Andrew Gounardes has served as a New York State Senator since 2019, representing a southern Brooklyn district that overlaps with the newly redrawn District 26 in Fort Hamilton, Dyker Heights and parts of Bay Ridge. The chair of the Committee on Budget and Revenue, and before that the Civil Service Committee, he is an effective lawmaker that succeeded in passing dozens of bills in a relatively short time in office. That track record also includes working on reform issues, including carrying bills that would limit contributions from people who do business with state government, restrict the use of campaign funds for personal use, and allow CUNY and SUNY students to receive course credits for serving as poll workers. He was one of a dozen Senators to publicly oppose Governor Hochul’s compromise on JCOPE reform, a move aligned with CU’s advocacy efforts at the time. In the future, Gounardes promises to work to reform the Board of Elections, limit corporate donations, strengthen investigations of campaign finance violations, and expand language access at poll sites. On ethics, he wants to give the Attorney General the power to investigate corruption cases and build a truly independent ethics watchdog. He also lays out several proposals to strengthen accountability and transparency at the MTA and in the state budget process. His non-reform priorities include fully funding CUNY, combatting sexual harassment in the workplace, and investing in public infrastructure to reimagine the BQE. Citizens Union endorsed Gounardes in both of his general elections, and believes he would be an excellent representative for the constituents of this newly redrawn district. Given his proven legislative track record, commitment to reform, and deep understanding of the position, we prefer him in this race.

David Yassky represented the northern parts of this new state Senate district on the New York City Council between 2002 and 2009. He was then appointed by then-Mayor Bloomberg to be Commissioner for the NYC Taxi and Limousine Commission, and was later the dean of Pace University School of Law. Most recently, he served as Director of State Policy in former Governor Cuomo’s office; In his interview, he assured Citizens Union that he had no involvement in the numerous ethical scandals of the Cuomo administration. His top priorities in this race include universal screening for language-based learning disabilities, full funding for special-needs, and reducing housing costs. Yassky indicated support for all of Citizens Union’s reform policy goals on his questionnaire, but in his interview expressed support for the congressional district lines approved by the legislature, which were deemed to have been gerrymandered. Citizens Union values Yassky’s depth of experience at the local, state and federal level, yet prefers his opponent who has been a powerful advocate for reform issues in Albany.