Governor Kathy Hochul
Please share what, in your view, best qualifies you to be the governor or lieutenant governor of the State of New York?
As Governor of New York, Kathy Hochul has brought a fresh and collaborative approach to governing and is working hard to get results for New Yorkers. She has taken decisive action to deliver immediate relief to working- and middle-class families, get small businesses back on their feet, and accelerate New York’s economic recovery. At the same time, Governor Hochul has reaffirmed New York's position as a national leader in defending reproductive rights, combating climate change, and passing gun safety legislation that has become a model for the rest of the country. She’s also working to enact a bold agenda to promote greater equity and expand opportunities for every New Yorker by making New York more affordable, getting our schools back on track, and expanding access to health care. Governor Hochul’s record says it all: she is a strong and effective leader for New York, and will continue moving the Empire State forward if elected to a full term.While NYC is mostly blue, New York State is purple. How does your platform will ensure that, if chosen by Democrats in the primary, you will ensure a Democratic victory in November?
Governor Hochul has been elected to represent the state of New York at the local, state, and federal levels, and has experience winning elections in the reddest part of our state along with the bluest. New Yorkers continue voting for Governor Hochul because she listens to their concerns and puts their interests first, regardless of political affiliation or geographic region. Governor Hochul is focused on the issues affecting all New Yorkers: keeping our communities safe from crime and gun violence; creating good-paying jobs and getting small businesses back on track; making health care and child care more accessible and affordable; expanding our housing stock to ensure everyone has a roof over their head; putting money back into people’s pockets through tax relief; and investing in our children’s education and mental wellbeing. She will continue earning the support of New York voters by doing what she does best: working hard to deliver meaningful results for them.LID is proudly a progressive club – how does your platform speak to progressive values while also appealing to a statewide victory in November?
Please see above.Will you commit to ensuring that persons with prior homophobic/anti-queer statements and/or positions (to include espoused beliefs that transgender people are not the gender that they present themselves as) are not given jobs in your administration (unless this person has otherwise ameliorated their prior positions through consistent acts demonstrating a commitment toward the equality of all LGBTQ people while recognizing the harm they have previously caused)?
Yes.Separate and apart from dedicated LGBTQ community liaisons (which organizations like ours expect to be appointed), how will you ensure that queer leaders are represented in various Executive Chamber and statewide/gubernatorially-appointed agency executive positions and boards?
Governor Hochul has the most diverse and LGBTQ-inclusive administration in the history of the state and will continue appointing queer leaders to her administration if elected to a full term.LID, like many progressive organizations, works best in coalition with our partners. Please share your path to victory and how we can help if we endorse you (and please list your endorsements at the end of this questionnaire or in an attachment):
By exhibiting strong and effective leadership, Governor Hochul is entering the 2022 election having earned the support of a broad Democratic coalition — receiving endorsements from hundreds of elected officials, county committees, and labor unions, including the endorsement of the State Democratic Party as well as every LGBTQ+ Democratic club across the state. By working collaboratively and fostering key partnerships with her Democratic colleagues, the governor has been able to deliver meaningful results for New Yorkers — passing a transformative budget, enacting more than 500 pieces of legislation and guiding our state through a global pandemic. Governor Hochul’s extensive experience in public office and her proven ability to lead on the issues that matter most to New York’s working families, small businesses, and disadvantaged communities give her a clear path to victory in November. The governor would be honored to have the endorsement and support of the Lambda Independent Democrats of Brooklyn.Voting access is under attack across the county. While New York is ahead of many states, we have work to do. Please identify what you see as New York’s top voting access issues and share how you will address them.
Governor Hochul is committed to protecting and expanding voting rights, especially in communities that have historically been targeted by pernicious voter suppression efforts. As part of her voting rights agenda, Governor Hochul supports legislation that will establish a state-level voting rights act, which will enhance protections against voter suppression and vote dilution, establish new protections against voter intimidation and deception, and improve language access for voters. She has also proposed extending the voter registration deadline to within 10 days before Election Day, to ensure more voters can make it to the polls. The governor’s FY2023 budget includes provisions that make voting-by-mail more accessible and require large colleges and universities to host polling places on campus to make voting easier for students. Finally, she has called on Congress to pass the John R. Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act and the Freedom to Vote Act to protect and expand voting rights across the country and here in New York State.New York State incarcerates too many people. Period. With a disproportionate impact on people of color. Provide us some some broad outlines as to how you plan to address this.
