prostitution? Explain in detail your views on full decriminalization, the Nordic model, legalization, and the existing criminalization approach.
I am open to a range of options for how to stop punishing sex workers for making a living. However, per my answer to question 26, thinking only about the decriminalization aspect is not enough. We need to provide services and training to sex workers so that if they wish, they can leave the industry.
28. Do you support ending qualified immunity for police and other law enforcement individuals?
No.
29. What proposals will you advocate for to protect immigrants and further New York as a “Sanctu- ary State”?
As a first generation Dominican-American, protecting immigrants will be a top priority of mine as Lieutenant Governor. I will always work to prevent ICE and other federal agencies from violating the rights of New Yorkers.
30. Do you support New York's Medical Aid in Dying Act (A.4321a/S.6471)?
No.
31. Do you support the establishment of supervised drug consumption spaces?
I grew up in the 1970s and 1980s in Williamsburg, which was a very different neighborhood than the one you see today. As a young girl, I would walk past people shooting up. I have seen firsthand the impact that rampant drug use has on neighborhoods and their residents.
The two neighborhoods where New York City put its first drug consumption spaces already had problems with drug dealing. Concentrating drug consumption spaces in these already troubled areas can cement them as “drug-friendly” and do great harm to them.
Simply put, if you wouldn’t be comfortable having a drug consumption space next door to your own home, you should think twice before putting one in someone else’s neighborhood.
32. Have you ever endorsed any member of the IDC or any candidates who challenged IDC mem- bers? Please identify all candidates
No.
33. Will you commit to ensuring diverse LGBTQ representation among your staff?
I have in the past and will continue to do so.
34. Who did you support for office in the following primaries or special elections: A) Mayor in 2021
B) President in 2016 and 2020 C) Governor and Attorney General in 2018?
2021 Mayoral Primary: Eric Adams 2020 Presidential Primary: Joe Biden
2016 Presidential Primary: Hillary Clinton 2018 Gubernatorial Primary: Andrew Cuomo 2018 Attorney General Primary: Letitia James
35. Do you support term limits for statewide office holders? For State Legislators?
No.
36. Describe any legislation and policy changes that you support in order to address the ongoing ef- fects of slavery, racism, colonialism, and discrimination.
We must continue to root out injustices across the spectrum of policy areas that compromise the idea that “all men and women are created equal.”
One of the reasons why I entered this race is because Latinos have been marginalized from the polit- ical process in New York and have been shut out of citywide and statewide office. The electoral pro- cess must include our community and our elected officials must reflect New York’s diversity, in- cluding the Latino diaspora.
37. 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 crush- ing loan debt that many students and alumni are facing?
We must overhaul our education system and hold accountable an industry that leaves so many col- lege graduates in massive debt. I support a coordinated effort that including making college more affordable and providing relief to graduates facing debt.
At the same time, we must remember that over 60% of New Yorkers do not graduate from college. The Democratic Party nationwide has seen our membership plummet among non-college graduates because we are seen as the party of the “elite” that does not speak to people about the issues they re- ally care about. We must boost registered apprenticeships and other programs that provide skills to people so that they can earn a decent life even if they don’t go to college.
38. Do you support a single-payer universal health care system? Do you support the New York Health Act? Please elaborate.
While I strongly support expanding health care access for low-income New Yorkers, I oppose the New York Health Act. This bill would put the entire $300 billion health system on the State’s bal- ance sheet, increasing the current $220 billion State budget by almost 150%. According to some esti- mates, New York’s top marginal tax rate would need to climb above 33% to pay for the bill.
New York State lost 300,000 residents from 2020-2021, the largest outmigration in the country. The trend of outmigration from many parts of the state has been steady and constant for decades. Our highest-in-the-nation taxes are ones of the reasons for our outmigration. We cannot sustain the tax increases needed to pay for this bill. Such a radical plan would cripple our state.
39. Do you oppose efforts to change laws that banned private contract labor for incarcerated people? Please elaborate.
I would be open to allowing for private contract labor so that inmates can make higher wages and receive job training that will better prepare them for when they get out. However, it must come with rigorous oversight to prevent it from being taken advantage of by the employers.
