NYC Primary Election 2020: Sandra Choi Hopes To Unseat Grace Meng

FOREST HILLS, QUEENS — Democrats in central and northeastern Queens will get to cast a ballot this month in a collection of local, state and federal primary races — including the 6th Congressional District, where Democratic U.S. Rep. Grace Meng will defend her seat against challengers Mel Gagarin and Sandra Choi.

Choi most recently worked as the director of economic development for Detroit's economic development agency and left in 2019 to run for office in Queens, where she grew up. She received degrees in international studies from Fordham University and Columbia University's School of International and Public Affairs.

The 6th Congressional District includes parts of Auburndale, Bayside, Elmhurst, Flushing, Forest Hills, Glendale, Kew Gardens, Maspeth, Middle Village, Murray Hill and Rego Park.

READ MORE:

• Grace Meng Defends Congressional Seat
• Mel Gagarin Hopes To Unseat Grace Meng

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.

Sandra Choi

Age as of Election Day (Nov. 3)

33

NYC neighborhood of residence

Queens

Position Sought

U.S. Congress

Party Affiliation

Democrat

Family

My family immigrated to the U.S. in the 1980s and planted their roots in the working class neighborhoods of central and eastern Queens. Members of my family are nail salon workers, convenience store clerks, laundromat operators, teachers and small business owners. Our history, stories and network are all inscribed in each corner of the borough.

Does anyone in your family work in politics or government?

I am the only person in my family to run for elected office and work in policy. At 19, my younger brother enlisted in the U.S. Air Force and currently serves our nation in that role.

Education

I am a product of the New York City public school system and I am also the first person in my family to attend college and earn a graduate degree. I attended P.S. 7 & I.S. 5 in Queens and graduated from Brooklyn Technical H.S. I earned my Bachelor of Arts from Fordham University in International Studies as an evening/ weekend student while working full time. I earned my Masters of International Affairs at Columbia University's School of International and Public Affairs (SIPA) with a concentration in International Security Policy in 2013.

Occupation

Most recently, I was the Director of Economic Development at the City of Detroit's economic development agency from 2017-2019. I left this position to become a first time candidate for office here in my hometown of Queens. Prior to my economic development work in Detroit and other urban communities across the country, I've served Democrats working on both constituent and legislative affairs in New York and DC, for community organizations such as the YMCA's New Americans Welcome Center and MinKwon Community Center as well as international organizations including the United Nations and the World Bank.

Previous or Current Elected or Appointed Office

None

Campaign website

www.sandrachoi2020.com

Why are you seeking elective office?

I’m running because the old ways will not do. We need to address and meet the most basic needs and pain points of the people in this district; issues like universal healthcare, housing reform rooted in anti-displacement of working class communities, building an inclusive economy that leaves no one behind, and comprehensive immigration reform that provides a pathway to citizenship for the undocumented members of our community.

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

No single issue is more important than making sure every American in this country is guaranteed comprehensive healthcare. We need single payer healthcare system (Medicare for All), not a public option or Medicare for All who want it. The urgency of this moment demands that we reject watered down policy measures to address our healthcare crisis. In parts of our district, we have the nation’s highest percentage of residents who have no health insurance and many more who are underinsured. Our community is home to some of our nation’s most marginalized communities that face invisible barriers and discrimination in their everyday lives, including our healthcare system. As the pandemic unfolded, we saw Elmhurst Hospital, the only public access hospital in central Queens, become the epicenter of a national crisis while there were empty hospital beds only ten minutes away. This was the local impact of a national healthcare crisis that spiraled out of control. Many Americans intentionally forgo treatment and choose to remain sick or die rather than go into bankruptcy because of an illness. This should not be the norm in our country.

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

I am a first-time candidate with extensive experience working on all levels of government policy with a successful track record delivering meaningful economic development reforms and progress to underinvested urban communities across the country. Through my work, I understand that transparent and inclusive policymaking have the ability not only to uplift & transform the lives of the people that I serve, it also has the potential to save lives. I never forget this and think about it every day as I campaign for this seat, especially our district recovers from the pandemic.

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

New York Congressional District 6 is the most diverse district in the nation. In 100 square miles, we speak over 200 languages and we have ties to every single corner the globe. More than fifty percent of our residents are born and abroad. Close to 10 percent of our community members are undocumented. We’re truly the world's borough and our demographics represent the future of this country. But for the past decade, we’ve had stagnant leadership and a representative who hasn’t advocated for policies mirrored to the needs and pains of the people in this district. We need leadership with the political courage to start and drive national conversations around economic, language, healthcare justice because the history, legacy and demographics of our district demand this.

Describe the other issues that define your campaign platform

New Yorkers don't live single issue lives. In addition to healthcare, economic and language justice issues this district in dire need to enact bold progressive reforms around housing including the anti-displacement and gentrification of working class communities, preserving education as our country's pathway to upward mobility for our residents through student loan forgiveness and meaningfully addressing issues of racial justice to dismantle systemic discrimination in the outdated institutions that govern our everyday lives.

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

Throughout my life, I've been responsible for navigating different worlds and bridging the gap between them. I understand the weight of growing up in poverty and the importance for many residents, particularly first generation immigrant families, to break intergenerational poverty within their lifetime. At 13, my first job was translating for patients and doctors at Elmhurst Hospital. I am the first in my family to attend college and graduate school. I am a lifelong public servant with valuable experience working at the intersection of community, public and private sector development serving marginalized and traditionally disinvested communities here at home and across the country, including in red or purple states. I have worked on all levels of policy and understand the dynamics of each. As a nationally recognized economic developer, I've successfully designed and implemented innovative economic reforms including job creation and business expansion programs. I have consistently earned the respect of the people around me and succeeded in positions and in spaces where I was the youngest, the only woman and/or person of color. I will bring these experiences to Congress to champion an inclusive progressive agenda for NY-6.

The best advice ever shared with me was:

The world is an oyster, but you don't crack it open on a mattress!
Willy Lohman, Death of a Salesman

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

This campaign is bigger than me running for this seat. It is to make sure that the people in this district understand that they can demand and shape the national legislative agenda with what they need and not just accept what is dictated to them. The purpose of this campaign is to spark discussions and advocate for progressive reforms such as single payer healthcare, addressing housing displacement and housing insecurity, a peace and human rights driven foreign policy agenda in spaces that have not been part of it in the past.