August 24, 2020
City & State New York
A Q&A with state Sen.
There really are now people asking, “Does Manhattan have a future?” The answer has to be, “Yes.”
BRAD HOYLMAN
You’re running for Manhattan borough president, but you’re the chair of the state Senate Judiciary Committee and you have sponsored so many major bills in Albany. Why are you trying to leave the state Legislature? What we want in a borough president is someone who can identify a problem and a solution, build a coalition to address it, and make change. And I think that’s exactly what I’ve done as a legislator, and what I would want to do continuing my public service as borough president. I also think that this is such an important time in
our city’s history. There really are now people asking, “Does Manhattan have a future?” The answer has to be, “Yes.” And I feel a call to arms at the level of public service to help navigate this extremely difficult path when we emerge from COVID-19. You just won the Democratic primary in your state Senate district, and you’ll win the general election in November. Were you open with constituents about the fact that you were planning on running for another seat? Well, I didn’t announce until (August 17). And part
of it was strategic because I had bills in the Senate. But also, I hadn’t fully decided. It is a matter of personal process. To be clear, even though I hadn’t made a decision until I announced today, when people asked, I never denied. I think you probably heard the rumors too. This is not uncommon for elected officials like me to have an office and seek another. You live with your husband and two daughters in Greenwich Village. Has there ever been an openly gay borough
president – in any borough? No! I would be the first. And I’m proud and honored to be the only openly LGBTQ person in the Senate at the moment. And the second candidate who’s run as an openly gay candidate, (Assembly Member) Deborah Glick being the first. You were general counsel at the Partnership for New York City, the voice of big business. Do you plan to be a business-friendly borough president? I think my credentials in office suggest I have a healthy degree of skepticism towards issues like deregulation
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and attempts to combat unions and curb worker protections. But like any borough president, relationships matter. What’s your philosophy on residential land use? That without a planning process that takes into a wider lens of issues and significant community involvement, the end result is often unfortunate. And we end up selling parcels without concern for the wider public good. I think we can do better. The borough president has to be a cheerleader. What’s your favorite spot in Manhattan? I have to say Hudson River Park.