Julie Won was elected to the City Council in 2021 among a crowded field of 15 candidates. Citizens Union preferred her in that race, noting it was “impressed by her vision for the district, her forceful responses, and her familiarity with the issues.” That is no less the case today. In office, Won kept her campaign promise to provide free Wi-Fi to NYCHA residents in her district. Additionally, she has utilized her position as Chair of the Committee on Contracts to subpoena nonprofits contracted by city government to ensure quality provision of services. Her top priorities are to address affordable housing and increase funding for schools, parks, and city services. Won supports all of CU’s reform priorities and highlighted areas where she sees room for improvement: decoupling NYC BOE appointments from party politics; utilizing restorative justice practices to direct resources to stem repeated violations by the NYPD; addressing the City Council’s inefficiency by recruiting staff from boroughs with high unemployment. Her proven track record, detailed knowledge of city operations, and specific plans to address shortcomings and other inefficiencies again impressed Citizens Union. We prefer Won in this race.

Hailie Kim is an adjunct professor at SUNY Old Westbury and a former grassroots community organizer at MinKwon Center for Community Action. She has launched a Hate-Free Zone initiative to address the rise of anti-Asian hate crimes and has led Know Your Rights trainings. She ran for this council seat in 2021 and is seeking that office again because of what she describes as her frustrations with the current Council, including budget negotiations, which do not provide funding for community needs. Her top priority is to address unemployment through the implementation of her New York Quality of Life Corps jobs program. In addition, she aims to create affordable housing using social housing models and fully fund education from pre-K to CUNY. Kim is a strong supporter of Citizens Union’s reform priorities and self-identifies as a reformer.