Governor Hochul’s criminal justice agenda prioritizes making New York’s communities safer while creating a system that is more just and equitable. For too long, systemic racism has pervaded our criminal justice system, and as a result, our Black and Brown communities have been disproportionately incarcerated and harmed. The governor is working with the legislature to both improve our criminal justice system and keep people from entering it in the first place, including by overhauling New York’s parole system to prevent people from being jailed for most minor violations, investing in pretrial services, and giving formerly incarcerated New Yorkers more job opportunities and support to reduce recidivism. This past fall, Governor Hochul announced plans to close six state prisons, and in the spring, she launched the Prison Redevelopment Commission to reimagine ways that closed prisons can be repurposed to meet community needs. Governor Hochul knows there is a lot to do to reduce New York’s prison populations, and if elected to a full term, she will continue working with legislators to meaningfully rethink and reform our criminal justice system.While we are confident that New York State will never ban the discussion of gender identity from public schools, we are still far away from ensuring that our public schools provide culturally competent educational support for LGBTQ families and queer, transgender and gender non-conforming youth. Will you support, and advocate for the legislature to pass:
-Legislation creating an LGBTQ+ History curriculum for public schools (A817/S1729)?
-Legislation requiring inclusive instruction and instructional materials (A808/S1929)?
-Legislation to promote comprehensive sex ed in public schools? (A6616/S2584)?
-Legislation requiring local school districts to establish policies and procedures regarding the treatment of transgender and gender-non conforming students (A840/S369)?
Governor Hochul will not comment on pending legislation at this time, but she fully and vocally supports New York’s LGBTQ+ community and will continue working with partners to advance inclusive legislation.Queer people continue to face inequality in the healthcare and housing system. Please tell us if you support:
-Passing the New York Health Act (A 6058/S 5474)?
-Legislation requiring unarmed crisis personnel to respond to mental health crises?
-Legislation which would mandate insurance coverage for PrEP/PEP (A808/S699)?
-Legislation which would make gender affirming care an essential health benefit?
-Passing a bill of rights for LGBTQ persons in long-term care facilities (A7807/S85)?
Governor Hochul will not comment on pending legislation but understands that members of New York’s LGBTQ+ community experience high rates of physical and mental health disparities as well as barriers to accessing proper healthcare. Governor Hochul’s FY 2023 budget included investments in direct health services, cultural competency education and training, and organizational capacity building to ensure that queer New Yorkers receive the healthcare and support services they need. She also knows that LGBTQ+ New Yorkers face homelessness while struggling to find safe, affordable housing options. This is especially true for LGBTQ+ youth, who are much more likely to experience homelessness than other youth populations. To address this issue, Governor Hochul has established Safe Options Support (SOS) teams made up of social workers, medical providers and mental health practitioners to work with emergency shelters, outreach providers, and permanent supportive housing providers to help transition New Yorkers living on the street into stable housing. The governor has also launched a comprehensive $25 billion, five-year housing plan to create and preserve 100,000 affordable housing units, including 10,000 units with supportive services for vulnerable New Yorkers. As part of this commitment, Governor Hochul will provide a significant investment to support the expansion of crisis and transitional living beds for homeless and runaway LGBTQ+ youth.LID and our coalition partners have been working hard to decriminalize sex with in New York State, an archaic policy that disproportionately impacts transgender women of color. Will you support the Stop the Stop the Violence in Sex Trades Act (“SVSTA”) (A849/S3075) and advocate for its passage in the legislature?
Governor Hochul will not comment on pending legislation but has spoken with many advocates and legislators about how best to protect and support sex workers and move forward on this issue.The most marginalized members of the LGBTQ community are those who face constant discrimination on the basis of their gender. Please share if you support and will advocate for the passage of the following:
-The Gender Identity Respect Dignity and Safety Act (ensures that incarcerated individuals are housed consistent with their gender identity) (A7001A/S6677)?
-Gender Inclusive Ballot Act (Includes individuals who do not identify exclusively as a binary gender in eligibility for party positions) (A07933A/S6901B) (*passed by both houses of the legislature, awaits transmittal to the governor)
-Legislation to ban the use of conversion therapy on persons over 18 and under legal guardianship?
Governor Hochul will not comment on pending legislation but since taking office, she has enacted a number of laws designed to protect the health, safety and fundamental dignity of LGBTQ+ New Yorkers, including requiring that incarcerated individuals in state and local correctional facilities receive gender-affirming treatment; mandating that public-facing state agencies give New Yorkers the option of an “X” marker when identifying their gender on official documents; and requiring that municipalities, utility companies, and other service providers address and acknowledge New Yorkers interacting with the entities by their preferred name, gender, and pronouns.Do you support legislation that will suspend unnecessary travel to states that permit discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation, gender identity, or gender expression (A 07991/S 06897)?
