Grace Lee is a business owner and community activist in Lower Manhattan. In recent years, she has pushed for the cleanup of a toxic waste site near her kids’ school, advocated for deaf tenants at a dilapidated apartment building, and spoken at rallies against anti-Asian violence. Her top priorities include creating more affordable housing, expanding health care access, supporting small businesses, and investing in public schools. She is concerned about the impact the planned demolition and reconstruction of the Manhattan jail would have on Chinatown residents, and wants to look for alternatives. She supports all of CU’s agenda items, and stressed she will demand accountability in Albany including on ethics oversight. Lee ran for this seat two years ago. At that time, Citizens Union commended her for her community activism and strong vision for this district. We prefer her in this race, and look forward to seeing her take that vision to the state legislature.

Illapa Sairitupac is a social worker and ecosocialist activist. Sairitupac grew up in Westchester and Dutchess counties as the son of Peruvian immigrants and moved to New York City after finishing college. His top issues include implementing a Green New Deal for New York, protecting tenants from rent increases and retaliatory evictions, enacting statewide universal health care, and making CUNY tuition-free. Sairitupac supports all of CU’s reform agenda. He detailed several reforms to professionalize election boards, transition to a fully vote-by-mail system by 2030, and develop a system in which an independent commission draws district maps. CU is impressed with Sairitupac’s organizing prowess and his commitment to addressing environmental issues in this district.

Denny Salas is a former political lobbyist and fundraiser who most recently worked as a charter school administrator. His top priorities include implementing new afterschool programs for students, making homeownership more affordable and implementing wage subsidies for small businesses. Salas supports all of CU’s agenda and said that police accountability was his top-priority good-government issue. In his interview with CU, he proposed improving body cameras, ending qualified immunity and expanding mental health services for officers. Salas also supports overhauling the Board of Elections, consolidating the trial court system, making JCOPE more independent from elected officials, and ensuring district lines can’t be drawn by legislators going forward. CU appreciates Salas’s creative policy ideas and his drive to serve his community.