Candidate Answers to JOLDC: Eli Northrup for NY Assembly District 69

Candidate Name: Jordan J.G. Wright

Office Seeking Election for: NY Assembly District 69

Campaign Website: https://www.eli4ny.com/

With the possibility of Donald J. Trump winning (stealing) the next Presidential election and ending democracy and civil rights in the United States, it is more important than ever that we elect progressive, dynamic leaders to the New York State Senate and New York State Assembly.

1. Based upon your life experiences and accomplishments, why should we believe you would be a dynamic, progressive leader who would stand up for Civil Rights and Democracy?

I am a career public defender and champion for civil rights. For the past decade, I’ve stood alongside and fought for the rights of people going through some of the most

challenging moments of their lives. I defend people who face the immense power of the state, which is disproportionately wielded against low-income people and people of color. I am particularly proud of a landmark case I brought that led to the creation of a due process hearing when a temporary order of protection is issued, to ensure that people aren’t deprived of their homes or access to their children, as well as other liberties. It is a privilege to stand next to my clients in court and protect their rights.

When I’m not in the courthouse, I’m in Albany advocating for legislation that will make people’s lives better. I worked with many advocates to help write and pass the Marijuana Regulatory and Taxation Act, which legalized marijuana and sealed marijuana convictions in the state of New York. Now I work with people who were deeply harmed by their convictions to help them become licensed to sell retail cannabis. I have played a critical role in the defense of bail and discovery reform, constantly fighting to minimize the damage that reactionary rollbacks cause. I currently work on the Communities Not Cages, Treatment Not Jails, and PromPT Stability Act campaigns,where I help drive strategic campaign decisions in coordination with impacted people.

Defending civil rights and democracy is at the heart of what I have dedicated my life to. It is the fight that motivates me and gets me out of bed every morning. I’ve spent every day of my career fighting for people; I intend to take that fight to Albany.

2. What is your involvement in the LGBTQ Civil Rights movement? What candidates have you or are you supporting who are openly LGBTQ? What legislation have you/do you support to further LGBTQ rights? Do you /will you have an LGBTQ liaison in your office? What LGBTQ organizations have you been involved with, either on a volunteer or professional basis?

My career has been devoted to dismantling systemic inequities and advocating for marginalized communities. My extensive legal experience, particularly at The Bronx Defenders, has equipped me with a deep understanding of the systemic challenges and discrimination faced by underrepresented groups, including the LGBTQ community. I have worked in close partnership with our LGBTQ defense project to advance policy initiatives that directly impacted our clients in that community.

I personally represented Linda Dominguez in Bronx Criminal Court, where she was charged with “false personation” for providing both her previous and current legal names to police officers. During the arrest, officers repeatedly mocked her gender. Our office

connected Ms. Dominguez with the NYCLU, which went on to win a a significant settlement on her behalf. More about the case here:

https://www.nyclu.org/en/press-releases/transgender-advocate-settles-suit-against-nypd-di scriminatory-arrest-and-harassment

Through leading interdisciplinary teams and collaborating with various organizations, I have worked tirelessly to draft legislation and advocate for policies that promote fairness and dignity for all, regardless of their background or identity. This includes pushing for reforms that ensure everyone has the opportunity for fair treatment under the law, which is a cornerstone of true equity and allyship.

My campaign for the New York State Assembly is built on these core values of justice, equity, and inclusion. Nearly every member of my campaign team identifies as LGBTQ. We aim to foster and build a culture where everyone, especially LGBTQ people, can feel safe, recognized, and supported. By continuing to listen to and actively involve all constituents in the decision-making process, I commit to being a leader who not only represents, but champions the rights and dignity of the LGBTQ community and all underrepresented groups, including by allocating staff capacity towards liaising with LGBTQ+ organizations and leaders like Jim Owles, Equality NY, the LGBT Center, and more on community needs like youth and senior housing, healthcare, and more.

