Candidate Answers to JOLDC: Peter Harrison for US Congress NY-12

Candidate Name: Peter Harrison

Office Seeking Election for: US Congress, Congressional District 12 (Manhattan, Brooklyn, Queens, Roosevelt Island)

Campaign Address: 335 E. 14th St, PO Box 706, New York City, NY 10009

Campaign Website: www.peterfornewyork.com

Campaign Telephone: n/a

Campaign Social Media Handles (Facebook/Twitter):
https://www.facebook.com/peterfornewyork
https://twitter.com/PeteHarrisonNYC

Campaign Contact (name/phone/email): Adrian Mikulak, (313) 590-2287,
info@peterfornewyork.com

Explain, based on life experiences and accomplishments, why you believe you are best
qualified to represent your district
I have lived in this district for 14 years. Over those years, I have been a housing organizer with the Stuytown Tenants Association and have fought multiple bogus eviction notices; a housing policy advisor with Data for Progress who advised on Senator Sanders and Senator Warren’s housing plans and the Homes Guarantee platform; an adjunct at Baruch College who has fought for better wages for staff and more resources for students; a bartender working without health insurance or a predictable schedule; and as an entrepreneur who has co-founded two companies without subsidies from the Empire State Development Corp.

I have struggled to make a life in this city because the leadership of the Democratic Party has abandoned the working class. They have been co-opted by big real estate developers, corporate monopolies, and extremist billionaires. If we keep allowing Blackstone to be a landlord, the working class won’t be able to afford to live here, the homeless will remain unhoused, and NYC will be an empty safety deposit box for the wealthy. If we keep giving public money and land to Amazon, small businesses will close, workers will be abused, and vulnerable communities will be displaced. And we’ll never defeat President Trump if we don’t defeat the system that created Real Estate Developer Trump.

We need new ideas and new leaders in the party. I’m new to politics, but I’m not new to the issues of this district or to the ideas to fix them. I’m ready for this job on the first day. But I’m not interested in carving out a narrow primary victory. My campaign is not about storming the castle, it is about passing the torch. We need every Democrat to be working together, heading in the same direction for America. I believe I can offer the people of this district the clarity in values, the sense of purpose, and the plan of action to put the Democratic Party back on the side of workers and to make New York a home for all.

Do you now support or have you ever supported an openly LGBTQ candidate for public office?
Yes, I am represented in the New York Senate by Senator Brad Holyman who I support and respect for his dedicated work in housing and look forward to fighting for his Pied-a-Terre tax again this year. I also supported and canvassed for the openly queer candidates Cynthia Nixon and Tiffany Caban. I also advocated for Danica Roem who won a seat in the Virginia House of Delegates in 2017 as the first openly transgender candidate to win office in the US (she is amazing on local transportation policy.)

If applicable, what legislation directly affecting the LGBT community have you introduced or co-sponsored? (indicate accordingly). Not applicable

What LGBT organizations have you been involved with, either on a volunteer basis or professionally? I have not had formal involvement with any groups to date.

If elected or re-elected will you become a member of the “Squad?"
Well, to the credit of those four amazing women, I think the Squad is the Squad, but I would certainly be honored to join a “Squad Caucus”. We need a truly leftist caucus in the Congress. I agree with AOC that the “Progressive Caucus” has ceased to have any meaning or purpose.

If applicable, what LGBT organizations have you allocated funds to? N/A

Do you consider yourself a member of the LGBT community?
I consider myself an ally. As a cisgender straight male seeking elected office, I also think it is my responsiblity to represent what that means to other men and why that is such a positive thing. It is important to show that centering other marginalized voices and experiences, that stepping back and allowing others to lead, is not a matter of losing some expected authority in society. I believe we all gain an immense amount of collective talent and ideas for progress by building an inclusive and open
environment in our political system. I’m not suggesting that I have all of the answers for overcoming the insecurity and fear that motivates too many men in our political system and in our society, but I believe that calling them out is an important part of expanding the influence of community members that are LGBT, women, and people of color.

Have you marched in Pride? Which marches and for approximately how many years?
Yes, in total I have marched in 3 Manhattan marches (I was a bartender who worked weekends for about 10 years, so I had limited availability!) Most recently, I marched in the 2019 Reclaim Pride March.