Governor Hochul will not comment on pending legislation at this time but has taken — and will continue to take — a strong stance against anti-LGBTQ+ policies that have been accepted and codified across the nation.
Please share your current endorsements:
A full list of endorsements can be found here: https://kathyhochul.com/endorsements/
Ana Maria Archila
Please share what, in your view, best qualifies you to be the governor or lieutenant governor of the State of New York?
I am running for Lieutenant Governor to be an independent voice that ensures that state government focuses on the needs of working families, not the wants of billionaires. I’ll focus on ensuring that all New Yorkers have an affordable home, excellent healthcare, high-quality education, safe communities, and a livable planet. If elected, I would be the first Latina and LGBTQ+ New Yorker elected statewide.
As the co-founder and former co-Executive Director of Make the Road New York and former co-Executive Director of the Center for Popular Democracy, I have 20 years of experience as a non-profit executive who can build and lead organizations and wage successful campaigns to win social, economic, and racial justice victories. In Albany, the executive branch continues to be an obstacle to progress on key issues for workers, tenants, immigrants, and communities of
color. We need a lieutenant governor who will be a partner to the people, not just do the bidding of the governor and her campaign donors–and be willing to stand up when s/he is wrong on an issue. I have both the executive experience and the track record of speaking truth to power to play this important role.
We’ve seen the stakes for our communities in sharp relief over the past two years. As
COVID-19 swept across the nation, New York State saw frontline workers showing up every day to ensure that jobs got done. While we have seen our essential workers, many of them people of color, suffer and face exclusion from vital resources, the wealthiest individuals in our state have continued to amass unchecked wealth. As someone who has dedicated the last 20 years to building power rooted in working class communities, my work has been animated by the
certainty that a new, more just nation is struggling to be born. And that her arrival becomes more possible every time immigrant youth tell their stories and articulate their dreams; every time Black women lead us to victory in a hard fought election; every time low-wage workers win dignity at work; every time someone joins a march for the first time; and every time poor and working class families win better schools, housing and healthcare. The arrival of a more just nation, a more just New York, becomes more possible when the very people who have been silenced and relegated to the margins of our democracy build power together, and use that power to dismantle the structures of exclusion and exploitation from below. I want to make this a reality.
While NYC is mostly blue, New York State is purple. How does your platform will ensure that, if chosen by Democrats in the primary, you will ensure a Democratic victory in November?
I have traveled across the state throughout this campaign to hear from and listen to voters and my policy platform–by far the most robust platform of any candidate in this race–reflects that. You can read all my policy platforms here. My campaign has not just touched on New York City issues, but also the needs of rural communities. While I have focused heavily on the needs of tenants, I have also talked about the challenges facing homeowners. My campaign is rooted in listening to and addressing people’s problems–regardless of where they live or their party affiliation.
I should also note that I believe having my name on the ticket for the general election will help Democrats win statewide. Regardless of who wins the Governor’s race, Democrats need energy and enthusiasm in a difficult year. Thus far, I have generated by far the most grassroots engagement from the base in the Lt. Governor’s race and I would play a leadership role in engaging Latinx and queer communities given my identity and organizing experience in those communities.
LID is proudly a progressive club – how does your platform speak to progressive values while also appealing to a statewide victory in November?
I am a proud progressive and the clear progressive choice in this race. My campaign and platform has lifted up progressive priorities from Day 1–from good cause eviction legislation to building public renewables to funding excluded workers to passing the NY Health Act. Our ideas and policy proposals are actually quite popular statewide. We do, however, need to ensure that we’re putting in the work statewide to listen to and talk to voters and lead a strong statewide communications effort to connect with voters, explain our ideas, and combat disinformation. I have traveled the state to connect with voters even in red areas during the primary, and I will absolutely continue to do that during the general election. In those conversations, I have found an enormous amount of common ground on key issues–especially when it comes to tackling the affordability crisis facing New Yorkers.
Will you commit to ensuring that persons with prior homophobic/anti-queer statements and/or positions (to include espoused beliefs that transgender people are not the gender that they present themselves as) are not given jobs in your administration (unless this person has otherwise ameliorated their prior positions through consistent acts demonstrating a commitment toward the equality of all LGBTQ people while recognizing the harm they have previously caused)?
ABSOLUTELY.
Separate and apart from dedicated LGBTQ community liaisons (which organizations like ours expect to be appointed), how will you ensure that queer leaders are represented in various Executive Chamber and statewide/gubernatorially-appointed agency executive positions and boards?