This commitment to equity and inclusivity is not just part of my campaign, but a guiding principle of my work and advocacy—it’s who I am—ensuring that every action taken is a step towards a more just and equitable society.

3. What demonstrations, rallies, and protests have you participated in support of LGBTQ issues, African-American, Hispanic, Asian-American Civil Rights, pro-choice legislation, criminal justice issues, and Resist Trump?

Over the last decade I have consistently attended rallies and protests for racial and social equity and equality. There are too many to list here, but I have spent numerous days in Albany, City Hall, Foley Square, and other places advocating for changes to our laws to make New York a more fair and equitable place. I’ve done this in conjunction with organizations and coalitions such as Center for Community Alternatives, New York Communities For Change, CloseRikers, RAPP, Communities Not Cages, StartSMART, VOCAL-NY, New Hour, YouthRepresent, and many more.

During the summer of 2020 I provided legal support for protestors after the murder of George Floyd alongside the National Lawyers’ Guild. I also advocated to ensure that legal supporters were considered “essential workers” so they could not be accused of violating curfew. My advocacy led to elected officials signing on to a letter that was vital to the support (https://x.com/EliNorthrup/status/1269759844170510344).

4. Do you support reparations to compensate African Americans for the history of slavery, Jim Crow, and systemic racism in this country?

Yes, I support reparations. This country was built on the backs of enslaved people from Africa, and we have never adequately apologized or repaired the harm as a country. After the abolition of slavery, state and local governments across the country worked to keep Black folks out of political power by depriving them of rights, further enacting violence upon them, and perpetuating segregation, either de jure or de facto. Even now, in the era of mass incarceration, it is Black people who face the disproportionate brunt of the cruelty of our criminal justice system and economic inequality. It is long past time that we provide reparations for the systemic harms that have been done to Black people from before this country's founding and that continue to this very day.

My fight for marijuana justice in New York was and is motivated, in large part, by a desire to repair the harms of decades of discriminatory enforcement. In my view, the most important parts of the law that legalized cannabis in New York are those that direct resources to the people and communities that were most directly impacted by the War on Drugs, which, in many ways, is just an extension of Jim Crow and systemic racism. I see my work at the Bronx Cannabis Hub as part of a larger movement toward reparations.

5. What are your concrete proposals to address current systemic racism in terms of employment, housing, voting rights, and the criminal justice system in the U.S.?

Since the 1970s, mass incarceration has been one of the driving forces behind the maintenance, perpetuation, and exacerbation of systemic racism in the US. Beyond the sheer number of people in our country’s jails and prisons—disproportionately people of color—mass incarceration separates families, makes it incredibly difficult to keep and gain jobs, depresses voter registration and turnout (and, in many cases, disenfranchises people altogether), and leads to unsafe and unstable housing. Ending mass incarceration and its effects must be a top priority in any effort to address systemic questions around

housing, voting, employment, education, or healthcare. That is what led me to support the Clean Slate campaign, among many others.

I support the Communities Not Cages, RAPP, and Treatment Not Jail campaigns. These campaigns aim to move the focus of our criminal legal system away from jails and prisons as the principal tools of public safety toward policies that center support, threatment, jobs, and stable housing. I also support ensuring that people who are incarcerated have access to the ballot. Most people who are detained in jails still have the legal right to vote. I will support the placement of polling places within jails to ensure that people inside have the same opportunity to vote that those outside do. For people in prison for felony convictions, I support returning the right to vote to them while they are still inside. We should join Washington, DC, Vermont, Maine, and Puerto Rico in returning the right to vote to those still serving time for felonies. I will also continue to work to strengthen New York’s Clean Slate criminal record sealing laws so that conviction records don’t follow people throughout their lives.

6. Will you advocate for elder parole where incarcerated individuals aged 55 and older who have served in excess of 15 years obtain parole hearings? Are you a sponsor of the Elder Parole Bill, Senate 2423?

