PRESS RELEASE — May 21, 2018
NEW YORK, NY— Empire State Indivisible hosted a public discussion with NY-12 Congressional candidates Suraj Patel and Carolyn Maloney on Sunday, giving both an opportunity to confront constituents’ questions in a complex district that is hosting a Democratic primary on June 26.
Both candidates went on the record to discuss civic engagement, campaign finance, housing policy, the Sunnyside Yard development proposal, immigration, and foreign policy with Iran. Video and audio of the event is available.
Maloney, who has rallied in support of early voting for New York, stated that she would pressure Governor Andrew Cuomo regarding the voting reforms that have eluded the state for years. “I certainly will mention it when I see him, and pressure him on that,” she said. Increasing civic engagement is also a “core issue” of Patel’s campaign; he claimed that only 6.7% of this district voted in the Congressional primary in 2016. “An establishment that is OK with that kind of number is out of touch with the people of this city,” he said. “We have no choice but to engage new voters.”
Both candidates also committed to hold community town hall meetings regarding the proposed Sunnyside Yard project within the district if elected. While many Queens elected officials recently co-signed a statement asking the city to stop development until further input, Rep. Maloney did not, but did say that “we have been guaranteed a certain number of seats in planning that.” Patel noted that “the city needs to create a responsible development plan so that we are not begging for schools” in areas like Long Island City. “I don’t think we can shirk the traditional community input process.”
Empire State Indivisible is not endorsing either candidate in this race. The group has hosted a number of panel discussions addressing policy needs that New York is lacking and uses the strategies of the Indivisible Guide to hold all elected officials accountable.
Press Contact: Ricky Silver, Empire State Indivisible, 610–220–6110, press@empirestateindivisible.org
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Empire State Indivisible uses the tactics of the Indivisible Guide to defend New York against the Trump administration, and those in our state government that enable its harmful policies. Our steadfast nature, together with our enterprising New York spirit, make our grassroots group one-of-a-kind.
