Brad Hoylman is a five-term State Senator representing District 27 since first being elected in 2012, and the current chair of the Senate’s Judiciary Committee. Citizens Union supported him in his election to the State Senate. During his time in office, Hoylman has worked to further numerous causes such as housing, public education, LGBTQ rights, environment protection and transportation. He has an impressive track record as a lawmaker, passing over 120 bills, including the Child Victims Act and the TRUST Act, which increased government oversight over the state taxes of elected officials, and the police STAT Act, which requires police departments to provide demographic data on arrests. Hoylman also fought to protect the New York LGBTQ community by passing legislation banning conversion therapy and a bill extending human rights protections to transgender New Yorkers. He has introduced and co-sponsored dozens of bills on reform issues like ethics and accountability. Before working in Albany, Hoylman was a three-term chair of Manhattan Community Board 2. He is also a former president of the Gay and Lesbian Independent Democrats. As Manhattan Borough President, Hoylman intends to use the office to pursue more equitable and affordable housing policies, which he describes as his top priority. He supports repealing the 421-a tax break and reform the city’s current mandatory affordable housing policies. He proposes to convene a Manhattan Tenants Union, with support from the Borough President office, so that residential and commercial tenants can negotiate better rents. Hoylman has also presented thorough proposals for land use reform to allow community involvement earlier in the process.

Citizens Union prefers Hoylman in this race because he understands what it takes to be an effective Borough President and has the knowledge and the skillset to hit the ground running on his first day in office. He is the right person to serve Manhattan at this crucial time.

Mark Levine is a Council Member representing West Harlem & Northern Manhattan Manhattan’s 7th Council District and has served as the Chair of the Health Committee since 2017. Citizens Union supported him in his two elections for City Council. During his tenure, Levine has focused on a wide range of issues including affordable housing, passing legislation protecting the rights of low-income tenants facing eviction and helping to create hundreds of low-rent housing units. Levine has been at the forefront of the city’s fight against COVID-19, utilizing his position as Health Committee Chair to hold frequent public hearings as part of his push for transparency and accountability during the crisis. As Borough President, Levine’s first priority would be to appoint a Deputy Borough President tasked with ensuring the economic recovery from the pandemic is equitable and focused on creating well-paid jobs while supporting small businesses. He also plans to take a four-pronged approach to solving the housing crisis by reforming the Uniform Land use Review Procedure, prioritizing job creation, protecting tenants, and creating a public bank. Levine expressed support for all of Citizen’s Union positions, such as reforming Community Board budgeting. Furthermore, he had a clear vision for streamlining the Uniform Land Use Review Procedure while maintaining significant input from local communities, pointing to his experience leading a community-led rezoning process in Morningside Heights. Citizens Union prefers him as our second choice in the Manhattan Borough President democratic primary.

Lindsey Boylan is a former government official and public servant, having spent a decade in urban planning and management. Most recently, Boylan served as deputy secretary for Economic Development and Housing for New York State, where she pursued numerous initiatives such as increasing funding for public housing, a $15 minimum wage, and Paid Family Leave. As Borough President, Boylan plans to use her experience in urban planning and economic development to revitalize the economy for workers and small businesses. She proposes a tax on New York’s ultra-wealthy citizens to fund vital public projects, most importantly repairing the city subway system. Boylan expressed support for all of Citizens Union’s reform positions (she is a former Citizens Union board member), and demonstrated extensive plans for reforming the city’s Uniform Land Use Review Procedure to diminish the influence of developers. She also plans to use the Borough President’s influence over capital funding to support environmentally friendly and equitable public land-use projects, and cites her ten-plus years of experience as an urban planner. Citizens Union was impressed by Boylan’s track record and her deep understanding of the office. She acknowledges the position’s limited Charter mandated responsibilities, but also identifies points where creative action is possible to achieve a greater impact. We commend her for her campaign and her career.

Elizabeth Caputo is an Executive at the World Economic Forum responsible for government engagement. Caputo has served three terms as Chair for Community Board 7. In this role, she tackled pressing issues such as affordable housing, negotiating hearings on Mandatory Inclusionary Housing and establishing a Public Housing task force. As Chair, she also helped bring Citi Bike to the Upper West Side and assisted in implementing the Amsterdam Avenue bike lane. Caputo’s top priority is to introduce reforms for the Community Board system by creating a diversity outreach program and working to increase both the power and transparency of the Boards. She also wants to reform the Uniform Land Use Review Procedure to increase its transparency and accountability.

Ben Kallos is a two-term City Council Member representing Manhattan’s 5th Council District. Kallos previously worked as chief of staff for New York State Assembly Member Jonathan Bing and director of public policy for former Comptroller Mark Green. He chairs the Committee on Contracts. Kallos has dedicated much of his career to a reform agenda. Before his election to Council, he led the New Roosevelt Initiative, a group advancing reform candidates and goals at the state level.As Chair of the Governmental Operations Committee, he fought politicization and dysfunction in the Board of Elections, and he authored the law that attempted to implement an online voter registration system in New York CIty. He was instrumental in passing measures that strengthened the campaign finance system and provided support for community boards. He has worked with Citizens Union on issues like ethics, redistricting, and voting, and endorsed his election for City Council.

As Borough President, Kallos has promised to push for affordable housing as part of every new development project, give every public school student access to a laptop, and prevent elected officials from lobbying after their term ends. Citizens Union commends Kallos for his tremendous contribution to advancing good government in New York.