While the Lieutenant Governor’s staff is quite small currently (only a handful of people), if elected, I would be vocal about the need to ensure substantial queer leadership across the executive branch. Given that I would be the first LGBTQ New Yorker elected to statewide office, I would have a powerful bully pulpit to make that argument publicly if the Governor and/or particular agencies were failing to meet that standard.
LID, like many progressive organizations, works best in coalition with our partners. Please share your path to victory and how we can help if we endorse you (and please list your endorsements at the end of this questionnaire or in an attachment):
I have established myself as the clear progressive in the race for lieutenant governor, and the only candidate with a vision and policy agenda to stand up for the needs of working families, not the wants of billionaires. I have a robust, multi-issue platform focused on tackling the affordability crisis, creating a Working People’s Economy, and taking action on climate change.
I am running against a careerist corporate Democrat (newly-installed Antonio Delgado) and conservative Democrat (Diana Reyna). Both are firmly bought by billionaire and corporate interests–especially Delgado, whose campaign is fueled by real estate, entities tied with the predatory student loan industry, and hedge fund money. He is also the beneficiary of $1 million in super PAC spending from a secretive crypto billionaire trying to stop regulation of the crypto industry in New York.
I have built the broadest political coalition in the race, with broad support from elected officials and groups across the state. I received more than 85 endorsements from elected officials and organizations (see below), with dozens more cross-endorsements with down-ballot candidates. In addition to a robust earned media strategy, we have launched TV and digital ads and are deploying our endorsers and surrogates around the state to ensure a strong GOTV groundgame across the state.
If LID endorses me, I would be very grateful if you could help spread the word to your members and allies about your endorsement and plug into our GOTV efforts for early voting and election day.
Voting access is under attack across the county. While New York is ahead of many states, we have work to do. Please identify what you see as New York’s top voting access issues and share how you will address them.
We must ensure all New Yorkers’ voices are heard and their votes counted. Our rigid voting laws disenfranchise New Yorkers, particularly the most marginalized groups. We must expand voting rights by allowing all voters to vote by mail and expand early voting. Amid a national tide of anti-voter measures that threaten our elections and disenfranchise individuals and populations, New York has an opportunity to stand as a model, but only if we make this a priority.
We must also make serious commitments to end the influence of big money on our politics. This includes fully resourcing and embracing New York’s public financing system, and for candidates to reject money from corporations, lobbyists, and powerful special interest groups like the real estate industry.
Albany also needs major ethics overhaul, accountability, and culture change to to end the scourge of sexual harassment and abuse in state government. We must ensure the Governor’s appointments are free of conflicts of interest and other forms of dangerous corporate influence.
● Expand NY’s voting rights (including absentee voting, same day registration) and fund and reform Boards of Elections
● Fully fund and implement public financing of our elections to limit the influence of big money in our politics
● Bring an ethical approach to governance, including making sure appointments are free of conflicts of interest and corporate influence, and ensure strong transparency and accountability from Albany
Related to this question, my running mate and I released a comprehensive plan to end corruption and ensure government puts people first, which you can read here: https://www.anamariaforny.com/ending-corruption
New York State incarcerates too many people. Period. With a disproportionate impact on people of color. Provide us some some broad outlines as to how you plan to address this.
Despite our country’s core principle of “innocent until proven guilty”, more than three-quarters of New York City’s jail population has not been convicted of a crime. Our current system makes it
so that lower-income people awaiting trial are disproportionately held in detention due to inability to pay cash bail, while wealthier people charged with the same offenses can avoid detention due to their financial means. All of this also has widespread racial disparities, particularly
against the Black community.
In 2019, the State took key steps to rectify this fundamental injustice by passing comprehensive bail reform legislation that eliminated bail for most misdemeanors and non-violent offenses.
However, fear-mongering and sensationalism led to these reforms being rolled back almost immediately after they took effect, making dozens more of offenses bail-eligible. And we are again in the same situation today with the right wing misinformation machine and many state leaders capitulating to fear, instead of facts.
We must defend our bail reform laws, ensure the right to a speedy trial, and stop incarcerating New Yorkers for simply being poor. Instead of increasing the numbers of poor people being thrown in jail for shoplifting or repeat “quality of life” offenses as some have called for, we should be investing in greater pretrial services both in NYC and especially upstate.