I fully support this bill and have worked directly in coalition with the campaign to advocate for Elder Parole. The Legislature’s failure to pass Elder Parole is inexcusable. Incarceration is incredibly hard on everyone, but it is particularly difficult on our elders. I believe in change and redemption. And I have seen so many formerly incarcerated individuals become powerful leaders and advocates for our movement. I will be a champion Elder Parole if elected.

7. Do you sponsor the Earned Time Act, Senate S774, which strengthens and expands “good time” and “earned time” to support rehabilitation efforts?

I was deeply involved in the drafting of this bill. I have been a core member of the Communities Not Cages campaign since its inception and have spent countless hours in Albany working to pass the Earned Time Act. I will continue to be a champion for the ETA when I am an Assemblymember.

8. Do you sponsor Eliminate Mandatory Minimum Bill Act, S6471 which reduces excessive sentences and enables judges to look at individual factors and mitigating circumstances?

The Eliminate Mandatory Minimums Act is near and dear to my heart. In addition to being a core member of the Communities Not Cages campaign, I was a member of the team that helped draft EMMA. Eliminating mandatory minimums is one of the most needed criminal justice reforms. I am regularly in Albany advocating for its passage and I will be one of its most vocal supporters in Albany.

9. Do you sponsor the Second Look Act, S7872, which allows for reconsideration of prison sentences based on changes in law and circumstances?

As a core member of the Communities Not Cages campaign, I will continue to be a champion for the Second Look Act when I am an Assemblymember.

10. Have you participated, and will you participate in demonstrations and protests in relation to the issues of clemency and parole?

I have regularly participated in demonstrations and protests related to clemency, parole and other criminal-legal policy issues and would be glad to continue to participate in these actions in partnership with justice-involved communities. During COVID, I attended protests outside of numerous correctional facilities and advocated for the widespread use of clemency (documented here: https://twitter.com/EliNorthrup/status/1253769788159033346/photo/1; https://twitter.com/EliNorthrup/status/1250802425080004608/photo/1). I recently advocated for the granting of parole of Deb P., a woman I met at Bedford Hills and who was released in September after decades in prison. I have also written letters to the parole board on behalf of numerous clients, many of whom I correspond with regularly on JPay.

11. Will you affirmatively seek to hire formerly incarcerated individuals?

Yes, I will. Throughout my career, I have partnered with formerly incarcerated individuals working and volunteering on campaigns at the city and state levels to protect due process, guarantee transparency, ensure that people with criminal records can find jobs and stable housing, and reduce the population of Rikers Island. In 2022, after working on the campaign for marijuana justice in New York State, I helped launch the

Bronx Cannabis Hub, a free resource to help New Yorkers impacted by the War on Drugs apply for retail cannabis licenses (I now serve as Director). I will take these experiences and ensure my office works to hire justice involved New Yorkers and push for policies that allow more justice involved New Yorkers to get connected to and grow in careers in public service.

12. Have you and will you visit incarcerated constituents to learn of their conditions?

Yes. In the past decade, I have spent countless hours visiting clients on Rikers Island, the Vernon C. Bain Center (the “Boat”), and many other facilities. I was at Rikers Island last week visiting a client. I have also made prison visits upstate alongside New Hour to speak with incarcerated members of the Communities Not Cages Campaign. I will continue to visit people in jails and prisons as a member of the Assembly. I will be driven by my belief that the people closest to the problems are also closest to the solutions.\What are your proposals to have prisons focus more on rehabilitation and less on punishment?

Prisons here in New York and across the country do not prioritize rehabilitation. For prisons to shift away from being institutions of punishment to ones that are more rehabilitation-minded, they must first and foremost have fewer people in them.

