2024 State Senate Endorsees
Andrew Gounardes, 26th State Senate District, Brooklyn (Incumbent) – Andrew Gounardes earned our endorsement when he won his seat in 2018, and again in 2020 and 2022, and this year is no different. He led the effort in Albany to expand New York City's speed-camera program, and sponsored the legislation that allows cameras to operate around the clock. His bill authorizing the renewal and four-fold expansion of New York City's red-light camera program is set to become law. His priorities for the next legislative session are the passage of his bill that would require installation of speed-limiting technology in the vehicles of drivers with significant numbers of dangerous driving violations, and another that would require the state to establish a goal of reducing driving by 20% by 2050. In addition, Senator Gounardes has been a staunch advocate for improved transit service and subway accessibility. He does not face a challenge in the June primary.
Brad Hoylman-Sigal, 47th State Senate District, Manhattan (Incumbent) – Senator Hoylman-Sigal, who represents the west side of Manhattan, has long advocated for safer streets and better public transportation, including legislative initiatives to mandate safety technology in newly registered cars in New York State and to eliminate parking minimums in cities, and pushing to integrate Citi Bike with the MTA's OMNY fare-payment system. He was the lead Senate sponsor of a number of bills on our priority list this year, including Sammy's Law, which passed as part of the budget this spring and will allow New York City to further lower speed limits, and a bill requiring the point-of-sale registration of mopeds that recently passed the Senate and will soon become law. He's also carrying a bill that would allow the use of automated cameras to enforce against obstruction of bike lanes. Senator Hoylman-Sigal does not have a challenger in this month's primary.
Kristen Gonzalez, 59th State Senate District, Brooklyn, Manhattan & Queens (Incumbent) – Kristen Gonzalez handily won her Senate seat in 2022 with StreetsPAC's endorsement, which she earned by expressing a strong commitment to public transit and street safety, causes on which she's delivered during her first term in office. She has been a staunch supporter of the campaign to redesign McGuinness Boulevard, a position that has earned her a primary challenger backed by opponents of the proposed road diet. Last year, she collaborated with colleagues in the Assembly and City Council, and advocates, to develop the Western Queens Street Safety Plan. Senator Gonzalez continues to be a proponent of the MTA's free-bus pilot, while remaining committed to advocating for expansion of bus and subway service across the city. And along with her fellow State Senate endorsees, she has stood strong in opposition to Governor Hochul's attempts to sideline congestion pricing. You can volunteer to help get out the vote for Kristen Gonzalez here.
2024 State Assembly Endorsees: Queens | Brooklyn | Manhattan | Bronx | Upstate New York
Jessica González-Rojas, 34th Assembly District, Queens (Incumbent) – Assemblymember González-Rojas won her seat in 2020 with StreetsPAC's support. During her initial term, she introduced and led the passage in the Assembly of the MTA Bike Access bill, which became law in 2021 and mandates the creation of a strategic plan to facilitate access to the MTA's bridges and stations. She has continued to advocate for the redesign of dangerous Northern Boulevard with dedicated, separated spaces for buses and bikes, and was a vociferous proponent of the passage of Sammy's Law, working her Assembly colleagues hard to include it in this year's budget. Assemblymember González-Rojas has also been one of the major champions of the 34th Avenue Open Street, a position that has landed her a challenger in the Democratic primary. Like a number of our endorsees, she has stood resolutely in support of the timely implementation of congestion pricing. You can sign up to volunteer with her campaign here.
Claire Valdez, 37th Assembly District, Queens (Challenger) – Claire Valdez, a union organizer and Democratic Socialist, is challenging incumbent Juan Ardila for this western Queens Assembly seat. Valdez is running on a broadly progressive agenda that includes a detailed transportation and street-safety platform, and if elected, would join several DSA-backed legislators in Albany who have emerged as champions of public transit and calmer, more accessible streets. She rides the bus almost every day, and supports the long-term vision of the QueensLink campaign to restore passenger service on the Long Island Railroad's Lower Montauk branch. Valdez has been a ubiquitous presence at safe-streets rallies and protests from the first days of her campaign, and is committed to pushing for comprehensive infrastructure improvements, including protected bike lanes and daylighting. Assemblymember Ardila, whom we endorsed in 2022, did not return a questionnaire response; to his credit, he has been outspokenly opposed to the Governor's congestion pricing flip-flop. Johanna Carmona, who's also running for the seat with significant institutional support, did submit thoughtful questionnaire responses, but too far past our deadline for interviews. All that said, we believe strongly that Claire Valdez is the best choice for voters in the 37th Assembly District. You can enlist to help her get out the vote here.