Have you employed openly LGBT individuals previously? Do you employ any currently?
Yes, both as a bar manager and as an entrepreneur. I have several LGBT volunteers on my campaign.

If you receive the endorsement, do you agree to identify the club on all literature and electronic materials where you list endorsements? Yes!

What press conferences, demonstrations, rallies and protests in support of LGBT issues, pro choice legislation, criminal justice issues and the Resist Trump Movement have you attended?
I was active with Occupy Wall Street in the fall of 2011. My first LGBT-specific political experience was the celebratory rally outside Stonewall Inn when SCOTUS overturned DOMA on June 23, 2013. I participated in multiple Black Lives Matter street actions in 2015-2016. I was at the first Women’s March in Washington, DC and the subsequent marches in NYC. I was also involved in the anti-Muslim Ban protests in 2017.

Have you ever been arrested? If so please explain why and outcome of arrest.
Yes, I was arrested in the summer of 2019 outside of Governor Cuomo’s office at the capitol building as part of a civil disobedience action for Housing Justice for All’s campaign for strengthening New York State’s rent laws.

Will you advocate for legislation to mandate the review of sentences of incarcerated individuals over the age of 55 who have served in excess of 15 years to determine if they warrant release?
Yes.

Do you commit to visit constituents who are incarcerated in state prisons such as Bedford Correctional Facility? Yes, but not for a photo opp.

Do you believe sincere remorse, risk of reoffending and actions taken while incarcerated should be considered over the original crime in determinations of parole?
Yes, I believe everyone is capable of redemption and worthy of our compassion and mercy.

Have you participated in any demonstrations or protests in relation to the issues of clemency and parole? Not yet.

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

Do you believe in the decriminalization of sex work?
Yes. I credit the strong position the campaign of Julia Salzar took in 2018 for my education on why it is about workers’ rights, women’s rights, and transgender rights. I will be advocating to over turn FOSTA-SESTA at the federal level as a starting point, but will advocate for decrim.

What proposals will you advocate for the protect immigrants and the further New York as a Sanctuary City?
As a Democratic Socialist, and as the grandson of Irish immigrants, I ultimately believe that borders should be opened to all immigrants and refugees. In the age of climate disaster, the 21st century will see large internal and external migration. I believe it is my job as a federal legislator not only to create the legal framework to protect undocumented immigrants and refugees today but to lay the groundwork to protect future climate refugees. I reject the right-wing framing of this view as “open borders.” If capital can move seamlessly across borders, so should people. It is important that we set our own framing of this issue and reject the premise that immigration is bad or that immigrants are dangerous. The Democratic leadership is too afraid to run on clear moral positions and don’t give the average American voter credit that they are capable of changing their minds. I’m not that way. We can’t afford to be.

Will you advocate, including introducing legislation, to remove public funding from religious schools?
Yes. I strongly oppose the Republican Party’s long-term efforts to erode the barriers between church and state. The current administration, specifically through AG Barr’s recent speeches and DOJ actions, has embraced a truly dangerous religious nationalism that promotes “religious freedom” while in practice creating massive religious descrimination, particularly to LGBT individuals. The Democratic Party has been shamefully impotent to counter this judicial and legislative action by Republicans. This is why, among other reform proposals, I believe that we must pack the Supreme Court and federal benches.

Do you support the establishment of supervised drug consumption spaces?
Yes, this would be part of my support for Medicare for All. Drug abuse is a disease, not a crime.

Have you ever endorsed any member of the IDC or any candidates who challenged IDC members? Please identify all candidates.
I supported all No-IDC backed candidates as well as Julia Salazar and did considerable canvassing work for her campaign. I think Cynthia Nixon also deserves a lot of credit for building the momentum for the No-IDC victories. That won’t be forgotten by folks on the left.

Will you commit to hiring a member of the LGBT community to serve as a liaison to the community? Yes

Will you commit to ensuring diverse LGBT representation among your staff?
Yes. Happy to learn more to better understand what standards you use to measure this.

Who did you support for office in the following races A) mayor and Public Advocate in 2014 B) President in 2016 C) Governor and Attorney General 2018
A) I voted for Mayor de Blasio and Leticia James
B) I canvassed and voted for Senator Bernie Sanders in the NY Primary and voted for Secretary
Clinton in the general election.
C) I canvassed and voted for Cynthia Nixon and voted for Zephyr Teachout in 2018.

