NYC Primary Election 2020: Badrun Khan Takes On Ocasio-Cortez

ASTORIA, QUEENS — Democrats in Queens will get to cast a ballot this month in a collection of local, state and federal primary races — including the 14th Congressional District, where U.S. Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez will have to defend her seat against challengers Michelle Caruso-Cabrera and Badrun Khan.

Khan, a resident of Sunnyside, works as a financial controller. She is a member of Queens Community Board 2 and serves on the board's arts and cultural affairs committee, and she is the president of the Jalalabad Association. She received her bachelor's degree from Marymount Manhattan College.

The 14th Congressional District includes parts of The Bronx and Queens. The Queens portion of the district includes the neighborhoods of Astoria, College Point, Corona, East Elmhurst, Elmhurst, Jackson Heights and Woodside. The Bronx portion includes City Island, Country Club, Van Nest, Morris Park, Parkchester, Pelham Bay, Schuylerville, and Throggs Neck.

READ MORE:

• Ocasio-Cortez Defends Seat In Congress
• Michelle Caruso-Cabrera Takes On AOC

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.

Badrun Khan

Age as of Election Day (Nov. 3)

48

NYC neighborhood of residence

Sunnyside, Queens

Position Sought

U.S. Congress

Party Affiliation

Democratic Party

Family

I'm married and have two daughters.

Does anyone in your family work in politics or government?

No.

Education

Marymount Manhattan College, B.A.

Occupation

Financial Controller, over 20 years experience

Previous or Current Elected or Appointed Office

None.

Campaign website

badrunkhan.com

Why are you seeking elective office?

For the past two years, little has changed in our district. If we had been better prepared, COVID-19 would not have hit so hard. Our growing income gap exacerbates all issues that lead to further inequality.

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

The growing income inequality is one of our most pressing issues. I would like for a permanent basic income of $1K a month to pass Congress, since many of our constituents live pay check to pay check. This would be paid for in part through the implementation of a VAT tax, which many other countries have done. I would also focus on inequality in education, healthcare, and economic opportunities that further exacerbate racial tensions in the country.

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

Unlike Ms. Caruso-Cabrera, I am not a Republican who became a Democrat solely to run against the incumbent. She moved to Sunnyside and purports to know what residents in the Queens and the Bronx need. I am also different from the incumbent in that I've lived in District 14 for 22 years, and have a more pragmatic vision of how to solve current problems. We also need a clear path towards mitigating the insecurity and risks of our future.

In regards to the Green New Deal, while the incumbent at one point said she was open to nuclear energy, by campaigning for Bernie Sanders, she acquiesced to the anti-nuclear stance. 50% of our carbon-free energy at the moment is from nuclear. It's not possible to go down to net-zero emissions in ten years, and especially not without nuclear.

Also, although I believe in universal health coverage, I believe a public option is quicker and better. The incumbent took an all-or-nothing approach but Medicare is not allowed to negotiate with drug companies at the moment. We need to bring down health costs all across the board. Workers who like their private insurance should be able to keep it.

I am also passionate about doing the best we can to call for democracy reform and keeping lobbyist money out of Congress.

If you are a challenger, in what way has the current board or officeholder failed the community (or district or constituency)

The current incumbent has not moved the needle. Residents have complained that she is divisive and had not been seen in the district until election time. Immigrants asking for help had not been able to access her staff.

Describe the other issues that define your campaign platform

I am passionate about is domestic violence in our district. As a member of my community, I have helped women get out of situations. Sometimes, the women and children return to their partners because of stigma and lack of economic opportunity. Domestic violence has unfortunately increased with COVID-19. Also, all candidates talk about housing. This is nothing new. However, I believe there's a lack of accountability in terms of where our dollars go in fixing NYCHA. I'd also like to stress that I am a big believer in improving the special education programs in the district and country. Fifty percent of our prisoners have some kind of learning disability.

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

I was the first female president of the Jalalabad Association and am a member of Community Board 2. In addition, I feel that my work with nonprofit, economic development and a school has prepared me to take on the issues that my district faces.

The best advice ever shared with me was:

You go girl.

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

I'm not a politician but I have leadership experience. I'm rooted in my community so will vote for and enact legislation that benefits District-14 and the nation.