Catalina Cruz, 39th Assembly District, Queens (Incumbent) – Assemblymember Cruz has been a reliable vote and committed partner on issues affecting street safety and public transit since first winning office, with StreetsPAC's endorsement, in 2018. She's been one of the leading proponents of the 34th Avenue Open Street, which forms her district's northwestern border, and in 2020, she led a broad coalition of elected officials seeking safer Open Street designs. She's been focused on the MTA's efforts to redesign the Queens Bus Network, advocating for deeper public engagement while supporting the necessary goals of improving service, and remains interested in efforts to improve the Department of Motor Vehicles, including potentially requiring periodic retesting of drivers. Assemblymember Cruz does not have a challenger in the Democratic primary.
Robert Carroll, 44th Assembly District, Brooklyn (Incumbent) – Assemblymember Robert Carroll has been among Albany's most reliable voices for safer streets and better public transit since he first won office in 2016. A StreetsPAC endorsee several times over, he has been one of the legislature's most prominent supporters of congestion pricing, and was quick to denounce Governor Hochul's 11th-hour reversal. He's been a strong proponent of automated camera enforcement, including the use of cameras to keep bus lanes and bus stops clear of parked cars, and has called for the Brooklyn Bus Network redesign to include many more dedicated bus lanes. He introduced a bill this session that would require delivery-app companies to carry liability insurance for workers delivering on their behalf, and reintroduced his bill that would fund transit improvements by levying a small tax on package deliveries. Assemblymember Carroll does not face a primary challenge.
Emily Gallagher, 50th Assembly District, Brooklyn (Incumbent) – Emily Gallagher, who first won her seat in the Assembly in 2020, has more than delivered on the promises that secured our endorsement as an outsider candidate taking on a 48-year incumbent. A member of the Assembly's Transportation Committee, she has championed street-safety projects that include the redesign of dangerous McGuinness Boulevard, which has earned her the ire of road-diet opponents who recruited and fund her primary challenger. She's been a strong advocate for Open Streets, and organized a rapid-response rally among her Assembly colleagues in the wake of the Governor's congestion pricing announcement. Assemblymember Gallagher has also teamed with Senator Gounardes to introduce a bill requiring the installation of speed-limiting technology in the vehicles of drivers with significant numbers of dangerous driving violations, which they hope to pass in 2025. She's been beating the drum for robust transportation accommodations during this summer's planned G train shutdown, and is supportive of significant reform of the Department of Motor Vehicles. You can volunteer to help her get out the vote here.
Jo Anne Simon, 52nd Assembly District, Brooklyn (Incumbent) – Jo Anne Simon is running for her sixth term in the Assembly, and has won StreetsPAC's backing several times during her tenure in Albany. She's a member of the Assembly's Transportation Committee, and her name regularly appears as a sponsor on legislation crucial to improving both the safety of streets and the efficacy of public transit. Assemblymember Simon just introduced a bill that would prohibit New York City from opting out of the state's daylighting law, carries legislation that would reduce the legal blood-alcohol level for DUI infractions, and continues to lobby the MTA for restoration of the discontinued B71 bus route as well as the creation of a bus route connecting Brooklyn's Red Hook neighborhood with Lower Manhattan. The Assemblymember's primary opponent, Scott Budow, impressed us with his interest in transportation issues, but Jo Anne Simon has earned the support of voters with her strong track record. You can sign up to help her campaign here.
Eon Tyrell Huntley, 56th Assembly District, Brooklyn (Challenger) – Eon Tyrell Huntley, a retail worker, union organizer, PTA president, and Democratic Socialist, is challenging incumbent Stefani Zinerman in the primary for this central Brooklyn Assembly District. A regular subway commuter who doesn't have a driver's license, Huntley is deeply committed to advocating for straphangers by pushing for better buses, including dedicated busways and expanded free routes, and more reliable subway service. As the father of two young daughters, he's acutely aware of the importance of safe streets, and supports getting there through better street design, including intersection improvements and implementation of protected bike lanes. You can volunteer to help him get out the vote here.
Maria Ordoñez, 70th Assembly District, Manhattan (Open Seat) – Maria Ordoñez first came to our attention in 2021, when she ran a highly competitive race for City Council while still an undergraduate at Columbia University, finishing second in a crowded field. A tenant organizer and Democratic State Committee member, she's running on a broadly progressive platform that embraces the importance of better transportation policies. For public transit, that means a commitment to fare-free and more reliable buses, improved station accessibility, and clean and accessible bathrooms. Where street design is concerned, Ordoñez supports expanding the bike network, getting trash off the sidewalks and into curbside containers, and more Open Streets. You can volunteer to help Maria win her primary here.
