Candidate Answers to JOLDC: Zellnor Myrie for NYC Mayor

Candidate Name: Zellnor Myrie

Office Seeking Election for: NYC Mayor

Campaign Website: https://www.zellnor.nyc/

1. Based upon your life experiences and accomplishments, why do you believe you are best qualified to represent your district?

My name is Zellnor Myrie and I am running for mayor to rebuild NYC.

Public policy has intimately affected me and my family throughout my life. I use the subway and bus to get around, and have experienced firsthand the effects of New York’s affordability crisis. I am a proud New Yorker, born and raised in Central Brooklyn. Over 40 years ago, my parents immigrated from Costa Rica and came to the city following the promise of a better future. I grew up in a rent-stabilized home, and attended P.S. 161 in Crown Heights and Brooklyn Tech. After attending Fordham University and Cornell Law School, it became increasingly clear that the opportunities my parents came to this city searching for were vanishing.

In 2018, I launched a longshot campaign to unseat a member of the Independent Democratic Conference, which had blocked progress for working-class families like mine. Despite being outraised and outspent by my opponent and his supporters, I united a highly diverse district which included Park Slope, Crown Heights, Flatbush, and Sunset Park around a new vision, becoming part of a crusading class of new Democrats.

In the State Senate, I’ve turned my lived experience into action. I’ve passed over 50 laws; including landmark tenant protections, the nation’s first law to hold gun manufacturers accountable, major investments in public safety alternatives, and stronger voting rights. I’ve stood up to powerful interests and delivered for working people, from NYCHA residents to small business owners.

New York City needs bold, visionary leadership. If we want real change, we cannot keep electing the same people with the same playbook. This is a city that once built big things: subways, bridges, public housing, the Empire State Building. But, for too long, we've accepted small thinking and incrementalism in the face of overlapping crises. We can’t solve our crises or restore faith in government unless we believe again in doing big things, and elect leaders willing to fight for them.

This year, I will unite New York City around new leadership at a time when Democrats are hungry for new voices and ready to turn the page. My focus on housing, affordability, and public safety will earn support from voters throughout the city and across the ideological spectrum, as will my strong legislative track record in Albany.

I’m running to bring that same values-based, results-driven leadership to City Hall. I believe in what this city can be, and I’m ready to build it.

2. What LGBTQ organizations have you been involved with, either on a volunteer basis or professionally? What LGBTQ candidates have you endorsed?

Throughout my leadership in the State Senate, I’m proud to have been a steadfast advocate and ally for the LGBTQ+ community. I championed party position eligibility to include non-binary individuals in an effort to make our political system more inclusive and representative. I

co-sponsored legislation establishing a Bill of Rights for LGBTQ+ and HIV-positive residents in long-term care facilities, ensuring they are treated with respect and compassion. I also helped create the Lorena Borjas Transgender Wellness and Equity Fund to uplift organizations serving transgender, gender non-conforming, non-binary, and intersex New Yorkers.

My legislative track record also includes co-sponsoring bills that establish educational programs to combat discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity; ensuring that incarcerated individuals are housed and treated in accordance with their gender identity, and establishing the LGBTQ Youth and Young Adult Suicide Prevention Task Force.

As a legislator, I believe our laws must reflect our values—and my record shows that I’ve consistently acted to expand justice and equity for all New Yorkers, regardless of gender expression or sexual identity. To that end, I was honored in 2022 and 2024 to receive the endorsement of the Stonewall Democratic Club.

3. If you receive our endorsement, do you agree to identify the Jim Owles Liberal Democratic Club on all literature and electronic materials?

Our campaign would be honored and appreciative to receive your support and endorsement. If we receive your endorsement, we can ensure that your support will be featured prominently on our website and digital materials.

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?

From our great city to across the entire country, we’re being hammered with unprecedented attacks on our foundational rights and freedoms, but we are not powerless: we hold a grand opportunity to right the ship together. In this moment, I’m stepping up to show that local leadership matters

To that end, I have recently released my Frontline Agenda – which is my blueprint on how I'll fight back against the Trump administration. This has gotten attention from many press publications, including New York Magazine, New York Daily News, Brooklyn Daily Eagle.