Our reflexive overwhelming focus on incarceration as our response to advancing safety and accountability has simply not worked to reduce violence or address poverty, and has instead caused family separations and destabilized whole generations of New Yorkers and their communities. Indeed, the localities in New York with the highest levels of incarcerated community members are often the most unstable. Reuniting families and keeping communities whole will lead to greater safety in the long term for all of us.
To begin with, New York State needs to implement reforms that end overly punitive parole enforcement that unnecessarily re-incarcerates New Yorkers who have served their time and work to significantly lower the number of aging New Yorkers who are incarcerated. Research has consistently shown that incarcerated people over the age 50 are extremely unlikely to commit harm if released. Despite this, the number of people in this demographic in New York prisons has doubled over the past two decades, to over 10,000. In order to provide these New Yorkers with an opportunity to avoid virtual life sentences, the State should pass the Elder Parole Act and Fair and Timely Parole Act.
Finally, the City and State should look to expand the positive impact of its Alternative to Detention and Alternative to Incarceration programs, which have helped reduce prison and jail populations by diverting offenders to targeted services including mental health and substance use treatment, vocational and educational support and development, and trauma-informed counseling.
New York must finally close Rikers, and in the immediate term address the humanitarian crisis that has been unfolding in that wretched facility. We are appalled by the ever-worsening physical and sexual violence against staff and incarcerated persons. Individuals are forced to go without the most basic health and safety needs, sometimes going days, even weeks, without showers, functional toilets, medication, and medical attention. Even access to food and running water is
sometimes limited. This is a moral abomination and we must do all we can to limit the numbers of people being held in the facility Longer term, we need to, and can, reduce New York state incarceration by at least 50% in ten years through greater pretrial services, sentencing reform, parole reform, and by addressing the root causes of violence and harm as the rest of our safety plan lays out. It’s time to make New York a leader in both safety and justice.
We must also end the failed war on drugs upstate and downstate and invest in compassionate care and support for people and communities
The overdose crisis - and failed drug war policies - impacts communities of all races, and people of all political stripes. In New York State, the overdose crisis impacts urban, suburban and rural communities. Our nation is facing the worst overdose crisis in history, and sadly it’s only accelerating. In just 12 months, over 100,000 people died. We are losing one New Yorker every hour and 48 minutes. The crisis hits some communities harder than others, but every community is facing historically high overdose deaths, criminalization and a lack of adequate services and care. To end the surging overdose crisis, we need to replace criminalization and incarceration with a compassionate and caring approach rooted in science and evidence-based solutions, over deadly and harmful stigma.
The overdose crisis is a racial justice issue. In NYC, the neighborhoods with the highest overdose rates are those that are in very high poverty - specifically the South Bronx and Harlem
- which are also highly policed. Overdose rates continue to surge for Black and brown New Yorkers, while white New Yorkers overdose rates have stabilized or decreased. Access to services and treatment for communities hardest hit remain fraught with barriers. New York State can reverse the harms of the failed drug war, ensure all communities feel safe, stay alive, and receive the care they need - but it will take leaders having the political will and commitment to end the harms of criminalization and invest in caring infrastructure.
New York State played its own critical role in the drug war. Most infamously through the enactment of the draconian Rockefeller drug laws that were adopted across the nation and federally and exploded the prison population and incarcerating Black and brown communities. Although the Rockefeller drug laws have been repealed, criminalization over care is still very alive in New York State.
Most critical to ending the current overdose crisis is ensuring every New Yorker has on-demand access to evidence-based care and treatment, including harm reduction services and Medication-Assisted Treatment. We also need to end the criminalization of low level drug possession, which has led to New York treating drug use as a criminal matter instead of a public health one.
We must invest in the Office of Drug User Health in the AIDS Institute, and continue to grow the agency's budget to scale-up capacity of harm reduction services, overdose prevention, and
low-threshold models of Medication-Assisted Treatment. We should also allows the New York State Department of Health to authorize community-based organizations to operate as safer
consumption spaces (SCS), also known as Overdose Prevention Centers, which offer sterile supplies and controlled settings for people to use pre-obtained drugs under the supervision of trained professionals who can intervene in case of an overdose or other medical event, and link people to counseling, and referrals to health and social services, including drug treatment.
