Citizens Union 2024 Candidate Questionnaire - State Legislative General Election

Candidate Questionnaire

Local Candidates Committee NYS Legislative Election - General 2024
Dear Candidate,

Congratulations on your decision to run for a seat in the New York Legislature! Citizens Union appreciates your commitment to serve the public.

In the following pages, you will find questions regarding your positions on various reform issues and your plans for office.

Responses to these questions will be one of several factors Citizens Union uses to evaluate candidates running for office, and to issue our endorsement for the general election in November.

Read more about the method, principles, and criteria of the candidate evaluation process here.

You can learn more about Citizens Union's policy agenda in our issues section.

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If you wish to be considered, please submit the questionnaire by August 29, 2024.

We will need to schedule an interview with you as part of the evaluation process. Given time constraints and the limited capacity of a member-based organization, we may not be able to evaluate all contests or candidates in this election cycle.

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If you cannot complete the questionnaire in one sitting, you can click Save at the bottom of every page.

Once you submit the questionnaire, you will receive a confirmation email with your responses. Citizens Union will not be able to see your answers unless you submit the form. We plan to make responses to this questionnaire public on our website, printed voters directory, and other appropriate venues (your contact information will not be published).

You can also download a blank questionnaire here (.docx file) and email it to us.

For any questions, please email candidates@citizensunion.org

We thank you very much for your response.

GENERAL INFORMATION
Name*

First NameMiddle NameLast Name
Office Sought (New York State)*

SenateAssembly
District Number*
What party line/s are you running under?*
Age
Education
Previous Offices, Campaigns and Community/Civic Involvement
Campaign Contact Information
Email*
example@example.com
Campaign Manager Name*
Campaign Manager Email*
example@example.com
Scheduler contact info (If relevant)
example@example.com
Phone Number*

Area CodePhone Number
Website
Twitter
Facebook
Instagram
Affirmations
Have you completed the required campaign finance filings?*

YesNo
Are you participating in the State Public Campaign Finance Program?

YesNoOther
Are you willing to be interviewed by Citizens Union’s Local Candidates Committee?*

YesNo
(Please note: interviews are prerequisites for Citizens Union preferences and endorsements)
Signature*

GOALS, PLANS, AND SERVING CONSTITUENTS

In addition to evaluating stances on the reform issues, Citizens Union considers the campaign goals articulated to voters, issues specific to the district, and the ability propose thoughtful solutions to represent constituents’ interests.
What are your top three campaign promises or goals, and what action will you take to achieve them if elected?
If elected, what is the first piece of legislation you would want to introduce? If you are an incumbent, what legislation have you passed which you are most proud of?
In providing constituent services, what are the major needs of your district’s constituents and how will you meet them?
What experience have you had, if any, with good government and reform issues? (e.g. voting and elections, campaign finance, ethics, government transparency and oversight, police accountability). If you've worked to advance these goals, we'd love to hear about it.
How long have you lived in the district in which you are running?

ELECTIONS AND VOTING
1. Do you support moving city elections from odd-numbered years to even-numbered years, and will you vote in favor of legislation that enacts that change?
Moving local elections to even year boosts turnout, reduces disparities in participation, and saves money. In 2023, Governor Hochul signed a law that moves county and town elections to even years and signaled her support for a constitutional amendment that does the same for cities and other elected offices currently held in the odd year. Citizens Union strongly supports moving municipal elections to even-numbered years.
2. A constitutional amendment was introduced this Spring that will do just that and move all races that are currently on odd-numbered years to even-numbered years to increase turnout, but it excludes New York City. Would you vote against it?
3. Do you support restarting the constitutional amendment process to enact same-day voter registration in New York?
4. Do you support improving voter participation in CUNY and SUNY colleges by requiring schools to develop and implement a student voter engagement action plan?
Board of Elections Reform
5. Do you support reducing the party-based hiring in boards of elections to the minimum currently required by the constitution?
The New York Constitution only requires party-appointed bi-partisan officers in three roles: registering voters, distributing ballots, and canvassing votes. State law expanded that requirement to apply to almost all BOE employees.
6. Do you support implementing an open, competitive, merit-based hiring process for all election administration staff and certain functions at polls?
7. Do you support requiring election commissioners and top BOE staff undergo mandatory training developed by the State Board of Elections?
In 2023, the Legislature passed and the Governor signed legislation that enacts mandatory trainings for poll workers across New York. The State Senate further passed S617 that would implement mandatory training curriculum for election commissioners and key staff of boards of elections.
8. How would you use your power as a legislator to improve election administration in New York? Feel free to add any policy proposals you support in regards to reforming the BOE.
If needed, you may elaborate below on your positions on the previous questions.