I also held a press conference in mid-April 2025 where I released my legal strategy to defend New York City against Trump's threats to cut federal funding. This was paired with my statement condemning Trump's threats and declaring my intentions as Mayor to fight back.

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?

The next Mayor has a critical role in standing up to misguided and mean-spirited Trump administration policies, in every way possible, because many of them will directly harm New Yorkers.

We can’t afford to be passive in the face of another Trump presidency. We need a city that is ready to fight, and I’ve already laid out a Frontline Agenda to ensure that New York remains a shield in the national battle for human rights and democracy.

My Frontline Agenda will make New York City resilient to the federal government’s assault through the following initiatives:

● Secure Our Values: The Trump Administration’s repeated efforts to withhold funds are a clear violation of the Tenth Amendment, and conservative jurisprudence including the National Federation of Independent Business v. Sebelius (2012) whose majority opinion was authored by Chief Justice John Roberts and his Republican colleagues.

The Myrie Administration will fight in the courts against these blatant violations of the Tenth Amendment and the American constitutional order, and
Establish a Frontline Protection Force at the Law Department to lead the city’s efforts

● Secure Our Finances: In order to weather the fiscal storm, the City needs to expand its tax base.

My plan to Rebuild NYC through building and preserving one million homes, and providing free, universal Afterschool for All will help build our workforce, and expand our tax base
My administration will also consider withholding state or local remittances to the federal government if the Trump Administration ignores court orders to fund our city, and
Pressure New York Republicans to repeal the SALT Cap

● Secure Our People: The Trump Administration is gutting our social services and federal civil rights protections. In addition to upholding sanctuary city laws and ensuring New Yorkers’ access to healthsure, my administration will:

Ensure ICE is never welcome in schools, hospitals, and houses of worship
Protect doctors and health staff who care for our community
Fully fund the City’s Human Rights Commission to provide them the resources and staff necessary to guarantee civil and human rights in New York City

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 denounce such views, and will only seek and accept endorsements from people and groups who align with my vision for New York City.

7. Do you support the unrestricted right to reproductive care and abortion?

I support the unrestricted right to reproductive care and abortion. Every New Yorker should have the freedom to make decisions about their own body, health, and future, without political interference or barriers to access.

During my tenure in the State Senate, I’ve taken steps to expand reproductive and

gender-affirming care across New York. During my very first month in the State Senate in 2019, I championed and advocated for the Reproductive Health Act (RHA), which codifies abortion rights into New York law, ensuring that these rights are protected regardless of what happens at the federal level.

I’ve declared severe maternal morbidity a public health crisis and, in 2019, I recognized the importance of doulas in improving birth outcomes and fought for a Medicaid rule change to cover doula services. In 2023, I also supported the “One House” Budget’s push toward fair Medicaid reimbursement for doulas.

I’ve also convened roundtables with maternal health advocates and organizations addressing maternal mortality in our communities. Their work has informed my approach, and I’ve used my platform to amplify and invest in it.

This year, when abortion access came under attack nationwide, I published a comprehensive guide to abortion care in NYC to help people navigate services and identify safe and trusted providers.

This work reflects my existing commitment to protecting and expanding access to care. I look forward to continuing my advocacy as Mayor.

8. Have you hosted, funded or otherwise supported Drag Story Hours in your community?

Drag Story Hours embodies this city's unique greatness–people from all walks of life, coming together through learning and joy, to find and celebrate their differences in the glow of our shared values and public spaces. As mayor, one of my guiding visions will be fostering more of these spaces for New Yorkers - regardless of background - to build and invest in community with one another. My campaign is hosting a Drag Brunch fundraiser, and we will continue to loudly and proudly support and defend queer artists.

9. What proposals will you support to increase the protection of immigrants and cement New York City’s status as a Sanctuary City?

As a State Senator, I’ve fought to make New York a true sanctuary for immigrants, not just in name, but in practice. I sponsored the Clemency Justice Act to make the clemency process more transparent and accessible for those facing deportation or incarceration. I’ve supported

the Dignity Not Detention Act, which ends contracts between local governments and ICE detention centers, and I’ve backed the New York for All Act, which would prohibit collaboration between local law enforcement and federal immigration authorities.