We should also make it easier for people to stay connected to their community and to be able to affect their community. This means making it much easier for people to schedule family visits and phone calls, ensuring people have access to news and happenings about their communities, and even giving them access to the ballot box. These can be done through actions like eliminating the cost of phone calls, creating public transit routes that more easily and regularly go to prisons, delivering newspapers and candidate information packets to people inside. Studies have shown that civic engagement and feelings of being tied to your community are correlated with decreases in contact with the criminal legal system. Allowing people to pursue and strengthen these ties will only help them.

People inside must also have real access to services and growth opportunities. This can include employment with living wages so they can save up and be in a much better position once they get out, educational opportunities so people can not just earn degrees but develop and pursue passions, mental health services to help deal with the trauma of being incarcerated, arts programs to be able to express themselves.

Fundamentally, the goal must be to shrink the footprint and the harm of prisons. Every prison should be working towards eradicating the perceived need for its own existence.

13. Do you support ending the cruel punishment of solitary confinement, such as was recently mandated by the New York City Council?

Studies have consistently shown that solitary confinement is torture. We cannot keep subjecting people to solitary confinement when it is cruel and has terrible effects on a person’s mental and physical health. This means going beyond ending solitary but allowing DOC and DOCCS to create solitary by a different name. I fully support ending solitary confinement. New York State passed a landmark law - the Humane Alternatives to Long-term (HALT) Solitary Act - in 2021, that went into effect in 2022. As an Assemblymember, I would work with justice involved New Yorkers as well as my colleagues in the legislature to examine the implementation of this law and develop other legislation and administrative advocacy efforts to ensure prisons adhere to legal requirements and end solitary confinement by any name.

14. What are your proposals to facilitate individuals who have recently entered the

U.S. to be able to live decently with employment and housing?

While the recent increase in asylum seekers and other vulnerable migrants has created challenges at the local and state levels, these challenges are not new, and our ability to welcome our newest New Yorkers is not only a moral imperative, but the source of New York’s strength and vibrancy. Our response requires both additional funding and robust coordination efforts at the city, state, and federal levels. As an Assemblymember, I will work with colleagues and allies to allocate additional funds to the city shelter and healthcare systems, push the Governor to coordinate a strong statewide response, and fully fund immigration and housing legal services, as well as medical wraparound services, for recent arrivals as well as work with members of the health committee towards legislation that ensures recent arrivals have access to public health coverage to ensure they can access care while they await work authorizations. I will also work with providers to develop policies and budget initiatives to ensure providers are compensated and have the resources they need to help support our new neighbors, as well as mental health supports as they navigate supporting often deeply traumatized new arrivals with complicated needs.

15. What proposals do you advocate to combat the cruel and inhumane immigration policies that the Trump Administration commenced and which, to some degree, are still in effect?

Many of these policies are federal level efforts and I would gladly build relationships with the New York delegations on the house and senate levels to help elevate the need for comprehensive immigration reform from Congress, especially with the strategic partnership from immigration groups like the New York Immigration Coalition, Make the Road, and more. Further, I believe in pushing for local level action that can help set examples for national change, such as supporting Assemblymember Gonzalez-Rojas’ efforts to push for a 1332 waiver that could help fund healthcare access for immigrant New Yorkers, pushing for increasing state funds for asylum services statewide, advocating for a right to counsel in immigration court and statewide investments in immigrant legal services and more.

16. Do you believe in the decriminalization of sex work?

Yes. I support decriminalizing and legalizing sex work. For many LGBTQ folks, and trans folks in particular, sex work is a survival job. Further, criminalization further perpetuates widespread societal stigmas treating sex work as an inherently harmful activity, instead of a job that someone has a right to choose. While there are concerns about trafficking, the solution is not to subject all sex workers to the threat of incarceration in order to “save” them. That is backwards and only creates harm.

Decriminalization will also shrink the toolbox that law enforcement has to perpetuate violence on marginalized communities, while legalization will help provide further stability to those who choose to, or feel compelled to, do this work.

