West Village Election Overview: Deborah Glick Vs. Ryder Kessler

WEST VILLAGE, NY — Contested, let alone competitive Democratic primaries can be a hard thing to find in the Assembly this election season in New York City, but that is what we appear to have between Assembly Member Deborah Glick and Ryder Kessler.

Glick and Kessler are competing against each other on June 28 (early voting has already started) to secure the Democratic vote for the 66th Assembly District, which includes the West Village, Greenwich Village, NoHo, SoHo, and Tribeca.

The race is a battle between an established incumbent and a first-time candidate.

Glick is a lifelong New Yorker who was elected to the State Assembly in 1990, becoming the first openly gay state legislator in New York at the time.

Ryder also has spent the majority of his life in New York City and previously founded a company to help service workers increase their earnings and more recently in campaign management and voter protection.

Here's more information on their endorsements and policy positions.

Glick Endorsements

• State Senator Brad Hoylman
• Assembly Member Harvey Epstein
• Assembly Member Dick Gottfried
• Congress Member Carolyn Maloney
• Congress Member Jerry Nadler
• Council Member Gale Brewer
• Council Member Erik Bottcher
• Council Member Christopher Marte
• Village Independent Democrats
• Downtown Independent Democrats
• Stonewall Democratic Club
• 504 Democratic Club
• Village Reform Democratic Club
• LGBTQ Victory Fund
• Equality New York
• LPAC
• Labor Unions: UFT, CWA Local One, DC37, 1199 SEIU, LiUNA, HTC, and LATSE Local One

Kessler Endorsements

• Empire State Indivisible
• No IDC NY
• StreetsPAC
• Working Families Party
• CUFFH Actions
• Open New York
• Run For Something
• Jim Owles Liberal Democratic Club
• Citizen Action of New York

Both candidates provided answers to Patch's candidate surveys. Here are both of those conversations.

Glick

Campaign website
http://www.deborahglick.com/

NYC neighborhood of residence
West Village

Party affiliation
Democratic

Education
I was born and raised in Queens, received my Bachelor’s from Queens College and an MBA from Fordham University. Throughout college and afterward I became very involved in political activism and the LGBTQ rights movement, both as a member of the Lesbian Liberation Committee of the Gay Activists Alliance and as President of the Gay and Lesbian Independent Democrats. I worked briefly in the printing business, followed by a stint as the Deputy Director of General Services at the Office of Housing, Preservation, and Development. I have had the privilege of representing lower Manhattan in the Assembly since 1991.

Occupation
State Assemblymember representing the Village, SoHo, NoHo and Tribeca since 1991.

Family
I have been with my wife, Leslie, for 25 years. And together we have two cats currently and there is a long list of other lovely felines that have been in our lives.

Does anyone in your family work in politics or government?
No, just me!

Age
71

Why are you seeking this office?
I am very proud of all that I and my office have been able to accomplish during my time in the Assembly. We passed a law requiring the MTA to make 100 key subway stations fully accessible, successfully pushed for the creation of a new public middle school on Morton Street, passed the law banning conversion therapy in New York, and recently expanded the city’s school zone speed camera program so cameras may operate 24/7. But there is still much that I am fighting for in Albany that needs to be seen through, like passing Good Cause Eviction and legislation ensuring our state operates in the most environmentally sustainable way possible. I have a passion for public service and am excited to continue this work!

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 affordable housing, and I plan to continue pushing for new, truly affordable developments in the district and rent protections for existing residents, as well as supportive housing to help anyone currently experiencing homelessness. My bill, which passed this year, to expand eligibility for the Senior Citizen Rent Increase Exemption (SCRIE) and Disability Rent Increase Exemption (DRIE) programs will go a long way towards helping keep costs down for many residents and I plan to keep passing legislation of this nature up in Albany.

How would you address ongoing concerns about public safety in New York City?
The state legislature needs to work with city officials and agencies to ensure that we are addressing the root causes of crime and actually working towards rehabilitation, as opposed to acting in a purely punitive manner. This means the state needs to provide additional funding for community programs and social services to decrease the crime rate in the short and long-term. As chair of the Committee on Higher Education we have expanded access to tuition assistance programs for part-time students and incarcerated individuals.