While we are confident that New York State will never ban the discussion of gender identity from public schools, we are still far away from ensuring that our public schools provide culturally competent educational support for LGBTQ families and queer, transgender and gender non-conforming youth. Will you support, and advocate for the legislature to pass:
Legislation creating an LGBTQ+ History curriculum for public schools (A817/S1729)? YES
Legislation requiring inclusive instruction and instructional materials (A808/S1929)? YES
Legislation to promote comprehensive sex ed in public schools? (A6616/S2584)? YES
Legislation requiring local school districts to establish policies and procedures regarding the treatment of transgender and gender-non conforming students (A840/S369)? YES
Queer people continue to face inequality in the healthcare and housing system. Please tell us if you support:
Passing the New York Health Act (A 6058/S 5474)? YES
Legislation requiring unarmed crisis personnel to respond to mental health crises? YES
Legislation which would mandate insurance coverage for PrEP/PEP (A808/S699)? YES
Legislation which would make gender affirming care an essential health benefit? Passing a bill of rights for LGBTQ persons in long-term care facilities (A7807/S85)? YES
LID and our coalition partners have been working hard to decriminalize sex with in New York State, an archaic policy that disproportionately impacts transgender women of color. Will you support the Stop the Stop the Violence in Sex Trades Act (“SVSTA”) (A849/S3075) and advocate for its passage in the legislature? YES
The most marginalized members of the LGBTQ community are those who face constant discrimination on the basis of their gender. Please share if you support and will advocate for the passage of the following:
The Gender Identity Respect Dignity and Safety Act (ensures that incarcerated individuals are housed consistent with their gender identity) (A7001A/S6677)? YES
Gender Inclusive Ballot Act (Includes individuals who do not identify exclusively as a binary gender in eligibility for party positions) (A07933A/S6901B) (*passed by both houses of the legislature, awaits transmittal to the governor) YES
Legislation to ban the use of conversion therapy on persons over 18 and under legal guardianship? YES
Do you support legislation that will suspend unnecessary travel to states that permit discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation, gender identity, or gender expression (A 07991/S 06897)? YES
Please share your current endorsements:
Some of the most prominent endorsers are listed below:
U.S. Congressional Representative Nydia Velázquez
U.S. Congressional Representative Jamaal Bowman New York City Comptroller Brad Lander
NYC Public Advocate Jumaane Williams
State Senate Deputy Majority Leader Mike Gianaris State Senator Alessandra Biaggi
State Senator Gustavo Rivera State Senator James Sanders Jr. State Senator Andrew Gounardes State Senator Jabari Brisport State Senator Julia Salazar
Assembly Member Jessica González-Rojas Assembly Member Ron Kim
Assembly Member Harvey Epstein Assembly Member Yuh-Line Niou Assembly Member Marcela Mitaynes Assembly Member Mathylde Frontus Assembly Member Phara Souffrant Forrest Assembly Member Zohran Mamdani
New York City Council Member Alexa Aviles New York City Council Member Sandy Nurse New York City Council Member Tiffany Caban New York City Councilmember Crystal Hudson New York City Councilmember Shahana Hanif New York City Councilmember Chi Ossé
New York City Councilmember Shekar Krishnan New York City Councilmember Julie Won
New York City Councilmember Lincoln Restler New York Working Families Party
Make The Road Action CPD Action
Our Revolution CUFFH Action
New York Progressive Action Network (NYPAN) New York Communities for Change
Tenants PAC
Long Island Progressive Coalition Suffolk Progressives
Long Island Activists
Community Voices Heard Power CODA LES
Alliance for Quality Education (AQE) VOCAL-NY Action Fund
Be A Hero
Citizen Action of New York The Jewish Vote
People's Action Met Council Action
Indivisible Nation BK Empire State Indivisible
Jim Owles Liberal Democratic Club Stonewall Democrats of NYC
Four Freedoms Democratic Club VoteMama
National Association of Social Workers NYC - PAC Lesbian & Gay Democratic Club of Queens Equality New York
Brooklyn Young Democrats New Kings Democrats
Independent Neighborhood Democrats Bay Ridge Democrats
Grand Street Democrats
Committee of Interns and Residents SEIU Downtown Women for Change
Central Brooklyn Independent Democrats Downtown Independent Democrats
You can find a complete list here.
Civil Court Countywide Seat #4 - Pamela Patton Fynes
1. What is your current position/law practice?
Currently I am senior counsel for New York State United Teachers “NYSUT” where my practice focuses on representing public and private sector employees in labor, employment and education law matters at grievances, arbitrations, employee disciplinary proceedings, and matters before the New York State Public Employment Board (“PERB”) and in state and federal court.
2. Why are you qualified to be a judge?
I believe I am qualified for a judicial position because I have devoted the majority of my career to serving the public. Whether it was as a Senior Assistant District Attorney, an insurance defense attorney, or a labor attorney I have spent my career giving a voice to the voiceless. I have always looked to serve the public in both my personal and professional life. My motto has always been that while I may be unable to change the world I can change and have an impact on the small part of the community in which I live and work.
