NYC Primary Election 2020: Maloney Defends NY-12 Congress Seat

NEW YORK, NY — Democrats living on the east side of Manhattan as well as parts of north Brooklyn and western Queens will head to the polls on June 23 to cast their votes in a contested primary for New York's 12th Congressional District.

Longtime incumbent Carolyn Maloney will face off against challengers Suraj Patel, Lauren Ashcraft and Peter Harrison. Maloney has served in the House of Representatives since being elected to what was then New York's 15th Congresional District in 1992. Unlike Maloney, most of her challengers are outside of New York City's political establishment, and are running to the left of the incumbent on a number of issues.

The primary election 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 count.

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.

Carolyn Maloney

Age as of Election Day (Nov. 3)

74.

NYC neighborhood of residence

Upper East Side.

Position Sought

U.S. Congress.

Party Affiliation

Democrat.

Family

Two wonderful daughters.

Does anyone in your family work in politics or government?

Just me.

Education

Greensboro College, BA in Speech.

Occupation

Representative of the NY 12th District from 2013-Present.

Previous or Current Elected or Appointed Office

Representative of the NY 14th District from 1993-2013, New York City Council 1982-1992.

Campaign website

www.carolynmaloney.com

Why are you seeking elective office?

I am committed to continuing to help advance the interests of the people of NY-12 and the region in Congress. For over 25 years, I’ve worked hard to institute and expand policies like Paid Family Leave, fight for pay equity and against discrimination, ensure that 9/11 workers - many of whom are union workers - received health care and compensation for their illnesses and injuries, help promote women’s equality and expand women’s rights as workers, create infrastructure (and jobs) in our district, and more. I’ve been at the forefront of calling for these changes, and am so gratified to see that the tide is turning and the country appears poised to enact incredible progressive policies - a $15 min wage, lower prescription drug costs, ensuring election security and access to the ballot, expanding the ability of workers to join unions, and more. It’s not easy to get big things done in Congress - but I have the relationships, knowledge and experience to pass strong, bipartisan legislation on the issues that matter most to the people of this country. As Chairwoman of the House Committee on Oversight & Reform, I’m also looking forward to continuing to put a national spotlight on issues important to American workers and unions.

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

Right now, the Coronavirus crisis is the most acute issue our nation is facing. As chair of the oversight committee, I had the first hearing to show the seriousness of this crisis. I’ve authored 3 bills to help people - which I think are going to pass - a compensation bill modeled on the 9/11 Victim Compensation Fund for all our frontline workers, a pandemic insurance bill to help small businesses, and eliminating the student debt of our frontline health workers. I’ve worked with leadership to ensure funding for testing, tracing and vaccine research, and get our city its full fair share. I helped my fashion task force from the garment industry convert into a PPE manufacturing task force! We created and distributed PPE when our city was in desperate need - and we need to keep doing it. We must also grapple with systemic racial injustice, and I am supporting the CBC in passing legislation to address that. And finally, the climate crisis is a comprehensive one which we must meet head-on with a Green New Deal that brings jobs, infrastructure and equality to our district - and I am an original co-sponsor.

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

I’ve passed over 70 bills and measures to help people, including (in this Congress alone) the Never Again Education Act, the Debbie Smith Reauthorization Act, the Federal Employee Paid Leave Act as part of an omnibus spending package, ban-the-box legislation as part of an omnibus spending package, the permanent re-authorization of the Never Forget the Heroes 9/11 Victim Compensation Fund, and $25 million in funding for gun violence research at the CDC and NIH, and more.

I’ve negotiated millions for NYS hospitals, states and localities suffering from COVID, as well as paid sick leave for those affected by COVID, expanded unemployment, oversight measures to prevent waste, fraud and abuse, dedicated funding to women- and minority-owned businesses, and funding for testing, tracing and vaccine research.

I was elected as first woman to chair the House oversight committee and have held hearings on ICE and CBP abuse of detainees, paid family leave, abortion access, sexual harassment and retaliation in the military, police brutality, supporting essential workers and more.

The voters know me, they know what I stand for, they know what I fight for. And they know I get results.

Describe the other issues that define your campaign platform

As a nationally-recognized leader on women’s rights, I will continue to stand up for policies and laws that protect and uplift all women, including passing the Equal Rights Amendment, ensuring equal pay for equal work, protecting reproductive rights, and building a Smithsonian Women’s History Museum on the National Mall, so we finally acknowledge - in one place - the achievements and contributions of women in America. I am also focused on protecting and expanding access to healthcare, first by keeping the GOP and Donald Trump from destroying the ACA and leaving 135 million Americans with pre-existing conditions unable to get insurance, and ultimately by passing single payer Medicare for All. In addition to using my role as chairwoman of the Oversight committee to give our district an even stronger voice on the issues that matter most, I will continue to hold the government and the administration accountable for waste, fraud and abuse, and will continue to promote family- and worker-friendly policies like paid leave, fair working conditions, consumer protection and more.

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

I’ve passed over 70 bills and measures into law, 15 of which have had Presidential Signing Ceremonies. I’ve brought billions of dollars back to NY-12 to complete infrastructure projects from the Second Avenue Subway to the new Kosciuszko bridge to modernizing the L train, to build schools and parks in our district, and to fund affordable senior housing and NYCHA developments. This year, I was elected by my colleagues as the first woman to chair the House Committee on Oversight and Reform. My past experience in Congress means I am now in a leadership position, and can get results for our district like never before.

The best advice ever shared with me was:

When someone wants to represent you, make sure to ask them what they’ve done.

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

More information on my work and my issues can be seen on my campaign site at www.carolynmaloney.com.