But we need to go even further. That’s why I’ve laid out a Frontline Agenda, a blueprint for how New York City can resist federal overreach under this Trump administration. As Mayor, I will ensure that no city agency; including our hospitals, schools, or shelters, collaborates with ICE. I will increase funding for immigrant legal defense, expand language access across all public services, and shield our residents from federal surveillance or intimidation.

New York is home to people from every corner of the globe. Protecting immigrant New Yorkers isn’t just policy for me, it’s personal. My administration will treat an attack on immigrants as an attack on the city itself.

10. How will you represent the most vulnerable, including individuals experiencing homelessness and asylum seekers? Have you ever opposed any shelter in your district?

I believe that we have an obligation to protect the most vulnerable, and that starts with the only real solution to homelessness: more housing. I have never opposed a shelter in my district, because I believe every community must do its part. I also believe that shelters alone will never solve our crisis – we need to invest in permanent homes.

One of the main challenges is the city’s inadequate housing supply, which forces many families to shuffle between shelters instead of moving into permanent housing. Even though the city manages and subsidizes thousands of supportive housing units, fewer than 20% of currently referred individuals are actually housed each year. In addition to Rebuild NYC, my administration will institute a clear hierarchy of accountability for housing the homeless with one Deputy Mayor empowered to coordinate across agencies including DHS, HPD, H+H, DOHMH, the NYPD and DOC.

I will also prioritize transitioning nearly 3,000 domestic violence survivors and families from shelters to permanent housing. My administration will accomplish this by fully funding programs that support and provide stability and security to domestic violence survivors, such as Project Home, and the 15/15 Rental Assistance Program.

As a State Senator, I’ve fought to expand the Housing Access Voucher Program, strengthen tenant protections, and deliver rental relief to prevent homelessness before it starts. I’ve also stood up for asylum seekers, securing resources and speaking out against efforts to scapegoat people fleeing hardship.

Finally, my comprehensive Rebuild NYC housing plan will address homelessness by reallocating funds from shelter construction into building permanent housing for voucher holders.

A Myrie administration will ensure that all New Yorkers have a safe and stable place to live and call home for the long-term.

11. 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.

While I am not running for City Council, I have long supported the goals of the New York for All Act, which would ensure that state and local governments do not use their resources to aid federal immigration enforcement.

As a State Senator, I am currently co-sponsoring the New York for All Act in Albany and have consistently worked to protect immigrants from wrongful detention, deportation, and intimidation. I’ve opposed ICE access in city institutions like hospitals and schools, and I’ve supported legislation to end collaboration between local law enforcement and federal immigration authorities. New York must stand as a sanctuary in both word and deed, and make clear that no city agency or official will ever be deputized to carry out Trump’s anti-immigrant agenda.

12. 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.

Yes.

13. 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’ve already joined your efforts: as a State Senator, I am a co-sponsor of the New York Elder Parole Bill because I believe in a justice system rooted in fairness, humanity, and the

possibility of redemption. As Mayor, I will continue to fight for this legislation and for broader parole and sentencing reform.

14. Do you oppose the death penalty?

As a legislator, I’ve supported efforts to reform our justice system to focus on ensuring fairness, rehabilitation, accountability, and restorative justice. As Mayor, I will continue to advocate for a fair and humane criminal justice system, and will not support any efforts to bring the death penalty back in New York or expand its use federally.

15. Do you support outlawing solitary confinement?

Yes, I support outlawing solitary confinement and replacing it with humane, evidence-based alternatives.

Solitary confinement disproportionately harms Black and brown New Yorkers, people with mental illness, the LGBTQ+ community and those already vulnerable within our criminal justice system. Prolonged isolation has been shown to cause irreversible psychological harm, and it does nothing to improve safety or rehabilitation.

As a State Senator, I co-sponsored the HALT Solitary Confinement Act, which set strict limits on the use of solitary in New York. The legislation ended the torture of our neighbors, friends and family members condemned to solitary confinement across New York State to replace it with safer and more meaningful interventions. I’m proud to have supported this legislation, as our city works toward a more just, humane and sensible criminal legal system.