17. Do you oppose legislation that promotes the Nordic model?

The Nordic model focuses on criminalizing the purchase of sex, which keeps sex workers in danger by pushing them further underground and leaving the power in the hands of their clients. It increases stigma around sex work and puts sex workers at further risk of police harassment, eviction, and client exploitation and violence. Sex workers deserve to have the power, and protections, around choosing their lines of work, without fear of violence, criminalization or stigma. I am glad to oppose legislation promoting the Nordic model and instead support A08605-A (Forrest) / S4396 (Salazar) and other policy efforts developed by and championed by sex workers.

18. What concrete proposals do you support to lift up women after four years of Trump being President?

Policies that uplift women and femmes must also come from their leadership and partnership. I would be glad to partner with Assembly leaders like Assemblymembers Amanda Septimo, Latrice Walker, and Anna Kelles, who have already endorsed my campaign, as well as other women and femme legislators on current and future legislation they are championing. I will proactively work with organizations championing womens’ rights issues.

Further, many of the policies in this questionnaire are policies that if passed, would advance equity for women and femmes in many key areas.

Other policies I care deeply about include advancing the care economy throughout New York. From childcare to homecare, women, immigrant women, and women of color are often asked to be unpaid family caregivers or poorly paid care workers in vital industries that help New York families live with dignity throughout their life courses. I’m proud to be endorsed by the Jewish Vote and commit to championing truly fair pay for home care workers so that patients can age in their communities with the care they need. Further, New York is seeing an increasing aging population with a deficit of care workers to support them. With fair pay for home care workers and other care work protections, an industry that is very often women and immigrant women of color will see fair wages and workers’ protections that will allow them to continue to work in this much needed industry. We see similar challenges in the childcare industry, with many working mothers forced to delay entering or returning to the workforce because they cannot afford childcare and too many childcare workers (mostly women and women of color) leaving the industry because they are being forced to work strenuous hours with incredibly low pay and poor benefits.

Additionally, I will also work to expand access to universal, full day and full year 3-K, Pre-K and after-school statewide, and to push for equitable access to family care, license exempt and center-based daycare from age 0 on so that every family can access the type of quality day care that best fits their and their child’s needs. Often women are the ones who end up sacrificing career progression or other opportunities if a family cannot secure childcare at these young ages. Providing universal care will help families tremendously, but will have a particularly positive impact on women. It is worth noting that not only

will this help families, but access to a high quality early childhood education has been shown to narrow developmental gaps for our kids across income brackets, fostering social-emotional and cognitive growth while also instilling an early love of learning that can serve them all their lives and allows parents to work and support themselves and their families. This also requires ensuring equitable and fair pay for childcare workers - both teachers and directors as well as support staff - statewide. A truly caring economy must include ensuring that these valuable staff are well paid and supported to grow careers in early childhood education, so we all can thrive.

New York's Minority and Women Owned Business Enterprises program is designed to uplift minority and women entrepreneurs by increasing their ability to access government contracts, develop professionally, and grow their businesses. I am glad to see leaders in Albany like Senator Sanders continue fighting to reform the state certification system and, as an assemblymember, commit to pushing for the needed study of the program and implementing recommendations needed to ensure MWBEs, especially small businesses in this sector, are being connected to these grants, paid on time, and given access to opportunities for growth.

19. Do you support a single-payer universal health care system? Please elaborate.

Yes. No one should be denied critical healthcare because of the amount of money in their wallets, and no one should have to choose between their family’s health and putting a roof over their heads and food on the table. That is why I support the NY Health Act, which would create a single-payer healthcare system for all New Yorkers. Single-payer healthcare will ensure that everyone has access to quality healthcare. I also am interested in working with healthcare workers and patient advocates to ensure we have properly enforced safe staffing ratios for clinicians across specialties, loan forgiveness programs and generous paid leave that workers can actually access, and well resourced public hospitals to ensure that in a single payer healthcare system, patients can not only afford healthcare but properly access the care they need.