I would also bring in financial institutions like CDFIs or a New York State Public Bank (see ques- tion 50) to help inmates establish savings/checking accounts and provide them with access to credit. Doing so would improve their financial literacy while they are serving their time and give them ac- cess to capital when they get out.
40. Discuss your stance on reproductive rights, including access to contraceptives and abortion ser- vices.
I fully support reproductive rights.
41. Will you refuse money from individuals or Political Action Committees representing the real es- tate industry or law enforcement unions/associations?
No. I have never let a campaign contribution from anyone affect my judgment and I never will.
42. Will you refuse and refund any contributions from executives at corporations complicit in the Trump agenda?
Please kindly provide my campaign with some examples of what you mean so that I can get back to you with an accurate answer.
43. Will you commit to not hire any vendors or consultants who are complicit in union-busting?
Please kindly provide my campaign with some examples of what you mean so that I can get back to you with an accurate answer.
44. Do you support the legislation to prohibit evictions without good cause (S.3082 / A.5573)? Please explain.
I have represented New Yorkers who make their living as property owners. Some have been finan- cially devastated by the few bad apple tenants who have been able to pay rent throughout the pan- demic but have chosen not to because state policy has allowed them to without consequences. On a personal level, my mom and sister both have tenants. God forbid if they ever stopped paying rent, my family would face financial ruin.
We need to balance the protection of tenants and responsible landlords, and this bill does not do that. I would support legislation that strikes the right balance.
45. 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 supple- ment 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 condi- tions?
Yes, but we need to do more. This bill in and of itself does not fulfill all the needs of New York’s homeless population. We also need to dramatically expand our housing stock, provide better social services and job training, and build more safe houses for families enduring domestic violence.
Throwing more money at the problem is not enough, there needs to be a fully coordinated effort.
46. What should happen to 421-a? Would you end it, mend it, continue it?
One of the very first developments created using 421-a incentives, Schaefer Landing, is in my area. I was so excited about the 421-a program and its potential to reshape the Brooklyn Waterfront and create more affordable housing.
Unfortunately, the current structure of 421-a has allowed developers to abuse it and use it to build luxury housing at market rents. This has allowed them to achieve outrageous taxpayer-backed re- turns on investment. Any program to replace 421-a must reign in this excess.
47. Do you support legalizing accessory dwelling units?
Doing so should be based on a local ordinance. The state should not be in the business of telling mu- nicipalities what to do in their own areas. If a locality is interested in allowing ADUs, they should do so through a public process, not a law some tried to ram into the State Budget.
48. Do you support more state funding for NYCHA? If so, how much?
Yes. We need to go back to pre-9/11 funding levels from both the state and federal governments. NYCHA is currently getting significantly lower than pre-9/11 funding levels from both.
49. Do you support the Climate and Community Investment Act? (S.4264A / A.6967)? Please ex- plain.
New York has set very ambitious energy storage goals for 2025 and 2030, and I support these sorts of steps to make New York a leader on clean energy and climate policy.
At the same time, New York cannot afford to go it alone on climate change. We need the experts in government and the private sector to come together to achieve our climate goals, not merely charge fees to polluters that will force them to other states that are not as forward-thinking on climate pol- icy.
50. Do you support the New York Public Banking Act (S.1762A / A. 8290)? Please elaborate.
I support creating a New York State Public Bank, which would create more economic development in low income communities and communities of color. I would prefer for a public bank to be at the state level because I think it would be easier to manage and conduct oversight that way. The State Public Bank should have many satellite offices throughout the state to serve communities that are currently unbanked or underbanked.
51. Do you support the New Deal for CUNY (S.4461 / A.5843)? Please elaborate.
Yes. I support efforts to make college more affordable. At the same time, we must remember that over 60% of New Yorkers do not graduate from college. The Democratic Party nationwide has seen our membership plummet among non-college graduates because we are seen as the party of the
“elite” that does not speak to people about the issues they really care about. We must boost regis- tered apprenticeships and other programs that provide skills to people so that they can earn a decent life even if they don’t go to college.
