Candidate Answers to JOLDC: Julie Won for City Council District 26
Candidate Name: Julie Won
Office Seeking Election for: New York City Council District 36
Campaign Website: https://www.juliewon.com
Campaign Social Media Handles: @juliej_won
1. Do you consider yourself a member of the LGBTQ community?
No, but I am an ally, advocate, and friend of the LGBTQ community, and will stand up whenever needed.
2. If you answered “yes” to the first question, do you believe members of hate groups should be permitted to join the City Council LGBTQIA+ caucus? Do you believe the Republican party is a hate group? If you answered yes to both questions, do you support ejecting Republicans from the caucus?
While I obviously disagree very strongly with the Republican Party, I believe that my colleagues on the LGBTQIA+ Caucus should decide for themselves whom to include in their caucus.
3. What work have you done on behalf of the LGBTQ community? This can include endorsing LGBTQ candidates, drafting or advocating for legislation directly benefiting the LGBTQ community, working with LGBTQ organizations, allocating funds to LGBTQ organizations, marching in Pride parades, attending rallies/protests/press conferences in support of LGBTQ issues, and/or employing openly LGBTQ individuals.
I have supported the LGBTQ community in all of the different ways mentioned above, and will continue to be an ally however possible. I fully support my colleagues on the LGBTQIA+ Caucus by signing on to letters, co-sponsoring legislation, and in any other way they request. I fund drag queen story hour, support the rainbow curriculum, proudly march in Pride parades, and have hired openly LGBTQ staffers for both my government and campaign teams.
4. Has Mayor Eric Adams met the needs of the LGBTQ community? Please include “yes” or “no” in your answer, and explain your answer.
No – that was immediately clear when he appointed people holding homophobic, anti-LGBTQ views to senior administration positions like Fernando Cabrera and Erick Salgado.
5. Would you demand that the Mayor re-institute its office of LGBTQ affairs, with its leader being a member of the LGBTQ community chosen in consultation with the City Council LGBTQIA+ Caucus?
I fully support reinstituting the Mayor’s office of LGBTQ affairs, and of course, I’ll follow the caucus’ lead in calling for a qualified leader from the community.
6. Have you made requests to the Office of the Mayor to demand inclusion of LGBTQ community in city administration and on city boards? Can you give examples?
No, but I am definitely willing to do so if there are specific boards or positions where the LGBTQ community is underrepresented.
7. Do you support reparations for slavery?
Yes
8. Do you oppose all efforts to weaken bail reform?
Yes
9. Do you support closing Rikers Island? Do you support the administration’s plan to open borough-based jails?
Yes
10. Do you support legislation outlawing solitary confinement in all jails and prisons, including city jails, and do you support Intro 549 (regarding solitary confinement)?
Yes.
1. Will you publicly call on the governor to use her clemency power for the many incarcerated New Yorkers who can safely return home? Will you tweet out your support for this or issue a public statement? Would you be willing to be critical of a governor who does not exercise their power to grant clemencies and commutations to those worthy of release? Have you ever spoken out in such a way?
Yes on all accounts.
2. If elected, will you include in your office’s newsletter instructions for your constituents on how their loved ones can apply for clemency?
Yes, I will include instructions for applying for clemency in my next newsletter to constituents.
3. Do you commit to visiting constituents who are incarcerated in state prisons and city jails? When did you do so last?
Yes. In partnership with local community organizations, we’ve been facilitating monthly visits to people incarcerated on Rikers Island.
4. Do you believe in the decriminalization of sex work? If so, do you support full decriminalization, including decriminalizing purchase and facilitation? Will you commit to opposing the Nordic model, which continues criminalizing purchase and facilitation while decriminalizing sale?
Sex work is work–and I support full decriminalization. We must also protect minors from exploitation and human trafficking.
5. What proposals will you advocate for to protect immigrants and further New York as a “Sanctuary City”?
As an immigrant serving on the City Council, I’ve prioritized making NYC a more welcoming place for all. In December, the City Council passed 2 of my bills (Int. 136 and 700) to improve the translation, interpretation, and overall language access needs of immigrant New Yorkers and small business owners. I’ve also secured $5 million to establish the first language access co-op by local non-profit organizations who will employ local community members to provide culturally competent translation services. We just also rolled out the “Welcome NYC” initiative, with the Council funding $1.2 million of the $2.2 million total. This initiative will directly fund the non-profit and charity organizations who have been selflessly serving asylum seekers and recent migrants to our city.