20. What have you done to facilitate reproductive rights, including access to contraceptives and abortion services?

Reproductive justice encompasses a set of core rights for women, women of color, indigenous women, trans and gender nonconforming people, and more. This includes the

right to maintain personal bodily autonomy, to have children, to not have children, and to raise children in safe, sustainable communities with the resources they need to thrive.

While I have not specifically worked on reproductive health policies, I have worked with public health advocates to familiarize myself with the issue in New York and commit to advocate for reproductive health policies not just in my campaign but also in office. In the State Assembly, I will use my vote, my voice, and my office’s resources to continue to champion a New York that is a national leader in protecting reproductive rights, expand reproductive rights in the New York Constitution, and ensure funding, education, and equitable access to reproductive health care for all New Yorkers. I will push back on funding for crisis pregnancy centers statewide and ensure investments in reproductive healthcare and family planning reach patients in need. I will also advocate for and support residency and fellowship programs, as well as other non-MD clinical training programs, in family medicine, obstetrics and gynecology, LGBTQ, and other vital programs that uplift community reproductive health. I will support doula and midwife training programs and funding for such positions, especially in healthcare deserts, and champion abortion funds as a core service public dollars should work to support. And I will work with grassroots abortion and reproductive justice advocates, especially BIPOC community advocates, and providers to develop and identify targeted legislative and budget strategies to advance New York as a state leader in reproductive justice as we push our federal government to champion these rights nationwide. Reproductive rights are not just about healthcare, but are also critical components of social justice, equity, and our democracy.

21. Will you refuse contributions from individuals or Political Action Committees representing the Real Estate industry, from police or correction communities?

Yes.

22. Will you refuse and refund any contributions from executives or corporations complicit in the Trump anti-American agenda?

Yes.

23. How do you propose that we address the current surge of Islamophobia and anti-Semitism?

Islamophobia and antisemitism have both been too pervasive historically in the US, and especially since October 7th. We must do everything we can to combat these forms of

hatred uniquely, as well as other hate violence and discrimination throughout our communities.

One of the main things we must do to fight islamophobia and antisemitism is through education, with the counsel of and in partnership with those most affected. This means culturally and socially responsive education initiatives across ages, cross community building efforts to learn about and build shared interests and responsibility in this work, bystander intervention training, and more. No community is a monolith and Jewish and Muslim New Yorkers both come from a wide range of cultural, regional, ethnic, religious, political, and familial backgrounds with a plurality of individual relationships to Judaism and Islam respectively. Misconceptions and biases around these communities can, and often do, overlap with racism and colorism and result in further harms in the name of protection. This basic education is necessary for people who aren’t part of these communities to stop flattening them into ubiquitous existences: as scapegoats for bad events, or as ideological justification for political actions.

Further, antisemitism and islamophobia have their own unique histories in our shared culture. We cannot treat them as exact analogues, because they are not. Doing so tends to lead to greater harm to our communities and conflations of race, religion, ethnicity, and culture in harmful ways. In particular, islamophobia is often expressed not simply as a hatred of Muslims, but as racial animus towards members of the brown community who visually present as North African, Middle Eastern, South Asian, and Southeast Asian. It is important that we not conflate islamophobia and antisemitism in such a way that we undermine the experiences the targets of each of these hatreds experience or unintentionally contribute to further harm.

As a result, strategies to respond to them must be created in partnership with the communities directly impacted. We must also learn from, partner with, and platform voices from these groups and have thought deeply about antisemitism and islamophobia while deplatforming those who spread misinformation and hatred. For example, we should not cover the current protests on college campuses by focusing on the foolish, underinformed, and offensive words of outlying individuals with little power. That does nothing to keep Jewish people safe, but it does manufacture consent for cruelty to be done in our name AND against us. Instead we should be looking to groups like Jews for Racial and Economic Justice (JFREJ) and the NYC Against Hate Coalition, as well as academics who have spent their time examining the Jewish and Muslim experiences

through the framework of justice and equity, to help us grapple with incredibly hard questions.

