Tomorrow is, once again, Primary Day in New York, and polls will be open from 6 a.m. to 9 p.m. If you're registered to vote with a political-party affiliation, you are eligible to vote in your party's primary.
We've spent the past several months evaluating responses to our in-depth candidate questionnaire, analyzing policy platforms, and conducting personal interviews with dozens of candidates. We've endorsed seven candidates for State Senate, all of whom appear on primary ballots tomorrow. You can learn more about each of our endorsees below, as well as the street-safety and transportation issues they'll advocate for in office.
The August 23rd primary will undoubtedly continue a trend of low-turnout elections. While we're fans of robust voter participation, the silver lining to lower turnout is that your vote for a candidate who supports safe, complete and livable streets, and reliable, efficient and affordable public transit, has the potential to make a real difference in a close race.
To find your polling location, see a sample ballot, and check your voter-registration status, please visit vote.nyc.
And if you have an hour or two to spare tomorrow, it's not too late to help our endorsees get out the vote. We've compiled links to all of our candidates' volunteer opportunities – just click here to find a GOTV opportunity near you.
2022 State Senate Endorsees
Kaegan Mays-Williams, 21st State Senate District, Brooklyn (Challenger) – Kaegan Mays-Williams, a gun-safety advocate, and David Alexis, a labor and climate organizer, are challenging incumbent Kevin Parker for this central Brooklyn seat. While both are attractive candidates, our choice is Ms. Mays-Williams. A former assistant Manhattan District Attorney, she's been touched closely by traffic violence: her best friend's father was struck and killed by a driver while crossing a street. She supports redesigning Brooklyn's bus network to simplify routes and speed commutes, and as a mom with a young child, she's committed to supporting expansion of a network of protected bike lanes throughout the 21st District.
Rajiv Gowda, 23rd State Senate District, Brooklyn & Staten Island (Open Seat) – Rajiv Gowda, a retired civil engineer whom we endorsed in 2020, is running for this now-open seat covering Staten Island's North Shore and a portion of southern Brooklyn. A former union leader and Community Education Council president, Gowda also chaired his Community Board's Transportation Committee. He's committed to advocating for a pedestrian and bicycle path on the Verrazzano-Narrows Bridge, reactivation of Staten Island's North Shore rail line, major upgrades to the district's bike lanes, and improved transit accessibility.
Jabari Brisport, 25th State Senate District, Brooklyn (Incumbent) – Senator Brisport, who won his seat in 2020 with StreetsPAC's endorsement, is running for re-election against two challengers. He supports eliminating parking minimums across the city; connecting the 25th District's disjointed bike network, with an emphasis on protected lanes; and increasing access to secure bike parking, especially for NYCHA residents. He's committed to improving transit service, and supports traffic-calming redesigns of streets to slow down vehicles and improve safety.
Andrew Gounardes, 26th State Senate District, Brooklyn (Incumbent) – Senator Gounardes, who earned our endorsement when he won his seat in 2018 and was re-elected in 2020, has proved to be a transformative figure in the State Senate. He's led the fight in Albany to expand New York City's speed-camera program, and authored the legislation that now allows cameras to operate around the clock, which should have a huge effect on reducing speeding. His bill requiring that the written portion of New York State's drivers' test include instruction in pedestrian and bicycle safety became law in July, and he also introduced a bill that would require pedestrian-safety ratings for motor vehicles. He's called for revoking the license of anyone who racks up three or more dangerous-driving violations within a one-year period, and he's been a staunch advocate for improved transit service and subway accessibility.
Angel Vasquez, 31st State Senate District, Manhattan & Bronx (Challenger) – Angel Vasquez, a Teachers' Union official and former middle-school teacher and Albany staffer, is running against incumbent Robert Jackson in this upper Manhattan and west Bronx district. A fan of Bogota's TransMilenio bus rapid transit system, he'd like to see that type of high-level service implemented in New York as part of a concerted effort to reduce driving in the city. He supports building out a more robust network of protected bike lanes uptown, and extending bike-share to all corners of the 31st District.
Christian Amato, 34th State Senate District, Bronx & Westchester (Open Seat) – Christian Amato, an ex-staffer for State Senator Alessandra Biaggi and former theater producer with abundant political-organizing experience, is running for the open seat in this east Bronx district. Amato is committed to expanding transportation options in the district as a means to reducing driving. As Vice Chair of CB11's Transportation Committee, he's championed the area's scooter-share pilot, and he wants to see Citi Bike expanded into the district, served by a better-connected and upgraded bike-lane network. He'll push to have the Interbrough Express extended to the Bronx, supports improvements to bus service, including dedicated bus lanes, and would like to see ferry service expanded and integrated with New York City Transit.
Kristen Gonzalez, 59th State Senate District, Brooklyn, Manhattan & Queens (Open Seat) – Kristen Gonzalez, a tech worker with a strong organizing background, is running a broadly progressive campaign for this newly created seat spanning parts of Brooklyn, Queens, and Manhattan. Deeply dedicated to public transit, she'll fight for improvements in service, especially for buses, and wants to see the entire bus fleet electrified. She supports making a number of streets within the 59th District car-free, in order to improve safety and prioritize walking and biking. She's also committed to improving conditions for the city's Deliveristas, and to making the bike-share system affordable and available to all New Yorkers. Former New York City Council member Elizabeth Crowley has also put forth a creative transportation platform, but we believe voters in this new district will benefit most by electing Ms. Gonzalez.