I am honest with high ethical and moral standards. I live the life that I preach and the life I want to see. I always treat my family, friends’ colleagues, and clients the way that I would like them to treat me, with respect, honesty, and fairness. My core value system provides a framework for how I live my life. A review of my resume and bio demonstrates that both my personal and professional experiences speak to my love of the law and my ability not only to succeed in a judicial position, but to excel in the most challenging of circumstances. The lessons I learned early in my life guide me every day in my litigation practice and career. They have also helped give me a sense of focus and purpose in my leadership roles in my sorority, committees, and organizations, where successfully navigating differences often require a judicious balance of tact, forthrightness and understanding within the broader context of rules, policies, and procedures to get the job done, all while preserving mutual respect and a shared commitment to the institution being served. These lessons also inform my belief that every litigant and every attorney deserve to be treated with dignity and respect and that every litigant, no matter the circumstance, is entitled to equal access to justice.
I possess over thirty (30) years of legal experience, I believe I have the judicial temperament, integrity, and knowledge necessary to be the kind of judge our borough needs to get the job done. I am a problem solver, impartial and fair. I can be relied upon to allow everyone who enters my courtroom to have a voice. These are some of the reasons why I believe I am qualified for a judicial position.
3. Please list your current endorsements and judicial screening results.
I was found qualified for the position of Civil Court Judge by the Kings County Judicial Screening Committee for the Democratic Party.
I have been endorsed by the following organizations and individuals: Vanguard Independent Democratic Association, Independent Neighborhood Democrats, Central Brooklyn Independent Democrats, Jim Owles Liberal Democratic Club, 41st A.D. “Lew Fidler” Democrats, Southern Brooklyn Democrats, Community 1st Democrats, Shirley Chisholm Democratic Club, Thomas Jefferson Democratic Club. Attorney General Letitia James, Reverend Anthony Trufant, Honorable Annette Robinson, District Leader Henry Butler, and District Leader Kenesha Traynham-Cooper.
4. What interventions and resources are required to ensure that all judges and court personnel competently and respectfully serve and work with the LGBTQ community? What steps will you take to ensure the necessary resources to implement the intervention?
The NYS Court office of diversity and inclusion as well as the Failla commission offer a wide area of resources to help ensure that I will have the necessary tools that I need to serve the LGBT community competently and respectfully.
I am committed to ensuring that all communities including the LGBTQ community have equal access to our judicial system. I believe that each and every individual is unique and recognizing our individual differences whether it be race, ethnicity, gender, sexual orientation, socio-economic status, age, physical disabilities, religious beliefs, or political beliefs, is extremely important in the workplace. I will constantly work to support; lift, connect and encourage equity in my courtroom. I believe that everyone has a voice, and everyone deserves to be heard and seen for who and what they are. I believe that if we build and create awareness around institutional discrimination then we have a better chance to work toward a culture that is more inviting and accepting of diverse people. This is how I will preside and run my courtroom.
5. How will you commit to ensuring that preferred pronouns and gender identity are respected in your courtroom and on documents prepared by litigators and the court?
Judges are required to perform the duties of their office fairly, impartially, and diligently, I believe that a judge sets the tone, temperament, and decorum for their courtroom, they lead by example. I believe people do better when they know better, so I will ensure that I will respect gender identity and use all preferred pronouns and advise everyone who works with me and for me what is expected of them and their behavior in my courtroom.
6. Will you commit to appearing before the LGBT Bar Association (“LeGal”) judicial screening panel?
Please be advised that I have appeared before the LeGal judiciary committee and received the rating of “Approved”.
Civil Court County Wide: Patrick Hayes Torres
I presently have a community-based law practice called hayes Law Practice PLLC in the Sunset Park section of Brooklyn.
I am qualified to be a judge based upon my legal experience and community service. I have been an attorney for 27 years having a general practice concentrating in criminal defense. I have litigated cases to trial and briefed and argued cases before the appellate Courts. Moreover, I am very involved with the community groups such as Sunset Park Lions Club, United Volunteers, and the Sunset park Business Improvement district. Further I am a Board Member to the Puerto Rican bar Association and the Coney Island YMCA. I stand with my clients when they face adversity and understand the impact the law has with my clients and the community. Thus, I understand how the law impacts a litigant and a community.
On June 3, 2022 the Brooklyn Bar Association reviewed and approved my candidacy.
On June 2, 2022 the City Bar Association reviewed and approved my candidacy.
On May 27, 2022, The LGBT Bar New York reviewed and approved my candidacy.
