Forest Hills 28th District Assembly Race 2022: Andrew Hevesi Profile

FOREST HILLS, QUEENS — Democratic voters in Assembly District 28, which covers most of Forest Hills and parts of Middle Village, Rego Park, Kew Gardens, Richmond Hill, and Glendale, will see two names on their ballots when they vote in the June 28 State Assembly primary election.

One of those names will be incumbent Andrew Hevesi, who's represented the district since 2005.

Hevesi is also running on the Working Families Party line.

Early voting runs from June 18-26. (Find your polling sites here.)

Patch reached out to all candidates in the election to create these profiles, asking for their positions on issues like affordable housing and public safety, and giving them the chance to describe their records in detail. Hevesi's responses are below.

Name

Andrew Hevesi

Campaign website

https://www.hevesi4assembly.co...

NYC neighborhood of residence

Forest Hills

Office sought

State Assembly

District, if applicable

District 28, representing Forest Hills, Glendale, Kew Gardens, Maspeth, Middle Village, Rego Park, Richmond Hill.

Party affiliation

Democratic; Working Families

Education

Bachelor of Arts Degree from Queens College - Political Science Major

Occupation

New York State Assemblymember for the 28th District, since 2005.

Family

I live with my wife, daughter, and our puppy in Forest Hills. Extended family lives across Queens and father resides in Forest Hills as well.

Does anyone in your family work in politics or government?

Not currently, but my father and brother served in several elected offices previously including the New York State Assembly, The New York State Senate, New York City Comptroller and New York State Comptroller.

Age

48 years old.

Previous public office, appointive or elective

Yes, I have had the privilege of representing this district since 2005.

Why are you seeking this office?

My office continues to make sure our constituents are well served. This includes our working directly with agencies to resolve individual problems, and working on longer term legislative solutions when appropriate. We have built and continue to maintain local relationships and relationships with statewide partners to accomplish our goals.

In addition to serving our community, as Chair of the Children and Families Committee in the state Assembly, our office leads New York State in creating public policy that prevents and mitigates the effects of childhood trauma and Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs).

Please complete this statement: The single most pressing issue facing my constituents is ___, and this is what I intend to do about it.

Public safety. The stress of this pandemic has exacerbated societal problems, and I have taken a hands on approach by crafting law that addresses trauma and provides real support when it is needed. That is the proven method to prevent rising crime. I was proud to help pass New York’s historic legislative package to combat gun violence, secured hundreds of millions of dollars to help law enforcement and providers combat hate crimes, and have championed initiatives for universal childcare and to keep children out of our criminal justice system, preventing the cycle of recidivism once someone is processed.

Additionally, reproductive rights and climate change are not always viewed through the lens of “public safety”, but they certainly fall into that category and I was proud to cosponsor the all electric buildings act and landmark legislation to uphold women’s rights to abortion and other reproductive services.

How would you address ongoing concerns about public safety in New York City?

It’s a two fold approach. First, people need immediate measures to feel safe in their communities. I’m proud to have partnered with local law enforcement and community partners on community cleanups and service days to promote engagement, because communities where people are invested in supporting each other are safer. I was proud to help secure $241 million in funds for gun violence prevention in New York, as well as passing a package of 10 pieces of legislation to further prevent gun violence in our state, where we already have the most restrictive gun laws in the nation.

Long term, as the chair of the Assembly Children and Families Committee I am fighting to address childhood trauma to ensure that kids and families have support when they need it, as childhood trauma is the number one driver of every societal problem we see today.

Do you think the NYPD's response to the recent surge in crime will affect efforts at police reform and, if so, how?

I’m proud of my relationship with local law enforcement, and work with officers who diligently keep our communities informed and safe. If we are truly to address surges in crime, we must also look at the real reasons this occurs, and in addition to investing in law enforcement, we must invest in our kids, in our families, and in our communities, because supported communities are safe communities.

What is one policy you would support to make housing more affordable in New York City?

I was proud to help pass landmark rent reforms that will keep New Yorkers – particularly our elderly neighbors – in their homes with proper rent controls to make sure they have places to stay. New York must also continue to invest in affordable housing.

In addition, I wrote the Home Stability Support bill, which is a rent subsidy that provides support at the Fair Market Rent Standard, so it increases consistently to match the housing market.

Should officials do more to encourage New Yorkers to return to work in person? If so, how? If not, why not?

We have seen over the last two years that workers have become just as, and in some instances, more productive while working from home. This also supports people by giving them more time to be around their families and in their communities. I was proud to cosponsor the New York State Teleworking Expansion Act and will continue to support such policy.

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

My office and I have been working on the ground in our community every day since this pandemic began. This includes assisting in thousands of individual cases – including resolving hundreds of unemployment claims – distributing hundreds of thousands of protective supplies to our constituents (which remains ongoing); cleaning up graffiti and our local parks; and attending community board meetings, civic groups, and meeting directly with constituents on a rolling basis.

If you are challenging an incumbent, in what way has the current officeholder failed the community?

n/a

What other issues do you intend to address during your campaign?

New York must stand as a leader in upholding a woman’s right to abortion and all other reproductive services. In 2019 we passed the Reproductive Health Act, which brought our state up to the standard set by Roe, but more must be done to preserve this right in the wake of the Supreme Court’s egregious Planned Parenthood vs. Casey decision and subsequent actions from other state governments across the country. This means protecting people who come to New York for reproductive health needs, protecting medical providers who offer reproductive health services, eliminating financial and all other barriers to these services, and demanding that our federal representatives do their part to fight back in Washington, both on the ground and in the Capitol.

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

My office has successfully resolved tens of thousands of individual cases with state agencies; facilitated the distribution of protective supplies into our communities at a massive scale; championed critical legislation; created and maintained relationships in the community; and developed a system of serving that works and yields solutions when problems arise. This can only be developed through real, daily work, and I’m so proud to work with my great staff and so many dedicated constituents and local organizations who are also dedicated to the work.

What is the best advice anyone ever gave you?

Never, ever quit.

Is there anything else you would like voters to know about yourself and your positions?

I am incredibly honored to be the representative of this area, which I have called home my entire life. I recommend that anyone familiar with our neighborhoods connect to the incredible people in our Community Boards, civic groups, and grassroots organizations to see how you can play your role in making our neighborhoods and society better for all of us.