Do you think the NYPD's response to the recent surge in crime will affect efforts at police
reform and, if so, how?
I am proud of the work I and my colleagues in the legislature have done to reform policing in New York. In the wake of the murder of George Floyd we repealed 50-A which had been used to prevent the public from viewing police misconduct records, made the Attorney General an independent prosecutor in all killings of unarmed civilians by police, and passed the police stat act to require reporting of racial disparities in law enforcement practices.

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

Mandating greater levels of affordability at all new developments. We cannot continue to allow luxury developers to displace long-standing tenants under the guise of increasing affordable housing and we must guarantee that publicly owned buildings are not sold off to these developers as was done by the Bloomberg administration.

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

Experience and a connection to the concerns of residents. While my opponent was off making the thousands he is using to finance his campaign in the tech industry, I was in Albany passing my bill to codify Roe vs Wade in New York, securing more funding for CUNY and SUNY as chair of the higher education committee, and pushing for more bus lanes and protected bike lanes in downtown Manhattan. Additionally, my opponent has accepted multiple large dollar donations from real estate executives and brokers, while I have never accepted donations from the real estate, pharmaceutical, fossil fuel, or insurance industries.

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?

Climate change is the most important issue currently. I am proud to have worked with my colleagues to ban fracking, and am a co-sponsor on legislation that would decrease our state’s carbon footprint like the All Electric Buildings Act and Build Public Renewables Act. I also plan to continue fighting for greater access to voting rights by passing more bills like the John Lewis Voting Rights Act of New York.

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

I would cite my record in Albany as evidence of my continued ability to serve my community. I have recently passed bills to ban conversion therapy, allow the state department of health to investigate limited pregnancy centers (fake clinics) which provide misinformation regarding care options to pregnant individuals, and guarantee that longstanding community residents will not be displaced by luxury developers.

What is the best advice anyone ever gave you?

To remember that I am a public servant, not an elected official.

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

That as chair of the Committee on Higher Education we have worked and succeeded in expanding opportunity programs which support disadvantaged students' ability to attend college. These students graduate at the same or higher rates as the general student population at-large.

Kessler

Campaign website
http://www.ryderfornewyork.com

NYC neighborhood of residence
West Village

Party affiliation
Democratic, Working Families

Education
Harvard University (BA), Columbia University (MA/MPhil)

Occupation
Progressive organizing, campaign management, and voter protection (2017 – present). Social impact entrepreneur (2011-2017).

Family
N/A

Does anyone in your family work in politics or government?
N/A

Age
36

Previous public office, appointive or elective Member of Manhattan’s Community Board 2 (2019-2020; 2021-present), advocating for bold progressivism in Albany and vibrant, livable neighborhoods downtown.

Why are you seeking this office?
New York is the greatest city in the world, but we are facing extreme challenges — and we need bold new leadership to take them on. We're emerging from a once-in-a-century pandemic, facing an existential climate emergency, and continuing to suffer from segregation in housing, schools, and the justice system. Here in downtown Manhattan, struggling small businesses and vacant storefronts reduce the energy of our streets. Lack of sufficient protected bike lanes and dedicated busways makes transit usage less efficient and our streets less safe and less sustainable. Piles of trash on the streets serve as a haven for rats.New York should be a beacon of progressive values — equity, sustainability, affordability, and democracy — but we're not living up to our potential. I'm running to change that.

Please complete this statement: The single most pressing issue facing my constituents is
___, and this is what I intend to do about it. The unaffordability of housing. Median Manhattan rents are now above $4,000. The status quo has led to skyrocketing prices, displacement, and homelessness. First, we need more housing supply: end exclusionary zoning, legalize basement and garage apartments, convert unused hotels and offices, and pursue 100% affordable developments wherever possible. Second, we must empower current tenants by passing Good Cause Eviction and expanding right to counsel statewide. Finally, we must end the failed congregate shelter response to homelessness.

How would you address ongoing concerns about public safety in New York City?
We must invest in evidence-based public safety solutions like mental health outreach, housing, and jobs. These programs are proven to reduce violence quickly, while supporting all people over the long term. We need to invest in what works as we support a more accountable, already well-resourced police department.

