VOTE411 Voter Guide

Tax the Rich: Together with my constituents and a growing block of like-minded state legislators, I will fight to tax the rich to implement an affordability agenda. We need to increase taxes on corporations and the wealthiest New Yorkers to fund programs that all New Yorkers need and deserve—from affordable housing, to universal childcare, to much more. Housing: We must protect tenants by defending and expanding rent stabilization, and by investing in building more permanently and deeply affordable housing. Pass and sustain universal childcare: There are many families with young kids in AD37, and we are struggling to afford childcare! I believe we must go beyond the commitments that Governor Hochul made earlier this year and ensure we have long-term funding in place to sustain truly universal childcare for every child from 6 weeks, while paying childcare workers a living wage.

From increased flooding to soaring summer temperatures, Queens is already feeling the impacts of climate change. Fortunately, New York City and State have set ambitious climate goals including reducing greenhouse gas emissions. To help us meet these goals, I will fight for the full implementation of the Build Public Renewables Act (BPRA) so that we can move our state towards publicly-owned renewable energy.

To fight climate change at home, we need Local Law 97 compliance to be successful. But for too many working-class and senior co-op owners and residents, the costs of compliance are more they can afford. As the Assembly Member for District 37, I will be on the front lines of the fight for State resources to help co-ops come into compliance and reduce their emissions, as well as for homeowners to easily invest in energy efficiency upgrades.

I have dedicated my career to fighting for housing justice and working directly with low-income tenants and homeowners. This fight intersects with the fight for social and racial justice in many ways. In office, I would prioritize fighting for policies that benefit the working class the most marginalized New Yorkers. This includes fighting ICE at the state level with New York for All, passing Coverage for All to ensure undocumented New Yorkers can access state-funded comprehensive healthcare, and funding the Housing Access Voucher Program which would offer rental assistance to tenants who are not eligible for city- and federal-level programs. I would also support legislation that moves our criminal justice system towards one that prioritizes rehabilitation over punishment, including the Treatment Court Expansion Act.

The Callais decision allows a wave of extreme partisan gerrymandering that could swing as many as 19 congressional districts for Republicans and destroy the Congressional Black Caucus. We should absolutely use New York’s redistricting powers to protect our representation in the federal government. Additionally, there are other ways we can be acting as a state to protect voting rights and access to the ballot box. I would support efforts in the state legislature to protect poll/election workers from intimidation and increase funding for modernization and increased cybersecurity of our election system. Lastly, I would support community organizing efforts to spread Know Your Rights information for voters so that we can all support the integrity of our upcoming elections.

If elected, my top priorities would be:

Affordability & Tenant Protections: We must address the affordability crisis by not only building when & where it makes sense, but through landlord accountability. I will work to create measures so that corporate landlords can no longer hold rent stabilized units offline, while they benefit from the system.

Success for Small Businesses: Our mom and pop stores are the fabric of each community. As past President of the Sunnyside Chamber of Commerce, I stand with and support small business. As Assembly member I will work to streamline the policies and regulations that make it difficult for small businesses to thrive and work towards commercial rent regulations/guidelines.

Protecting Vulnerable Communities - No one in our city should be afraid to go out to work or to just live their lives. I will work to protect immigrant NYers by upholding sanctuary laws, protecting our constitutional rights, and strengthening the State Office of New Americans.

In District 37, and across NYC, climate change is a major concern. We must counteract the effects of climate change, including rising temperatures by expanding tree coverage, especially in industrial areas that are also residential, in order to control the urban heat island effect. We must also ensure there is proper funding to mitigate the effects of flooding and CSOs, which continue to pollute our waterways and constitute a public health hazard. In addition, we must hold responsible corporations that pollute the environment on an ongoing basis - not just through fines, but ensuring that their practices are audited and meet all environmental regulations. This accountability must also include the responsible parties for the superfund sites along Newtown Creek, where little progress has been made after decades of delays.

The diversity of NYC is our strength and source of hope for so many. When we allow inequality to persist, it keeps us from reaching our true potential and can affect NYers for generations. Our laws, regulations, & policies must ensure equality & equity for everyone in our city.

Combating inequity must include looking at our schools and access to care.

Schools are where all of our important issues intersect. The best way we can serve all children in NY is to fund our schools equitably so that children receive a quality education no matter which zip code they live in and regardless of their race, economic circumstances, and abilities.

This applies as well to health care - access should not be determined by socioeconomics - everyone has a human right to health care. We can make this a reality in NY by enacting the NY Health Act.

In NY, we are fortunate in having passed the John Lewis Voting Rights Act, which provides an added level of protection against this Federal decision. We must remain vigilant, though, and aggressively fight any attempts to erode voting rights protections in NY.

My top three priorities are Healthcare, Immigration and Affordability

One of the most important steps is investing heavily in renewable energy and energy-efficient infrastructure. Expanding solar and wind power, modernizing the electric grid, and retrofitting buildings for energy efficiency can significantly reduce emissions while creating good-paying union jobs. Public transit must also be expanded and improved to reduce car dependency and pollution.

At the same time, New York must strengthen climate resilience and disaster preparedness, especially for communities vulnerable to flooding, extreme heat, and storms. This includes upgrading sewer systems, investing in coastal protections, improving emergency response infrastructure, and expanding green spaces and tree canopy in urban neighborhoods to combat heat islands.

I will pursue policies that address the root causes of inequality and ensure every New Yorker—regardless of race, income, immigration status, gender, or zip code—has access to opportunity, safety, and dignity. That starts with investing in affordable housing, equitable public education, quality healthcare, and good-paying union jobs.

I support strengthening tenant protections, expanding mental health services, protecting reproductive rights, and increasing funding for underserved schools and communities. I will also fight for immigrant protections, including passing NY4All, expanding language access, and funding immigrant legal defense programs.

Promoting racial justice also means reforming public safety systems through accountability, violence prevention, and community-based mental health responses instead of overreliance on policing. I support policies that combat hate crimes, discrimination, and barriers to economic opportunity.

The Supreme Court’s decision in Louisiana v. Callais is deeply concerning because it weakens protections against racial vote dilution and threatens the voting power of historically marginalized communities.

I would support expanding state-level voting protections by strengthening New York’s anti-discrimination laws in redistricting and ensuring communities of color are meaningfully represented in the map-drawing process. I also support creating more independent and transparent redistricting systems that prioritize communities of interest over political advantage.

New York should continue expanding ballot access through measures like early voting, mail voting, language access, and voter education initiatives, particularly in historically underrepresented communities. I would also support increased funding for civil rights enforcement and legal defense efforts to challenge discriminatory election practices.