Harvey Epstein, 74th Assembly District, Manhattan (Incumbent) – Assemblymember Epstein, whom we first endorsed when he won election in 2018, has continued to be a reliable ally in Albany on matters of street safety and public transit. Despite continuing to harbor some reservations about the income level for the residential exemption, he was still quick to condemn the Governor's last-minute reversal on congestion pricing. He's been a firm supporter of expanding the city's automated camera enforcement programs, and is lead sponsor of a bill that would authorize the lowering of the speed limit on Open Streets to five miles per hour. As a regular cyclist – he was recently sent over his handlebars by a driver who cut into a bike lane in Brooklyn in which he was riding – Assemblymember Epstein supports expanding the city's network of protected bike lanes. He does not face a primary challenge.
Jeffrey Dinowitz, 81st Assembly District, Bronx (Incumbent) – Assemblymember Dinowitz has long been one of Albany's staunchest advocates for the public-transit system, authoring the MTA "lock-box" bill that became law in 2019. He continues to support additional investment in, and further improvements to, Bronx bus service, including more frequency and better enforcement against motorists parking in bus lanes and bus stops, and would like to see more fare-free routes. He is the lead sponsor of an Assembly bill that would add four rider representatives with voting rights to the MTA board. On the street-safety front, his bill to renew and expand the city's red-light camera program recently passed the Assembly and awaits the Governor's signature, and he is lead sponsor of a bill that would allow the Department of Motor Vehicles to suspend the registration of any vehicle caught with an obscured or defaced license plate. Assemblymember Dinowitz does not have a primary opponent.
Jonathan Soto, 82nd Assembly District, Bronx (Challenger) – Jonathan Soto, a former staffer for Congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez with a background in law and urban planning whom we endorsed in 2022, is mounting a repeat challenge against incumbent Assemblymember Michael Benedetto, who's represented this East Bronx district for two decades. Soto remains concerned with the area's too-often "dangerous" car culture, which he says has only gotten worse, and wants to make it much easier, and safer, for residents to get around without driving. He's supportive of the nascent movement to improve cycling conditions in the district with better infrastructure, and says there's a clear need to improve bus service, which is too infrequent and slow. You can enlist to help his campaign here.
Chloe Pierce, 107th Assembly District, Rensselaer, Washington & Columbia Counties (Challenger) – Chloe Pierce, a lifelong resident of the state's Capital Region, is running in the Democratic primary for the 107th Assembly District. A lobbyist who has represented the New York State Nurses Association and companies in the clean-energy sector, she's been involved in public service since she was a child. Though much of Rensselaer County is rural, there's growing advocacy in towns like Bethlehem for better bike infrastructure, which Pierce supports. While there are local concerns around traffic safety, especially speeding, she believes the primary transportation issue in the district is the need for better public transit, especially to connect residents with health care facilities. She's also expressed interest in working to improve the New York State Department of Motor Vehicles. You can find information about getting involved with her campaign here.
Anna Kelles, 125th Assembly District, Tompkins & Cortland Counties (Incumbent) – Dr. Anna Kelles was first elected to represent the 125th District in the Assembly in 2020. An epidemiologist by training, Kelles has quickly become one of the Assembly's leaders on environmental policy, which she sees as intertwined with transportation. Her bike was her main mode of transportation for a decade before a recent move (she's twice been struck by drivers), and she believes in investing in public transit, like Ithaca's fairly extensive bus system. She's a strong supporter of Sammy's Law, and thinks that allowing other municipalities to set their own speed limits is vitally important. She also supported the expansion of New York City's red-light camera program, and would like to see it piloted in other places. In response to a query in our questionnaire, Dr. Kelles recently introduced an Assembly companion to State Senator Rachel May's bill requiring regular updates to the state's bicycle and pedestrian plan. Assemblymember Kelles does not face a primary challenge.
A Note on Two Additional Races
4th Assembly District, Suffolk County – Both candidates running in the Democratic primary in Long Island's 4th Assembly District, covering Port Jefferson, Stony Brook and Brookhaven, completed our questionnaire and participated in interviews – and both impressed us.
Skyler Johnson is an advocate for overdose prevention and women's health issues who ran for State Senate in 2022, and Rebecca Kassay is an elected Trustee and Deputy Mayor of Port Jefferson Village.
We were ultimately unable to choose between the two, and believe 4th District primary voters will have a difficult choice to make, as well. We anticipate supporting the winner of the primary in November's general election.
69th Assembly District, Manhattan – Three well qualified candidates vying to succeed the retiring Danny O'Donnell completed our questionnaire and met with us for interviews, but after much deliberation, we were unable to come to consensus on an endorsement.
Those candidates are Micah Lasher, who has many years of experience in government, most recently as Policy Director for Governor Hochul, and whom we endorsed when he ran for State Senate in 2016; Eli Northrup, a public defender and criminal-justice reform advocate; and Melissa Rosenberg, a member of Community Board 7 and housing advocate.
Any of the three would be a strong ally on transportation and street-safety issues, and the voters of the 69th District are fortunate to have a cadre of attractive candidates from whom to choose. We anticipate supporting the primary winner in November's general election.