6. Did you support legislation, which passed, to allow non-citizen New Yorkers to vote? Do you support the appeal of the case in which the law was held unconstitutional?
Yes
7. Do you support the establishment of supervised drug consumption spaces in your district?
Yes
8. Do you support ending qualified immunity for police and other law enforcement individuals?
Yes.
9. Are you in favor of removing police from any of the following? a) Schools; b) Mental health response calls; c) Homeless outreach and social services; or d) Traffic enforcement.
Yes to removing NYPD response from all of the above.
10. Should law enforcement "Vice Squads" be eliminated?
Yes.
11. Should the Gangs Database be abolished and do you / will you co-sponsor Intro 360 on the subject?
Yes.
12. Do you support the Progressive Caucus’s requirement that members support cutting funding to NYPD in favor of alternative safety infrastructure?
Yes.
13. What concretely have you done to improve access to reproductive healthcare? If elected, what more will you do? Be specific.
Yes, I’ve co-sponsored legislation increasing access to reproductive healthcare, and will continue to advocate for reproductive justice throughout my career in public service.
14. Do you approve of Mayor Adams’ approach to sweeping homeless encampments?
No, the sweeps are inhumane, unconstitutional, and do nothing except further compound the issues that our homeless New Yorkers are experiencing. Instead, we need to invest in holistic outreach programs, mental health services, and supportive housing to truly help our homeless outreach programs, mental health services, and supportive housing to truly help our homeless
15. Do you commit to speaking with restaurant and nightlife industry representatives before taking a position on any policies that affect their businesses?
Yes, when considering any bill that can have a wide-ranging impact on any given industry, I always do my due diligence and meet with people who would be most affected.
16. Do you commit to speaking personally with liquor license applicants and license holders before opposing any bid for a liquor license? Likewise for an applicant seeking your support?
Yes
17. 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?
Yes.
18. Do you commit to removing the Christopher Columbus statue in Columbus Circle?
I support removing this statue, as it currently stands as a monument to the oppression, colonization, and genocide of indigenous people.
19. Who did you support for Mayor in the 2021 Democratic primary? Did you make an endorsement in the general election?
I supported Maya Wiley in the primary. I made no endorsement in the general election.
20. Are you currently a member of the Progressive Caucus? If you are not currently an incumbent, will you join if elected?
Yes, I have been a member of the Progressive Caucus since being sworn into the Council last year–and I haven’t left.
21. Do you believe the Progressive Caucus should have qualifications to ensure that its members are actually progressive? Please explain.
Yes
22. If you are a sitting Councilmember, name three votes you took in the City Council that differed from the position of the Speaker.
I voted against the home rule message in support of increasing the NYPD pension, and it failed to pass in the Council. I also voted against amending the administrative code so that I could protect the retirees who have served our City for so long. Additionally, I’ve made many more votes that differed from the Speaker’s position, and that’s reflected in the public record.
23. The rules of the City Council often make it difficult to get a hearing and/or vote on bills of which the Speaker does not approve. Would you support, and introduce if necessary, legislation that could force the City Council to print, introduce, hold hearings on, and hold votes on legislation.
I’m open to the idea, but I’m unsure of how exactly we’d make these changes short of a revision to the city charter.
24. Will you refuse money from individuals or Political Action Committees representing the real estate industry or law enforcement unions/associations?
Yes, but let’s go farther than that. Since my first campaign, I’ve refused donations from real estate developers, law enforcement unions, lobbyists, corporate PACs, and fossil fuel executives.
25. Will you refuse and refund any contributions from executives at corporations who donated funds to any of Donald Trump’s campaigns?
Yes.
26. With the continued boycott of Equinox fitness on the basis of owner Steve Ross’ support of Donald Trump and institution of “Don’t Say Gay” policies in his residential buildings, do you commit to opposing his application for a casino at Hudson Yards?
Yes
27. If you receive the Jim Owles endorsement, do you agree to identify the club on all literature and electronic materials where you list endorsements?
Absolutely! I was incredibly honored and proud to have received the Jim Owles endorsement during my first race. If endorsed, I will very proudly print and announce it everywhere!