Describe any federal legislation and policy changes that you support in order to address the ongoing effects of slavery, racism, colonialism, and discrimination.
Through my work at Data for Progress, I worked on the Homes Guarantee platform which has a strong focus on addressing the systemic racism in the American housing market by ending predatory bank lending practices that targeted communities of color, ending racist zoning and land use policies, and paying direct reparations for people and communities of color who have been victims of de facto and de jure racism in the housing market from red-lining through gentrification. I also support HR40 which calls for the American government to establish reparations for communities of color and indigenous communities that have suffered through slavery, western expansion, and more implicit modern racism.

What legislation or other policy changes do you support in order to make college and graduate school affordable for poor, working-class, and middle-class Americans and to alleviate the crushing loan debt that many students and alumni are facing?
I have taught at Baruch College since 2016 (and am still teaching a course this semester) and as a rank and file member of the PSC-CUNY union, I am deeply committed to making college free for all students. I have been involved in many actions as a member of the 7KorStrike coalition and as an ally of the student-led FREE CUNY movement to fight for free tuition at CUNY. I support securing federal and state funding to make all state junior and senior colleges free, to ensure a living wage for all faculty and staff, and to provide additional mental health and quality of life resources for students to help them complete their degree path. I am proud to say that several of my former students are volunteers on my campaign.

Do you support a single-payer universal health care system? Please elaborate.
Yes. For the 14 years I have lived in NYC, I have only had insurance for about 5 of them and currently don’t have it in my job teaching at Baruch College. I was extremely lucky to have insurance two years ago when my appendix burst suddenly (which is what killed my great-grandfather.) I I would not have been able to pay for the surgery and it would have financially ruined me. That isn’t freedom. In America, we obsess over “positive liberty” but don’t focus enough on “negative liberty” - the freedom from something, like hunger or homelessness. I think there is a real opportunity to reframe the M4A debate around embracing our founding principles and about our desire to help individuals reach their greatest potential.

Discuss your stance on reproductive rights, including access to contraceptives and abortion services.
I support a woman’s right to control her body and to make the best decision for her and her family in consultation with a medical professional. No one in the government should deny her that agency or medical care. On a personal level, I believe this because of my Catholic faith, not despite it. I don’t believe this contradicts my faith and I don’t believe that right wing religious groups own the term “pro-life” (they are mostly just “pro-birth” and wouldn’t want medical care of childcare provided for that child the second it leaves the hospital.)

Will you refuse money from individuals or Political Action Committees representing the real estate?
Yes, not that they would give it to me! I am running to make real estate money toxic at
the federal level to expand on the success that the left has had in doing so at the city and state level in NYC. I believe that real estate money should be as problematic as fossil fuel money.

Will you refuse and refund any contributions from executives at corporations complicit in the Trump agenda?
Yes. I have been an outspoken opponent of corporate influence in our economy and political system and was an active member of the coalition that resisted Amazon HQ2 last year on those grounds, as well as their ties to the national security state. Additionally, I have been actively protesting my landlord in Stuyvesant Town, the private equity firm Blackstone. The CEO Stephen Schwarzman has been a close economic advisor and bundler for Trump 2020. Blackstone has been called out by the UN for its role in the global housing crisis and has significant investments in the fossil fuel industry, including firms that are deforesting the Amazon. I am fighting the big real estate developers, the corporate monopolies, and the extremist billionaires that have captured our political system, including the leadership of
the Democratic Party.

What additional information would you like Jim Owles to consider when we are making our endorsements decisions?
I am named after my grandfather who was an Irish immigrant and a motorman on what is now the R train. On that modest working class salary, my grandparents were able to buy a home in Bay Ridge, Brooklyn and raise four kids, including my mother. I have been living in NYC and the district for 14 years, 11 in Stuyvesant Town. As a member of this community, I have been a bartender, a grad student, an entrepreneur, a teacher, and most of all an activist. I am getting married this year and want to start a family in this community. I don’t know if I can afford to make that a reality like my grandfather did or what kind of planet my children will inherit. I want everyone to have the opportunity for a life and a future in this city and in this America. I’m fighting for my home, my family, and my future too.