Candidate Answers to JOLDC: Jenifer Rajkumar for NYC Public Advocate
Candidate Name: Jenifer Rajkumar
Office Seeking Election for: NYC Public Advocate
Campaign Website: https://www.jeniferforny.com/
1. Based upon your life experiences and accomplishments, why do you believe you are best qualified to represent your district?
My mom was born in a mud hut in India and my parents came to this country with $300 and a suitcase. I decided to dedicate my life to social justice. I have a track record of empowering the vulnerable and the voiceless-- and getting results. I practiced as a civil rights lawyer on a national level, securing the rights of women, workers, and tenants in class action lawsuits. I collaborated with the U.S. Department of Justice to combat corporate fraud. I worked at the National Women’s Law Center, focusing on reproductive justice for women across the nation.
I continued the fight for justice by serving as New York State’s Director of Immigration Affairs during the first Trump era. I led New York State’s fight against Trump’s
anti-immigrant policies, and created a first-in-the-nation legal defense project to protect New York’s immigrants.
But I didn’t stop there. I spent evenings and weekends teaching as a Professor at CUNY’s Lehman College in the Bronx, empowering the youth of the City.
With the support of the Jim Owles Liberal Democratic Club, I made history as the first South Asian-American woman ever elected to the New York State Legislature.
As a state legislator, I passed historic legislation making Diwali a New York City public school holiday, recognizing over 600,000 South Asian-American New Yorkers. I also passed the SMOKEOUT Act that shut down all 1,300+ illegal smoke shops that were breeding crime in our City.
I passed nationally-recognized bills conferring human rights to domestic workers. Because of my legislation, over 200,000 immigrant women and women of color who serve as domestic workers now have the full protections of human rights law.
I have led nationwide coalitions to combat hate crimes throughout our City.
As New York City’s next Public Advocate, I will bring my fight and tenacity to the job. New York City will have a 24/7 Public Advocate who will be on the ground fighting for the excluded, the marginalized, and the voiceless. And we will win.
2. What LGBTQ organizations have you been involved with, either on a volunteer basis or professionally? What LGBTQ candidates have you endorsed?
I am proud to have been a Board Member of the Jim Owles Liberal Democratic Club. The Jim Owles Club endorsed me for multiple races where I challenged a sitting incumbent and won. I worked as a full time fellow at the National Women’s Law Center, working to end the discriminatory “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” ban against LGBTQ members of the military.
I supported GLITS and welcomed this organization to my district with open arms when they set up housing in my district for LGBTQ youth. I partner with multiple community organizations to
host an annual Pride Flag raising in my district, and regularly join numerous LGBTQ+ organizations for events.
LGBTQ+ candidates I have supported over the years include Tammy Baldwin, Lynn Schulman, Erik Bottcher, Melissa Sklarz, Corey Johnson, Rosie Mendez, Ritchie Torres, Daniel O'Donnell, Deborah Glick, Tony Simone, Brad Hoylman-Sigal, Harry Bronson, and many others.
I also supported the Human Rights Campaign and the Victory Fund.
3. If you receive our endorsement, do you agree to identify the Jim Owles Liberal Democratic Club on all literature and electronic materials?
Yes.
4. What press conferences, demonstrations, rallies and protests in support of LGBT issues, pro-choice legislation, racial justice, criminal justice have you attended, including rallies specifically against Donald Trump?
I am a fixture at Pride parades, the St. Pat’s for All Parade, and commit to championing inclusion in all its forms. As Assemblywoman, I prioritize a legislative agenda that uplifts marginalized groups, including members of the LGBTQ+ community. I helped repeal the “Walking While Trans” law that allowed police to arrest transgender people for being who they are, and spoke in support of its passage on the Assembly Floor. I am sponsoring pro-choice legislation endorsed by Planned Parenthood that will allow reproductive health practitioners licensed in other states to practice in New York. I organized a coalition of over 54 lawmakers supporting work authorization for asylum seekers.
As a Board Member of the Women’s Campaign Fund, I organized regularly for reproductive rights. As a member of the Executive Committee of WIN, I fought for pro-choice candidates and rallied for reproductive justice on Capitol Hill.
As a State Legislator, I passed historic, nationally recognized bills of my own extending human rights protections for domestic workers, who are overwhelmingly women and people of color.
I also am a co-sponsor of the elder parole and fair and timely parole bills in Albany.
To stop the rising tide of hate, I introduced A02455 creating the No Hate NY fund that will finance programs to promote respect, tolerance, and prevent hate crimes. I also passed historic legislation creating the first ever New York State AAPI Commission for the
Asian-American community that will develop solutions to uplift the AAPI community and stop hate crimes.