As Mayor, I will continue to invest in supportive interventions that uphold human dignity and actually reduce violence. Our justice system should be rooted in accountability, not cruelty.

16. 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?

As Mayor, I will work towards a justice system that values redemption, rehabilitation, and humanity. This includes visiting constituents who are incarcerated.

As a State Senator, I’ve passed bills to reform parole and expand access to clemency. I also proudly sponsored and passed the Clean Slate Act, which automatically seals certain conviction records after a period of time because people who have served their time and worked to rebuild their lives deserve a fair shot at employment, housing, and reintegrating themselves into our city’s fabric. As Mayor, I will continue to advocate for strong reentry support.

17. Do you commit to working to change our penal system toward a restorative rather than a retributive model of justice?

As noted above, I am committed to working towards a fairer, more equitable justice system. This is demonstrated through my legislative efforts and track efforts, which includes championing the Clean Slate Act, HALT Solitary Confinement Act, and others.

As Mayor, I will work to incorporate more equitable practices throughout our schools, courts, jails, and communities because justice should incorporate fairness and rehabilitation – especially for communities who have been disproportionately impacted.

18. 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?

N/A

19. Who did you support for mayor in the 2021 Democratic primary election?

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20. Which 2025 Democratic candidates have you removed from your consideration? Have you endorsed anyone? If so, who?

I have removed Andrew Cuomo from my consideration and have been outspoken regarding his mismanagement during his time as Governor.

Cuomo is a “so-called leader” who is coming before us asking to be our city’s next Mayor – despite him sitting in our community’s church pews on Sunday and cutting funding for our schools on Monday. When we needed critical access to care – such as advocating for SUNY Downstate to remain open – he did not lift a finger and instead cut access to Medicaid. During COVID, New Yorkers died because they had no access to ventilators and oxygen tanks — yet Cuomo’s mishandled stockpiles were sitting full of supplies. When gun violence was ravaging in our communities, Cuomo would not deliver any funding. The many problems that we are experiencing right now as a city are the problems that he created because of his poor leadership.

We cannot look to the past for solutions to our future. I am running for Mayor because our city is in desperate need of new and bold leadership.

21. Do you support the renaming of the Ed Koch bridge and will you work towards the renaming including sponsoring such legislation?

I support renaming the Ed Koch Bridge because public landmarks should reflect the values of justice, equity, and inclusion–not honor legacies of neglect and harm.

Former Mayor Koch failed thousands of New Yorkers during the AIDS crisis, refusing to act with urgency as LGBTQ+ communities pleaded for help. His administration’s inaction during one of the greatest public health crises in our city’s history cost lives-including that of your organization’s namesake-and deepened stigma.

Naming a bridge after a leader is a powerful symbol, and this one sends the wrong message. Our city should uplift those who fought for the people left behind, not those who turned away.

22. What are your plans to address rent affordability in NYC? Did you vote for “City of Yes”? If not, please explain.

I support the City of Yes initiative and think it is a step in the right direction for our city. CoY, however, is not bold enough and does not address the magnitude of our New York City’s housing crisis.

This is why I launched my campaign with a bold plan, Rebuild NYC, which is a mandate for one million new homes — my campaign’s top priority. Housing is the foundation for fixing many of our city’s challenges. With costs soaring, New Yorkers are struggling to afford their rents, let alone consider purchasing a home in the neighborhoods where we grew up. People are leaving the city because staying has become financially untenable. By increasing housing supply, we can bring down costs for everyone and ensure that our city continues to grow. The choice is clear: either we build more, or we lose New Yorkers.

