NYC Primary Election 2020: Aravella Simotas Defends Assembly Seat

ASTORIA, QUEENS — Democrats in western Queens will get to cast a ballot this month in a collection of local, state and federal primary races — including the 36th Assembly District, where state Assembly Member Aravella Simotas will defend her seat against challenger Zohran Mamdani.

Simotas, who was born in Zimbabwe and lives in Astoria, has served in the Assembly since 2011 and chairs the Assembly's task force on women's issues. She received a law degree from Fordham University. Prior to her election to the Assembly, she worked as a litigator and served as a member of Queens Community Board 1.

The 36th Assembly District covers a swath of Astoria.

• READ MORE: Zohran Mamdani Vies For Simotas' Seat

The primary election, slated for June 23, is open to registered Democratic voters. All New York voters may request a mail-in ballot due to the coronavirus pandemic. Ballots must be postmarked by the date of the election for the vote to get counted.

For those who want to head to the polls, click here to find your poll site. Early voting is available from June 13 to June 21.

Patch reached out to all candidates in the primary election to create these profiles. Responses have been lightly edited for clarity.

Aravella Simotas

Age as of Election Day (Nov. 3)

42

NYC neighborhood of residence

Astoria

Position Sought

State Assembly

Party Affiliation

Democrat

Family

Husband John Katsanos and daughter Eleni Evangeline (will turn 8 in August)

Does anyone in your family work in politics or government?

My husband is a New York Civil Court Judge.

Education

B.A., Fordham University; J.D., Fordham Law

Occupation

New York State Assembly Member, 36th Assembly District (9.5 years)

Previous or Current Elected or Appointed Office

New York State Assembly Member, 36th Assembly District

Campaign website

www.aravella.com

Why are you seeking elective office?

I have been proud to represent District 36 in the Assembly since 2011 and I am running for re-election so I can continue to write, fight for and pass progressive polices to address the needs of working families. I am looking forward to continuing to expand on my work to combat discrimination and income inequality, transform our criminal justice system, advance gender equality, and improve access to quality health care and affordable housing for all New Yorkers.

The single most pressing issue facing our nation/state/community is _______, and this is what I intend to do about it.

The most pressing issue we need to address is criminal justice reform. New Yorkers need transparency and accountability for police misconduct. I am working to end the secrecy around police disciplinary records and make data on arrest-related deaths and racial disparities in policing available to the public. I am also fighting to ban racial profiling in law enforcement, reduce arrests for low-level offenses, establish criminal penalties for police officers who ignore the ban on chokeholds and continue to use this deadly procedure, establish a special office to investigate and prosecute police killings, allow for independent local oversight of police discipline, and ensure people in police custody are given adequate medical attention. I am advocating to reduce funding for law enforcement so we can end over policing and invest in the real needs of our communities.

What are the critical differences between you and the other candidates seeking this post?

As a life-long resident of Astoria, the child of small business owners and a product of our public school system from elementary through high school, I have a deep understanding and appreciation of the challenges facing my community and I do not stop fighting until I get results. I have developed close relationships with people in the community and I have a strong track record of achieving legislative victories for working families. Over the past nine and a half years, I have actively listened to the concerns of my constituents and put that knowledge into action, working extensively to pass groundbreaking progressive laws to address their needs and address systemic problems. Throughout my time in office, I have demonstrated my ability to build strong coalitions, stand up against corporate interests and advance meaningful change.

Describe the other issues that define your campaign platform

Affordable housing is a major issue in my district, and I am fighting to strengthen tenants’ rights and cancel rent and mortgage payments through the COVID-19 crisis. I am also sponsoring legislation to prohibit evictions without good cause, provide financial assistance to families at risk of homelessness, and establish a dedicated funding stream for public housing. I am championing a universal, single payer healthcare system so all New Yorkers can access quality care without burdensome costs and restrictions. It is critical that we raise taxes on the rich to combat economic inequality and generate revenue to fund essential human services, which is why I have worked with our Labor community and introduced legislation to create a progressive ultra-millionaires income tax to make the wealthy pay their fair share.

Protecting the rights of workers is another top priority for me and I am working to ensure all essential workers at the frontlines of this pandemic can receive hazard pay and workers’ compensation benefits. I will continue fighting to prioritize the needs of working families and strengthen the social safety net by increasing funding for healthcare, education and social services in our most vulnerable communities.

What accomplishments in your past would you cite as evidence you can handle this job?

In my time in office, I have passed legislation to expand access to prenatal care and infertility treatment, aid seniors and people with disabilities in lowering housing costs, establish a Sexual Assault Survivors Bill of Rights, ensure timely testing and preservation of rape kits, and support small businesses. Last year, I passed a landmark bill making sweeping changes to New York’s employment law to establish some of the strongest protections against sexual harassment and discrimination in the country. I am committed to improving public education and secured over $5 million in funding for improvements to our local schools in 2019. I have also fought to pass strong environmental justice policies to mitigate the harms of pollution on the health of our community and build a green economy with high-paying union jobs in the clean energy sector.

The best advice ever shared with me was:

Focus on the thing that you change and work hard to make positive progress. Filter out the noise.

What else would you like voters to know about yourself and your positions?

These are difficult times and I am determined to work together to get New Yorkers through the crises we are facing. I am ready to stand up for progressive values and fight anyone who opposes people being treated with dignity and having access to healthcare and affordable housing.

This article originally referred to Simotas a life-long Astoria resident. It has been updated to note that she was born in Zimbabwe.