Do you think the NYPD's response to the recent surge in crime will affect efforts at police
reform and, if so, how?
Any violence and instability New Yorkers are now facing on city streets is happening under the status quo, where the NYPD receives over $10 billion from city taxpayers while still operating without accountability. Shifting our investments to mental health outreach, housing, and jobs — rather than doubling down on funding for police — is more critical than ever, as it is the best way to follow an evidenced-based roadmap to a safer New York.

What is one policy you would support to make housing more affordable in New York
City?
Build more housing — equitably placed across neighborhoods, maximizing as many units for permanent affordability as possible. Now, our supply slowdown gives current landlords disproportionate power over tenants and perpetuates the segregation of our neighborhoods.

What are the major differences between you and the other candidates seeking this
post?
Rather than representing all New Yorkers, too often our current representatives prioritize the desires of wealthy homeowners and car owners. Powerful interests block building new housing that would generate density — the cornerstone of affordability, sustainability, and integration — and stop us from reclaiming our streets from cars for pedestrians, bus and bike riders, green space, and small businesses. Moreover, the current Assembly fails to champion the bold progressive policies we need to address ongoing segregation of schools and neighborhoods, economic inequality and lack of worker empowerment, mass incarceration and over-policing of marginalized communities, inaccessible and unprofessional elections, and more.

If you are challenging an incumbent, in what way has the current officeholder failed the
community?
With record housing prices, segregation of streets and schools, and unabated climate change, our 32-year incumbent has become a roadblock to critical progress, including: – Fighting against affordable and market housing development that’s critical for affordability, integration of our neighborhoods, and creation of the density that will avert future climate disaster for our children and grandchildren. – Arguing for population controls and punishment of poor families over necessary policies like congestion pricing and outdoor dining that create greener and more vital streets. (“Policies such as the child care tax credit are vital to working families. But we should rethink whether parents should be eligible for these benefits for their fifth or ninth child.”) – Hesitating to support the interests of queer New Yorkers, from blocking legalizing surrogacy that enables gay couples to build their own families to lagging on decriminalization of sex work needed to liberate our marginalized LGBTQ+ neighbors from criminalization. – Supporting the current Assembly leadership, which fails to advance critical bills on renter empowerment, elections reform, criminal justice, climate action, and more.

What other issues do you intend to address during your campaign?
My top priorities reflect the needs of downtown Manhattan: affordable housing; an end to homelessness; vibrant, equitable, safe, sustainable streets; faster, more robust, and fully funded public transit; and a more effective and humane approach to public safety. I will further champion all efforts to increase the equity, justice, and opportunity of New York — especially for its most marginalized people. This includes fighting for universal healthcare, pre-K, and childcare; reproductive rights, immigrant rights, LGBTQ+ rights, and worker rights; and radical action on climate change, segregation of schools and neighborhoods, and mass incarceration and over-policing. Finally, as a voting rights and democracy advocate, I will work to ensure New York increases ballot access for all its people.

What accomplishments in your past would you cite as evidence you can handle this
job?
My work has led me from social impact entrepreneurship, to progressive organizing, to voting rights and democracy advocacy. I founded DipJar, a social impact technology company that helped generate tens of millions of dollars in new earnings and donations for low-wage service workers and nonprofit organizations. Since 2016, I have worked in Democratic politics, specifically on campaigns to take back state legislatures and the U.S. House, Senate, and White House, with a focus on voting rights. I am also a member of Community Board 2 in Manhattan, where I have proudly and forcefully advocated against entrenched interests for more vibrant, equitable, sustainable neighborhoods downtown.

What is the best advice anyone ever gave you? The best advice for any of us fighting for progress comes from John Lewis: “Do not get lost in a sea of despair. Be hopeful, be optimistic. Our struggle is not the struggle of a day, a week, a month, or a year, it is the struggle of a lifetime.”

Is there anything else you would like voters to know about yourself and your positions?
I was born in the district at St. Vincent’s Hospital in 1985, grew up just north of Union Square, and have lived in the West Village since graduating college. There is nothing I love more than downtown Manhattan, and I would be honored to represent our neighborhoods and our neighbors in the Assembly.