One thing I am certain of, though, is that we cannot simply legislate or police our way out of this problem. Trying to do so will either expand the carceral state or legislate what it is to be Jewish or Muslim. This will deny the existence of many people who exist within these communities without perfectly adhering to every aspect of them, which is fundamental to existing in every community. So to that end, I would reject things like “antisemitism monitors,” who, rather than making marginalized groups feel safer, would simply serve to police what it means to be Jewish among Jewish people.

I believe this all has to be done in meaningful coalition. The saying “nobody is free until we are all free” is apt here. We cannot leave combating antisemitism to Jewish people, nor can we leave fighting islamophobia to Muslim people. We must do this together, as people who experience marginalization in different ways, working to combat oppression. Effective hate violence and bias prevention strategies must begin with dialogues and partnerships with targeted communities and must involve effectively resourcing community based organizations to empower impacted New Yorkers and directly address the drivers of bias and violence. As an Assemblymember, I would be glad to work in partnership with Jewish and Muslim community leaders, to develop and push for budget, policy and community affairs strategies to push back against the drivers of antisemitism, islamophobia, and other forms of bias and hate.

24. Did you or would you have voted for the censure of U.S. Representative Rashida Tlaib?

As this is my first time running for office, I have not voted for the censure of any elected officials. But I would not have voted for the censure of Representative Tlaib.

25. Do you support an immediate ceasefire in the Middle East?

Yes, I have, do, and will continue to support an immediate ceasefire and will continue to call for one.

26. Should we condition further aid to Israel? What conditions should we stress that Israel abides by?

What is happening in Israel and Gaza is heartbreaking. I have had many conversations with friends and family and it’s apparent how many of us are hurting and scared right now. I condemn all forms of anti-Semitism and Islamophobia. I don’t have all the answers, but what I can say from my perspective as a Jewish person living in America is that I condemn the violence and brutality that has taken place. I mourn the murder of innocent Israelis on October 7. I’m horrified by the thousands of civilians who have been killed in Gaza since that time. This is a horrific humanitarian crisis. There must be a ceasefire. The war must end, and we must work towards a future that recognizes the dignity, freedom and safety of all people in the region. I support actions that take us closer to that future.

27. Will you refuse funds from Trump-supporting AIPAC?

Yes.

28. What are your concrete proposals to prevent Trump and his cult from taking over this country and ending democracy?

The re-election of Donald Trump presents a very real threat to democracy. It is one of the inspirations of my campaign. I believe that we need to inspire a new generation of leaders who can activate and motivate younger voters to be excited and engaged with progressive politics. That is a goal of mine in running for office, for now and the future.

In times like these, New York must be a progressive leader and show the true strength of democracy. To be sure, there are likely difficult legal and political battles on the horizon, and it will be incumbent on the Legislature to push the Governor and Attorney General to hold the line in those fights. But in the long run, the only way to truly defeat Trumpism is to demonstrate the strength of progressive and democratic values and embrace true

multi-racial democracy.

29. How can we combat the movement in this country to ban books, prevent colleges from discussing issues and demonizing intelligence as “woke”?

Many of these fights are ones we must focus on locally. Universities fear having funding cut off and being consistently pilloried and will sometimes capitulate to bad faith attacks against the simple provision of opportunities to gather knowledge, the elevation of people of color to positions of power and prestige, and even the demonstrations of students and

faculty. Universities, as the pinnacles of our education system, must stand firm in the face of these attacks and not act in a defensive posture, but fight for the rights of their students to learn and express themselves.

The current assault on “wokeness” in public education and higher education is harmful not only to LGBTQ, Black, and Brown students and teachers whose identity is erased, but to all students whose perspective is narrowed when what they are allowed to be taught is altered. We must not accept the Republican excuse that these bans are to protect kids, but instead call out that they are to uphold oppression and echo 1950s McCarthyism. New York must be a leader in standing up to this bigotry and embracing diversity, equity, and inclusion in education.