5. In light of the upcoming Trump Administration’s war on women, the LGBTQ+ community, racial minorities and immigrants, what are your plans to organize and combat the Trump agenda?
I commit to advancing a legislative agenda to counteract this dangerous administration. We will be a safe haven for immigrants, minorities, the entire LGBTQ+ community, and people seeking reproductive healthcare. We must protect our hard-working immigrants contributing to the vibrancy of our City and be a safe haven for people to seek reproductive and gender-affirming care.
6. Will you seek or accept endorsements of individuals who oppose LGBTQ+ and reproductive rights, such as Ruben Diaz Sr., Fernando Cabrera or Erick Salgado? Will you pledge to denounce their homophobia and anti-choice positions in the event you receive an endorsement from such individuals?
I will always denounce homophobia and anti-woman positions, as I have done my entire life.
7. In light of the upcoming Trump Administration’s war on women, the LGBTQ+ community, racial minorities and immigrants, what are your plans to organize and combat the Trump agenda?
We must do everything we can to protect our vulnerable New Yorkers that are under attack. I am supporting legislation to protect reproductive freedoms, including my own bill endorsed by Planned Parenthood. We must also stand with the entire LGBTQ+ community at a time when the administration is attempting to erase them entirely. That includes giving proper recognition and public support for this community. We need to protect freedoms and accommodation of transgender people, including protecting access to gender-affirming care and giving them accommodation that aligns with their identities. As the daughter of immigrants, I will fight for immigrants to legally work and have access to counsel in immigration proceedings. We must also not comply with any extradition requests for providers engaged in any vitally important healthcare that is under partisan attack.
8. Do you support the unrestricted right to reproductive care and abortion?
Yes. I have supported this my entire life and career. I have never wavered on this. Currently, I am proud to be the sponsor of A02452, a bill endorsed by Planned Parenthood that will allow reproductive health practitioners licensed in other states to practice in New York. I have also helped pass numerous bills protecting reproductive freedom. Earlier in my career, I worked full time as a fellow at the National Women’s Law Center, protecting reproductive rights around the nation. As a civil rights lawyer, I was also a leader in Law Students for Reproductive Justice.
9. Have you hosted, funded or otherwise supported Drag Story Hours in your community?
These are generally sponsored by City Councilmembers and not Assemblymembers, but I am happy to support these events.
10. What proposals will do you support to increase the protection of immigrants and cement New York City’s status as a Sanctuary City?
Everyone on American soil deserves to be treated with dignity and respect. As your next Public Advocate, I will keep ICE out of our schools, hospitals, and courtrooms. I will also expand programs to support legal defense for immigrants. An immigrant’s chances of success in an immigration proceeding increases 14 times when they have a lawyer. I know, because I was New York State’s Director of Immigration Affairs where I built and led the first-in-the-nation Liberty Defense Project to protect New York State’s immigrants.
11. How will you represent the most vulnerable, including individuals experiencing homelessness and asylum seekers? Have you ever opposed any shelter in your district?
This year, I authored the Empire State of Mind Act (A02719), the most comprehensive mental health bill in 60 years. It will solve our mental health crisis by guaranteeing treatment and services for people with serious mental illness, many of whom are housing insecure. It will slash red tape preventing homeless New Yorkers from accessing services, ending onerous requirements like corresponding by mail or presenting a birth certificate before they can receive help. The bill also provides patient advocates to oversee the care of people in treatment.
I have and always will fight for meaningful solutions like creating access to permanent, supportive, and affordable housing.
For asylum seekers, I led a powerful coalition of over 54 lawmakers to call on President Biden to grant work authorization to asylum seekers. This effort helped lead to an expansion of TPS for Venezuelan immigrants. I also introduced legislation to grant work authorization to asylum seekers and create a statewide Coordinator for Asylum Seeker Services.
12. If incumbent, are you a co-sponsor of Resolution 2970, introduced by Council Member Shahana Hanif? If not yet elected, will you promise to co-sponsor the resolution? The text urges the NYS Legislature to pass the New York for All Act, which would ensure state and local resources are not used to facilitate federal immigration enforcement. If not, please explain.
I intend to co-sponsor the resolution.
13. If incumbent, are you a co-sponsor of Resolution 2917, introduced by Council Member Crystal Hudson? If not yet elected, will you promise to co-sponsor the resolution? The text endorses the Access to Representation Act, which would
establish a “universal right to counsel” for indigent New Yorkers who are subject to removal proceedings under federal immigration law. If not, please explain.