Rebuild NYC includes the following initiatives –

Revitalizing NYCHA: Invest in NYCHA by supporting its ongoing renovation work and building 95,000 mixed-income housing units to generate revenue that helps sustain NYCHA for generations to come.
Mega Midtown: Build up to 85,000 new mixed-income units in Midtown Manhattan by increasing allowable density on sites where residential towers are already allowed.
New Neighborhoods: Build up to 85,000 new housing units through the creation of New Neighborhoods throughout New York City.
Sandwich Rezonings: Build up to 85,000 new housing units in industrial areas that are sandwiched between residential neighborhoods.
Homes Not Shelters: Reallocate funding being used to finance shelter construction to instead construct 50,000 new units of permanent housing for voucher holders.
Mixed Income on Public Sites: Create templates for the redevelopment of old public buildings as mixed-use properties with up to 50,000 new mixed-income housing units above public service facilities like schools and libraries.
Small Building Streamlining: Financing and reforms to spur the creation of 50,000 new housing units in small buildings that are seven stories or fewer, with a focus on homeownership opportunities.
Organic Growth: 200,000 new housing units that we conservatively assume will be built through organic growth absent any of the above.

23. What are your plans regarding short-term housing?

My Rebuild NYC plan will create one million new homes over the next decade, so that every New Yorker has a stable and secure place to live. This means legalizing new housing in high-opportunity areas, investing in public land for mixed-income development, and ensuring our zoning rules reflect the urgency of the moment.

While building more housing remains the long-term solution, we must act now to support New Yorkers facing immediate housing instability. That’s why I’ve championed the Housing Access Voucher Program (HAVP), a flexible, statewide rental assistance initiative that can move people out of shelters and into permanent homes. I’ve joined my Senate colleagues in calling for $250 million in this year’s state budget to fund HAVP, which would provide thousands of households with vouchers they can use in both the private market and affordable housing developments.

This program is not only a humane response to homelessness and eviction risk, it also reduces pressure on our overburdened shelter system and helps build more economically integrated neighborhoods.

24. Do you support fully divesting city pension funds from Tesla?

I support divesting city pension funds from Tesla. Elon Musk’s recent accumulation of power, across tech, media, and public infrastructure, has been deeply concerning, and New York City should do what it can to push back against that consolidation. I believe that if you’re doing business in or with New York, you need to take responsibility for foreseeable harms that you could have avoided, but didn’t.

We need to set the tone and hold asset managers accountable about how our funds are being used. Our Tesla divestment will be calculated, inclusive, and executed in the least disruptive way to New Yorkers. We’ll need a strategic approach to ensure our values are reflected in our investments without compromising pensioners’ financial security.

25. Based upon your life experiences and accomplishments, why should we believe you would be a dynamic and progressive voice in elected office?

My time as Mayor will be defined by transformative progress on housing, affordability, and public safety — issues that shape the daily lives of New Yorkers and the future of our city.

Addressing the housing crisis will be my top priority. Through Rebuild NYC, my plan to build and preserve one million homes over the next decade, I aim to tackle rising rents and displacement head-on. By significantly increasing housing supply and making homes accessible to New Yorkers of all income levels, we can create a city where people can afford to live, work, and raise their families. The success of this plan would signal a pivotal moment in addressing New York’s longstanding housing shortage and ensuring its continued growth.

Affordability, particularly for working families, requires bold and focused solutions. One key initiative will be the implementation of free, universal afterschool programs citywide. These programs will provide students with safe, enriching environments during critical hours, while giving parents much-needed financial relief from skyrocketing childcare costs. Universal afterschool not only supports families but also strengthens communities by creating opportunities for young people to grow and succeed. This initiative would ensure that New York remains a city where families can build secure and sustainable lives.

Public safety is another cornerstone of my administration. New Yorkers must feel safe in their neighborhoods, on their commutes, and in public spaces. My administration will focus on rebuilding the NYPD’s detective force to achieve a 100% clearance rate for shootings and addressing the systemic inequities that have undermined public trust. At the same time, we will foster stronger community relationships to ensure that safety efforts are both effective and equitable.

My time in office will be remembered as an era of action—when New York became more affordable, safer, and more equitable for all its residents.

26. What additional information would you like the Jim Owles club to consider when we are making our endorsement decision?

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27. Are you a potential candidate for City Council speaker in the upcoming term? If so, what is your platform?

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questionnaireJim Owles Liberal Democratic ClubApril 30, 2025nyc mayor 2025