CAMPAIGN FINANCE
9. Will you support continuing to fully funding the new state public campaign finance program in next cycle’s budget process?
9. Do you commit to opposing any attempt to undermine the State Public Campaign Finance Program by changing its rules to benefit large donors?
10. Do you support requiring campaigns to disclose a contributor's employer in campaign finance reports, as is done in NYC?
S2362 (Rivera)/A6542 (Carroll) would require disclosure of employer for campaign contributors
If needed, you may elaborate below on your positions on the previous questions. You may also provide additional information on any actions that you have taken or plan to take to advance your positions on these issues.

REDISTRICTING
11. Who do you think should draw new district maps every decade in New York? (e.g., the current Independent Redistricting Commission, the Legislature/LATFOR, a new body)
12. Do you support changing the constitutional redistricting process to reduce the influence of legislators over map-making process, make the redistricting commission less partisan and more diverse, and eliminate the Legislature’s veto power over final maps?
If needed, you may elaborate below on your positions on the previous questions. You may also provide additional information on any actions that you have taken or plan to take to advance your positions on these issues.

ETHICS AND LOBBYING
13. Do you support establishing an independent ethics agency with commissioners not chosen by the elected officials they oversee, which would have oversight powers over the executive and the legislature (also replaces the Legislative Ethics Commission)?
Although the new ethics watchdog agency, the Commission on Ethics and Lobbying in Government (COELIG), is an improvement on its flawed predecessor, JCOPE, Citizens Union supports a constitutionally established, independent ethics agency that would deter corruption in the legislative and executive branches.
14. Do you support requiring lobbyists to report their contributions and fundraising activity?
If needed, you may elaborate below on your positions on the previous questions. You may also provide additional information on any actions that you have taken or plan to take to advance your positions on ethics issues.

POLICE ACCOUNTABILITY
15. Do you support giving the New York City Civilian Complaint Review Board access to certain sealed and confidential records in matters involving potential police discipline?
CCRB investigations are often hamstrung because the NYPS denies it access to effective investigative resources, such as body-worn camera footage and other police records, under the pretext of protecting sealed records. S6267 (Bailey)/A370 (Cruz) would grant the CCRB access to sealed records and certain confidential records in furtherance of its duties and functions.
16. Do you support transferring disciplinary hearings involving police officers from the NYPD to the Office of Administrative Trials and Hearings (OATH)?
Public confidence in police disciplinary process would be enhanced if the disciplinary hearings for police officers, like those for all other New York City employees, were conducted before the independent administrative law judges of OATH rather than within the NYPD. This would require state legislation, and S2401 (Myrie)/A7863 (Simon) would enact such change.
If needed, you may elaborate below on your positions on the previous questions.

COURT REFORM
17. Do you support maintaining the Commission on Judicial Nomination, which recommends candidates for the Court of Appeals to the Governor?
Citizens Union opposes measures that would further politicize the judiciary and erode the public’s faith in our court system. Some lawmakers have called to eliminate the Commission on Judicial Nomination, which is appointed by all three branches of government and serves as an effective mechanism to ensure that the Governor’s nominees to the state's highest court are made on merit. The public must have confidence that our judicial system is run by, and composed of, judges who can exercise independence and focus on the fair and impartial administration of justice.
If needed, you may elaborate below on your positions on the previous questions. You may also provide additional information on any actions that you have taken or plan to take to advance your positions on these issues.

PATH TO VICTORY
What is your win number (the number of votes needed to win this race), and what is your plan to achieve that number?
What are your current fundraising numbers? What are your fundraising goals?
How many individual donors do you have?
Please indicate any endorsements that your campaign has received, if applicable (you can also share a link to a list of endorsements)

ADDITIONAL INFO
Please feel free to attach any additional information such as resume, campaign brochures, or issues statements.

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Candidate Questionnaire

GENERAL INFORMATION

Campaign Contact Information

Affirmations

GOALS, PLANS, AND SERVING CONSTITUENTS

ELECTIONS AND VOTING

Board of Elections Reform

CAMPAIGN FINANCE

REDISTRICTING

ETHICS AND LOBBYING

POLICE ACCOUNTABILITY

COURT REFORM

PATH TO VICTORY

ADDITIONAL INFO