UES 76th District Assembly Race 2022: Rebecca Seawright Profile

UPPER EAST SIDE, NY — Voters in New York City's 76th Assembly district, which covers Yorkville, Lenox Hill and Roosevelt Island, will see two names on their ballots when they vote in the June 28 primary election.

One of those names will be Rebecca Seawright, the incumbent who has held the seat since 2015. She is facing Patrick Bobilin, a progressive activist who previously challenged Seawright in 2020, though he ultimately did not make the ballot.

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. Seawright's responses are below.

Name

Rebecca A. Seawright

Campaign website

https://rebeccaseawright.com

NYC neighborhood of residence

Upper East Side

Office sought

State Assembly

District, if applicable

76th Assembly District

Party affiliation

Democratic

Education

CUNY School of Law-JD

Occupation

Member of Assembly 76th District

Family

Jay Hershenson, my husband of 29 years, is the former Vice Chancellor of CUNY and current Vice President of Communications for his alma mater, Queens College. I am the proud mother of two SUNY alumni, Haley Hershenson and Bradley Hershenson who both served as presidents of their respective student governments.

Does anyone in your family work in politics or government?

My son, Bradley Hershenson is the former Student Trustee for the State University of New York.

Age

60

Previous public office, appointive or elective

Yes, since 2015 I have served as a Member of the New York State Assembly for the 76th District.

Why are you seeking this office?

I am running for re-election to continue delivering results for the residents of the Upper East Side, Yorkville, and Roosevelt Island. From expanding health care coverage for vulnerable residents to fighting for affordable housing to passing COVID relief legislation, I will continue to serve and fight for my constituents.

Throughout my tenure I have had constituent services at the forefront of my priorities, opening a storefront office that has served thousands of constituents with issues ranging from housing to public assistance. I have also been a staunch advocate for increased funding for our local public schools and public higher education and brought back millions of dollars for local nonprofits, parks, and infrastructure. In my next term I will continue to fight for the interests of my constituents in Albany and continue the momentum towards a safer, equitable, and greener New York.

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

The single most pressing issue for my constituents is COVID recovery, and I intent to continue the fight for affordable housing, expanded healthcare coverage, and public safety to ensure the residents of the Upper East Side, Yorkville, and Roosevelt Island can continue to raise a family, retire comfortably, and live safely.

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

We can all agree that safety in our community is paramount. I hosted a Virtual Town Hall with the NYPD to discuss how we can reduce the crime rate and create a safer neighborhood for our community and another featuring the NYS Police Hate Crimes Unit to specifically discuss hate crimes in New York City. As sponsor of the Virtual Communications Crime Accountability Package, we aim to combat ZOOM-bombing, prevent COVID-19 scams and to protect consumers' personal identifying information. Modern technology and online platforms like ZOOM have made it easier for all of us to stay in touch during this national crisis. As these platforms are becoming commonplace in households, we must ensure that the users are protected from cyber crime with offensive and malicious intent. am the lead sponsor of Assembly legislation to mandate counseling and education for anyone convicted of a hate crime. The safety on my constituents is of utmost importance and I will continue to work with partners in government to address public safety concerns from retail crime to traffic safety.

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

In New York State we have made historic progress for justice in New York State with the passage of stricter gun control banning bump stocks; the Child Victims Act allowing the survivors of child abuse to seek justice from their abusers; reforming archaic sexual harassment laws removing the severe or pervasive standard of reporting; banning the gay- and trans-panic defense; and advancing a first-in-the-nation domestic terrorism law to treat all crime with mass casualties as acts of terrorism punishable up to life in prison without parole. I have worked in conjunction with the NYPD to address public safety concerns from hosting town halls to relaying constituent concerns, my office has worked to ensure safety for the constituents of my district.

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

I am a co-sponsor of Good Cause Eviction in the Assembly which regulates a landlord's ability to surge rent prices and safeguards tenants from unreasonable evictions. I will continue to fight for its passage next legislative session and will continue to work with advocates to advance fair housing legislation. My office regularly hosts a pro-bono housing attorney to ensure landlords are held accountable. In addition my office has also regularly hosted SCRIE and DRIE enrollment clinics with the the NYC Department of Finance. I have also fought to refund the ERAP program to make sure renters continue to have relief as we continue to recover from the pandemic.

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

As we continue to recover from the pandemic, we must ensure that health and safety are at the forefront for office workers.

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

I have represented the residents of the 76th Assembly District since 2015 and have delivered results for my constituents. I am proud of my office's strong constituent services and successfully fought for progressive legislation in the Assembly. We have helped thousands of residents navigate agencies and find solutions to their issues ranging from housing to healthcare. As the lead sponsor of groundbreaking legislation that expanded early detection healthcare coverage for 3-D mammographys to expanding access to cancer patients on public health plans seeking treatment at state-of-the-art NCI Designated Centers. In addition to passing progressive legislation to protect reproductive rights, address gun violence, and deliver COVID relief, I have worked to ensure constituents have the resources they need. I have hosted dozens of COVID booster clinics, over 50 town halls addressing wide ranging community issues, pro- bono housing clinics, thousand of free notaries, and host a monthly program on Manhattan Neighborhood Network with local community leaders. I will continue delivering for the constituents of the 76th District and I am energized to continue representing the residents of the Upper East Side, Yorkville and Roosevelt Island in the Assembly.

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

I will continue to address constituent concerns, COVID relief, affordable housing, and access to healthcare.

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

I have represented the residents of the 76th Assembly District since 2015 and have delivered results for my constituents. I am proud of my office's strong constituent services and successfully fought for progressive legislation in the Assembly. We have helped thousands of residents navigate agencies and find solutions to their issues ranging from housing to healthcare. As the lead sponsor of groundbreaking legislation that expanded early detection healthcare coverage for 3-D mammographys to expanding access to cancer patients on public health plans seeking treatment at state-of-the-art NCI Designated Centers.

In addition to passing progressive legislation to protect reproductive rights, address gun violence, and deliver COVID relief, I have worked to ensure constituents have the resources they need. I have hosted dozens of COVID booster clinics, over 50 town halls addressing wide ranging community issues, pro- bono housing clinics, thousand of free notaries, and host a monthly program on Manhattan Neighborhood Network with local community leaders. I will continue delivering for the constituents of the 76th District and I am energized to continue representing the residents of the Upper East Side, Yorkville and Roosevelt Island in the Assembly.

What is the best advice anyone ever gave you?

My late mentor Sarah Weddington, the lead attorney who successfully argued Roe v Wade before the Supreme Court, was an enormous inspiration to me as a young staffer. She taught me the consequential importance of fighting for equality and the dogged determination that is needed to deliver results, just as Sarah did for women across this country.