I will co-sponsor the resolution. As New York State Director of Immigration Affairs, I built and led the Liberty Defense Project, the first-in-the-nation state project to provide legal counsel to indigent immigrants in immigration proceedings. I also hosted “Know Your Rights” workshops, and fought against the Muslim travel ban of the Trump administration.
14. Will you join our efforts to pass legislation mandating 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? The legislation is commonly known as the New York Elder Parole Bill.
Yes,I am a co-sponsor of the bill.
15. Do you oppose the death penalty?
Yes.
16. Do you support outlawing solitary confinement?
Yes, I helped pass the HALT Solitary Confinement Act and voted for it.
17. Do you commit to visit constituents who are incarcerated? Will you work to secure the release of individuals who have demonstrated sincere remorse, worked toward rehabilitation and are not deemed a threat to society?
Yes.
18. Do you commit to working to change our penal system toward a restorative rather than a retributive model of justice?
Yes. I have authored the 9,000 Act that will create intensive wraparound services for the approximately 9,000 people with a persistent involvement in our criminal justice system. This will rehabilitate them through addressing their economic, health, vocational, and housing needs in lieu of incarceration. My Empire State of Mind Act requires all defendants with serious mental illness (SMI) to be diverted to mental health courts, and requires treatment for incarcerated people with SMI, who would then be eligible for parole if it is determined they are not a safety threat with proper care. I am also a co-sponsor of the Solutions Not Suspensions Act.
19. Do you commit to make applications for clemencies available to your constituency including a link to an application in a constituent newsletter? Will you submit it to our club?
Yes.
20. . Who did you support for mayor in the 2021 Democratic primary election?
Eric Adams.
21. Which 2025 Democratic candidates have you removed from your consideration? Have you endorsed anyone? If so, who?
I am focused on my race and have not made any endorsement decisions.
22. Do you support the renaming of the Ed Koch bridge and will you work towards the renaming including sponsoring such legislation?
NR.
23. What are your plans to address rent affordability in NYC? Did you vote for “City of Yes”? If not, please explain.
As an Assemblywoman, I could not vote on City of Yes.
I support our rent regulations. I am a steadfast advocate for building safe, permanent supportive housing for our most vulnerable New Yorkers, including for at-risk/unsheltered LGBTQ+ youth. We must also expedite housing production and lower construction costs. For public projects, last session I passed my own legislation to bring the procurement process online to speed up completion times, as well as help pass legislation authorizing progressive design build to cut years off completion times and realize massive savings
I have called for utilizing 3-D printed housing, which can produce a small 1-bedroom home in about 24 hours for $7,000. My bill A03679 creates the 3-D Printed Housing and Infrastructure Task Force that will promulgate policies to promote this innovative and novel form of construction.
I also introduced A05838 to create a “housing catalog” of pre-approved housing designs, saving
$10,000 or more on the cost of building while shaving months off project completion by eliminating the need to hire a designer and submit designs for approval.
24. What are your plans regarding short-term housing?
I believe they have a role to play in allowing affordable visits to New York City and supplementing homeowners’ income. However, our City’s stock of permanent, affordable housing must continuously grow and keep up with the needs of our residents.
25. Based upon your life experiences and accomplishments, why should we believe you would be a dynamic and progressive voice in elected office?
I have a track record of serving and uplifting the people. In all my work, I have brought my full energy to assist people in need. I was part of the legal team for the Velez v.
Novartis wage equality case, which the UN named one of the ten most important cases in the world advancing gender equality. Because of my record on equity and human rights, I defeated an incumbent by the largest margin of any primary challenger, and increased voter turnout to three times what it had ever been. I passed the Diwali School Holiday bill, when everyone said it was impossible. In everything I do, I am determined to bring lasting change and real solutions.
26. What additional information would you like the Jim Owles club to consider when we are making our endorsement decision?
The Jim Owles Club endorsed me for multiple races where I challenged a sitting incumbent and won.
We have no woman elected to citywide office right now. We have only had 2 women ever elected to citywide office in New York City’s 400 year history. I will make history as the first South Asian American woman ever elected to citywide office.
Unlike the incumbent, I have always stood for LGBTQ+ rights and gender equality. I have been front and center in these fights.
I have been an enthusiastic supporter, member and even 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 Public Advocate under your banner this year and look forward to a long friendship and partnership.
27. Are you a potential candidate for City Council speaker in the upcoming term? If so, what is your platform?
Does not apply.