52. In view of the fact that Ed Koch has been documented to have caused the deaths of hundreds of thousands of people with AIDS, 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?
I was on the New York City Council when we voted to rename the bridge, and supported the legisla- tion after consulting with LGBTQ members including Christine Quinn and Daniel Dromm (who also voted for it). The renaming was done after a long, public process and debate. I would oppose efforts to repeal that legislation.
I know that Mayor Koch’s Administration made major mistakes in responding to the AIDS epi- demic. When I am Lieutenant Governor, I will learn from those mistakes and mistakes made in re- sponding to the COVID pandemic so that we can do better if, god forbid, another public health crisis strikes New York.
53. What is your position on removing the Christopher Columbus statue in Columbus Circle and if so, what should replace it?
As a first generation Dominican-American, I know better than most the harms of colonialism. I op- pose removing the statue.
54. Do you support reducing the budget of law enforcement throughout the state, and if so, by how much?
I oppose reducing the budget of law enforcement.
55. Are you in favor of removing police from any of the following? a) Schools; b) Mental health re- sponse calls; c) Homeless outreach and social services; or d) Traffic enforcement.
No. I spoke recently to a young teacher. Despite having a physics degree and many career options, she was trying to do good by travelling from the Bronx to Brooklyn every day to teach science. She was bitten by the same student twice and someone tried to set her classroom on fire. Another teacher I know had a student come at her with a knife. These are the types of real incidents occurring in schools, and while I support social services as a supplement, I do not support removing police from these types of environments.
56. Do you support New York City’s current initiatives to remove homeless New Yorkers from the subways and dismantle homeless encampments?
We are not appropriately responding to the homeless population by letting them live in substandard housing like subways and encampments. I have heard from people in public housing who say that homeless people are living on public housing grounds because they are scared to go to shelters. If you choose to live in the streets or underground rather than in a shelter, that shows we have failed. We must build more safe, desirable facilities that rehabilitate homeless people.
57. Should law enforcements "Vice Squads" be eliminated?
In order to respond to community concerns about quality of life, we cannot disband the resources we have. We do better at targeting them, reforming them, and coupling them with complementary ser- vices like social workers.
58. 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?
At this point in the pandemic, with vaccines and antiviral therapies, I do not believe that mask man- dates are necessary. This is especially the case given that the rules are being ignored by many sub- way riders as it is.
59. Would you support state legislation to make CCRB disciplinary determinations binding?
No.
60. What will you do to support nightlife in New York State?
I will focus on finding a balance between protecting New York’s robust nightlife culture and protect- ing neighborhoods near nightlife so that they remain healthy environments to raise children and fam- ilies.
61. 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 gen- eral election. Do you oppose this effort?
Yes.
62. 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.” If elected, do you commit to re- moving him as chair of our state party?
Yes.
63. What are the top 3 issues you aim to address legislatively?
1. Fighting crime
2. Lowering taxes and making New York more affordable
3. Finally helping the children in our troubled schools
64. How much money do you presently have in your campaign account?
I have raised about $250,000 and expect to have raised $500,000 by my first filing. I love to have support from members of the Jim Owles Liberal Democratic Club!
65. What additional information would you like members The Jim Owles Liberal Democratic Club to consider when we are making our endorsement decision concerning your candidacy?
Throughout my tenure in public service, I have been supportive of the LGBTQ community, not be- cause it was always the popular thing to do, but because I believe in peoples’ individuality and in respect for human rights.
As the daughter of immigrant parents from the Dominican Republic who fled a dictatorship and civil war, I know that our society must find common ground to improve so that we can all feel safe as we go to work, go to school, and live our lives.
2022 is shaping up to be a very difficult election year for Democrats. New York is a blue state, but we cannot take this year’s races for granted. Last fall, we saw Democrats lose many races in New York once thought to be sure things. We almost lost the Governor and Lieutenant Governor races in New Jersey as well.
I spent four years as Deputy Brooklyn Borough President, 12 years on the New York City Council, and five years as a District Leader and member of the State Committee. I have the political experi- ence to easily win the general election and the experience as a public official to successfully step into the Lieutenant Governor role on day one. I hope to have your support.