On April 28, 2022, the Central Brooklyn Independent Democratic Club reviewed my application and did not approve my candidacy.
On April 5, 2022, the Jim Owles Liberal Democratic Club reviewed my application. I have not received a response from the club yet;
On March 4, 2022, Kings County Democratic Party reviewed my application and did not approve my candidacy.
On February 6, 2022, the Progressive Democrats reviewed my application and approved my candidacy.
I believe all court personnel including the judge must enroll in sensitivity training. The Court can ensure that LGBT community is treated fairly and competently is by working with various groups like Gay and lesbian Alliance against defamation; gay lesbian and straight education Network to provide resources. I would also coordinate meetings with Lamda/le-Gal bar to demonstrate an open and positive attitude to incorporate change. I would also be in favor of having a social worker who would be sensitive to the LGBT community needs assigned to the courtrooms
I would ensure that preferred pronouns and gender identity would be respected in the courtroom through training of all court staff and by example. Whether someone is part of the LGBT community or not, the use of a proper gender pronouns is a baseline sign of respect for another human being interaction. I believe litigants and their clients should be treated with dignity and respect.
LeGal has reviewed my background and approved my candidacy..
Civil Court Countywide Philip F. Grant
1. What is your current position/law practice? If you are presently a judge, what did you do prior to becoming a judge?
I currently work as the Principal Law Clerk to the Hon. Larry Martin, who is assigned to the Commercial Division of the Kings County Supreme Court.
2. Why are you qualified to be a judge?
Over my 36-year legal career, I have spent roughly equal time in private and public practice. As a private practitioner, I worked both in large firms and as a solo practitioner representing individuals, corporations, and in one instance an embassy, in a myriad of practice areas. My public practice experience includes working with the NYS Attorney General’s Office, Brooklyn Division and as a court attorney for judges sitting in the Civil Court, Family Court and Supreme Court here in Brooklyn. I have had the privilege of being on both sides of the bench, as a litigator and as the person helping jurists manage their caseloads and draft decisions. I have the experience, competence and temperament to serve as Brooklyn’s next Civil Court Judge.
3. Please list your current endorsements and judicial screening results.
I have been endorsed or found qualified by the following people/organizations:
· Central Brooklyn Independent Democrats
· Jim Owles Liberal Democratic Club
· Independent Neighborhood Democrats
· Kings County Democratic Executive Committee (Judicial Screening Committee)
· Hon. Henry Butler
· Seamus Campbell
· Hon. Bobby Carroll
· Hon. Brian Cunningham
· Hon. Jennifer Faucher
· Hon. Lori Knipel
· Hon. Walter Mosley
· Hon. Roxanne Persaud
· Hon. Brad Reid
· Hon. Douglas Schneider
· Hon. Jo Anne Simon
· Hon. Frank Seddio
· Hon. Nydia Velázquez
· Hon. Jaime Williams
I was approved by a subcommittee of the Brooklyn Bar Association, but the full judicial screening committees of the NYC Bar Association and Brooklyn Bar Association declined to endorse. I have submitted an application for a rehearing and am currently awaiting the outcome.
4. What interventions and resources are required to ensure that all judges and court personnel competently and respectfully serve and work with the LGBTQ community? What steps will you take to secure the necessary resources to implement the interventions?
I believe that regular, mandatory HR trainings and independent judicial action are required to ensure that all judges and court personnel competently and respectfully serve and work with the LGBTQ+ community. If elected, I would commit to working with LID and other organizations, together with the Office of Court Administration and its subcommittees, to secure feedback to develop and implement any necessary interventions and policies.
5. How will you commit to ensuring that preferred pronouns and gender identity are respected in your courtroom and on documents prepared by litigators and the court?Every person engaging the court system should feel like it is a safe space where they are treated with dignity and respect. To aid in ensuring that people’s gender identities and preferred pronouns are respected, I would ask for business cards from attorneys and litigants (blank cards to be provided as needed) at the start of each appearance with a space for them to include their preferred pronouns. In decisions, I strive to use gender neutral language to refer to parties, i.e., plaintiff and defendant as opposed to Mr. or Ms. X, to avoid misgendering individuals. Finally, I think the best way to ensure that people feel respected in my courtroom is to be open to feedback. I hope to continue working with organizations such as LID and LeGaL to develop policies that promote respect and dignity for all court users.
6. Will you commit to appearing before the LGBT Bar Association (“LeGal”) judicial screening panel? Do you understand that this club may rescind your endorsement for failure to appear or receiving a non-qualified rating from the association?
Absolutely.