30. As Christopher Columbus caused the death/slavery of thousands, should we replace the Christopher Columbus statue in Columbus Circle, and if so, what should replace it? Do you authorize the use of your name for such a purpose?

One idea would be to rededicate Columbus Circle to honor the Lenni-Lenape, the indigenous people of Manhattan, and I would be comfortable voicing support for this.

31. As Edward I Koch caused the deaths of hundreds of thousands of people with AIDS and was blatantly racist, should we rename the former Queensboro Bridge? Do you authorize the use of your name for such a purpose?

Yes.

32. What will you do to support nightlife in New York State? Do you commit to speaking with liquor license applicants and restaurant/nightlife industry representatives before taking a position on policies affecting their businesses?

My approach to legislating once I’m in office will be to make sure I am hearing from people affected by what I am supporting or proposing. I would make sure I heard from these industries before taking positions, and would encourage dialogue with myself and my office.

In terms of supporting nightlife across the state, I would look at applying some of the programs in New York City’s Office of Nightlife statewide. For example, ensuring nightlife business owners had access to something like Multi-Agency Support for

Hospitality to help them navigate getting the permits necessary to open their businesses and comply with regulations could be great at ensuring nightlife businesses can thrive everywhere across the state.

33. What is your opinion of Eric Adams as New York City Mayor? Are you involved in finding someone to run for Mayor of New York City?

I am deeply concerned about Eric Adams’ mayoralty, and I disagree with his carceral approaches. I look forward to supporting a progressive challenger to this mayor, though I have not specifically participated in any campaign to draft that challenger.

34. How can we mandate that every community do its share to have affordable housing and care for the recently arrived people?

One of the main things we can do is reform our SEQRA laws to ensure that housing can be built faster. The amount of time it takes to build housing specifically means that there is enough time for communities that reject housing in all of its forms to organize and oppose housing development. We must also work to bring communities into the housing development process early so that they can feel heard and we can address their legitimate concerns early in the process to dramatically decrease the chance of opposition.

35. Are you a sponsor of Good Cause Eviction S305 legislation?

Support for Good Cause Eviction is one of the pillars of my campaign. The first priority of any affordable housing plan is keeping people in their homes. Families should not have to worry about losing their home because of unreasonable rent hikes, discrimination, or retaliation. That is why I will fight for true Good Cause legislation. New York to join states like New Jersey, Oregon, California, and Washington in adopting Good Cause Eviction. I’ll also champion a statewide right to counsel in eviction proceedings, strengthening protections against unjust evictions by ensuring that everyone has not only a right to a lawyer in eviction proceedings, but adequate time to defend themselves. This will protect New Yorkers and keep them in their homes as we work to develop stronger rent regulations, more comprehensive housing first programs, and more housing.

I am disappointed with the version of Good Cause that was passed in the budget, and still believe that a more robust version is needed. This version watered down the concept of Good Cause in New York State by providing multiple exclusions that render it too

complex to help more than a small segment of renters who already have access to an attorney in housing court. There are too many loopholes, such as figuring out what will qualify as a landlord (i.e. whether parent companies will count, or if only their spun off subsidiaries will, which would prevent many people from taking advantage of these crucial protections).

36. Do you support allowing legal Immigrants to vote in local elections?

I support letting noncitizens, permanent residents, and naturalized citizens, regardless of their current immigration status, vote in local elections. Immigrants have always strengthened our city and state, whether through directly contributing to local population growth and economic growth, or through increasing the diversity of lived experiences and perspectives in our communities. They form new businesses, spend their incomes on local goods and services, pay taxes and more. Regardless of status, immigrants have a right to have a say in decisions in our city that have such a massive shape on their lives. Cities across the country have changed their voter qualifications to drop the voting age or allow noncitizens to vote, and there is no reason, despite what the Second Department says, that noncitizens shouldn’t be able to vote in New York City or any other municipality in the state.