5 Questions With Upper East Side Councilmember Candidate Rachel Storch

UPPER EAST SIDE, NY — Rachel Storch, a 52-year-old Democratic candidate, is running for City Council in District 4, which includes NoMad, Times Square, Stuyvesant Town, Peter Cooper Village, Murray Hill, Kips Bay, Turtle Bay, United Nations, and Upper East Side-Carnegie Hill, in New York City's primary election on Tuesday, June 24.

The district seat is left open by the Councilmember Keith Powers, who is now running for Manhattan Borough President.

Before running for office on the Upper East Side, Storch, who is from Lenox Hill, was a member of the Missouri State Legislature, where she was the deputy whip of the Democratic Caucus. Before politics, she worked as a legal aid attorney and then worked as the deputy chief of staff to Senator Jean Carnahan in Missouri.

Since returning to the Upper East Side, Storch has worked at the 92nd Street Y and as the COO at Fifth Avenue Synagogue.

Patch recently asked Storch five questions about her campaign and district. See her replies below.

EDITOR'S NOTE: The following article contains information about one of several candidates who have announced their campaigns for Upper East Side offices in the 2025 primary election. Patch has contacted the other candidates with the same questions and will post replies as they are received.

PATCH: Why are you running for City Council?

STORCH: My four children are 5th-generation New Yorkers. My great-grandparents came to this country out of poverty, seeking a better life for their family. To them, America, and New York City, represented a place where their children could attain an education (my grandparents went to CUNY tuition-free!); have social mobility; and practice a religion freely. Unfortunately, today, this version of America is being called into question. I fundamentally love this incredible city and am committed to ensuring its strength and success today, and into the future.

Today, NYC is facing many challenges and most of us recognize that there has been a decline in quality of life over the last few years. People are not as comfortable as they should be on the streets and subways; ebikes fly down the sidewalks; illegal weed shops are far too prevalent; rampant retail theft means that drug store basics like toothpaste and deodorant are locked up behind the glass; and epidemics of mental health and homelessness have not been adequately addressed. A scourge of antisemitism has reared its ugly head across the city, and I am determined to be a loud and clear voice fighting antisemitism and any other form of hate I see.

As someone who has spent more than 25 years problem-solving for the community around me, I look around and I see fixable problems. This is a time for courageous and decisive leadership. I'm running for City Council because I have the professional experience and the personal commitment needed to make New York safer, cleaner, and more affordable for everyone who calls it home.

PATCH: What sets you apart from the other candidates?

STORCH: My experience! I bring decades of work in law, government, public policy, and non-profit management to bear on the issues that impact our day to day lives. For the last 5.5 years, I have served as COO at Fifth Avenue Synagogue, and worked at the 92nd Street Y. I have a previous chapter in elected office and served as a Democratic state legislator for 3 terms before having children. I served as Legal Counsel and Policy Director in the Missouri Senate and Deputy Chief of Staff to Senator Jean Carnahan. I began my career as a legal aid attorney with a focus on Medicaid and access to health care.

We are at a critical juncture for the city and nation. And we need strong, experienced voices at the table, ready on day one to tackle the issues plaguing New York. New York deserves better, and I have the track record to deliver results. My career has been devoted to finding practical solutions to complex problems through collaboration and principled leadership. I've built coalitions across party lines, engaged with community stakeholders, and fought for the resources our neighborhoods need. When I make a promise to the people of this district, I back it with a lifetime of public service that proves I can turn words into action.

PATCH: List two ways you plan to make the neighborhood more affordable.

STORCH: First, I will focus on dramatically increasing the supply of housing to address our current crisis. Right now vacancy rates sit at about 1.4%, which creates an impossible market dynamic where rents are high because demand so far exceeds supply. We simply cannot lower rents if we don't fix this fundamental supply and demand imbalance. This means streamlining the approval process for new construction, incentivizing developers to build affordable and middle-income housing, and removing regulatory barriers that slow down or prevent housing development. We need to build housing at all income levels to create the market conditions that will naturally drive down rents and give families more options in choosing where to live.

Second, I will work to address childcare affordability, which represents one of the largest budget burdens for working families. Quality childcare costs can easily exceed rent payments for many families, forcing parents out of the workforce or into financial distress. I will advocate for expanded city subsidies for childcare and support for childcare cooperatives and community-based programs. When families can access affordable, reliable childcare, parents can participate fully in the workforce, increasing household income and making the overall cost of living more manageable.

PATCH: List two ways you plan to make the neighborhood safer.

STORCH: First, I will advocate for hiring 5,000 additional police officers to address our public safety crisis across multiple fronts. Police ranks have been severely depleted due to overtime burnout, early retirements, and low morale, leaving our community without adequate protection. These additional officers would be strategically deployed to patrol hotspot areas where crime has been concentrated, providing visible deterrence and rapid response capabilities. A significant portion would be assigned to subway platforms, where commuters and residents deserve to feel safe during their daily travels. Additionally, dedicated units would focus specifically on combating retail theft, which has plagued local businesses and created an atmosphere of lawlessness that affects everyone in the community.

Second, I will prioritize expanding mental health care infrastructure and streamlining coordination between agencies. It's unconscionable that Bellevue, our largest provider of long-term care, has only 19 beds. I will work to significantly expand inpatient capacity and create intermediate care facilities that bridge the gap between acute hospitalization and independent living. Currently, too many agencies and nonprofits operate without effective coordination, wasting money through duplication and poor communication. I'm committed to streamlining funding to support integrated approaches with unified care teams that follow individuals from street to shelter to housing, ensuring continuity of care. This includes increasing funding for organizations like Project Renewal that provide comprehensive wraparound services including supportive housing, HIV casework, job training, and family support, recognizing that addressing homelessness requires tackling the underlying issues that keep people cycling through the system.

PATCH: What’s one place in the neighborhood you frequent the most?

STORCH: I love spending Sunday mornings at Three Guys Diner (shoutout!) with my husband and four kids.

Early voting begins on June 14. For questions and tips, email Miranda.Levingston@Patch.com.