Cameron Koffman
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Cameron Koffman (Democratic Party) ran for election to the New York State Assembly to represent District 73. He lost in the Democratic primary on June 23, 2020.
Koffman completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey in 2020. Click here to read the survey answers.
Biography
Koffman grew up in New York, New York. He earned his bachelor's degree from Yale University in ethics, politics, and economics.[1]
Elections
2020
See also: New York State Assembly elections, 2020
General election
Democratic primary election
Republican primary election
The Republican primary election was canceled. Judith Graham advanced from the Republican primary for New York State Assembly District 73.
Working Families Party primary election
The Working Families Party primary election was canceled. Incumbent Dan Quart advanced from the Working Families Party primary for New York State Assembly District 73.
2020
Ballotpedia survey responses
See also: Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection
Cameron Koffman completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey in 2020. The survey questions appear in bold and are followed by Koffman's responses. Candidates are asked three required questions for this survey, but they may answer additional optional questions as well.
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I've lived in District 73 my entire life, starting with preschool at Temple Emanu-el and nearly a decade at Allen-Stevenson. Every weekend I would enjoy pancakes at Neil's Coffee Shop, tuna melts at Three Guys, or burgers at JG Melons. I played soccer in Central Park, Yorkville Basketball at Wagner, and ran miles around the Great Lawn. I volunteered with Temple Emanu-el's Mitzvah Corps, prepared peanut butter and jelly sandwiches Friday mornings alongside my classmates for the All Souls Soup Kitchen, and helped pass out food, water, and supplies to families in the Rockaways after Hurricane Sandy. And with each passing experience, the tough ones and the joyful ones, my love for New York City grew. Now that I've graduated from college, I'm running for State Assembly to make this city, and the neighborhoods I grew up in, the best they can be.
- Full-time representation: For too long, our district has had no voice in the State Capitol. It's time we change that. I'm running to bring a new generation of leadership to Albany-one that is better-prepared to address the urgency of this moment and run corruption out of the statehouse. My opponent is running for Manhattan District Attorney while he seeks re-election to the Assembly. He wants the support of residents in the 73rd District but wouldn't hesitate to leave them without representation in Albany during budget negotiations. I'm running to represent the residents of District 73 full-time. New Yorkers deserve committed representatives at every level of government.
- Reform congestion pricing: New York City needs bold action to address climate change and fix public transportation. Charging drivers $11.52 every time they cross 60th street isn't the answer. The congestion pricing bill that my opponent helped pass in Albany last year is an attack on our freedom of movement and an increase in our cost of living. It unfairly burdens those who live in Manhattan compared with those who commute from the suburbs, and it will create a massive gridlock zone around 60th street as commuters try to avoid the toll. I stand with the majority of New Yorkers who want to bring transparency, accountability, and fairness to congestion pricing.
- Fill retail vacancies: At last count 1 out of every 8 storefronts on the Upper East Side is vacant, and every day new "For Rent" signs are added to the windows along Lexington and Third Avenue. The closing of beloved small businesses is draining our community of its energy and charm. I would propose plans to improve the climate for local businesses. I would advocate for a decrease in the tax burden and the red tape that small businesses face. The residents of District 73 live here because of the special sense of community, and I will work hard to restore that by bringing back healthy retail and vibrant sidewalks.
Climate Change, because we only have one planet, and fixing the MTA, because healthy public transportation makes a healthy NYC.
I've always looked up to Jane Jacobs. I have a tremendous amount of respect for the work she did to fight overdevelopment, which in many cases was simply bad development, and organize New Yorkers around a vision of this city designed by and for the people that live here. "People make [the city], and it is to them, not buildings, that we must fit our plans," she said. As a member of the New York State Assembly, I would work with my constituents to ensure that the stores, sidewalks and public spaces in our neighborhoods are sources of community value and pride.
I would be a great representative for the 73rd NYS Assembly District for three reasons. First, I have a close connection to the people that live here and an extensive knowledge of the district itself. Every representative should possess those two traits. Second, as part of a generation just getting started in government and public service, I know there's no time to waste on 21st century issues like climate change and mass shootings. It's people my age that are getting shot in school and it's people my age that will still be on this earth in 60 years. I understand the urgency of this moment. Finally, I'm a great listener, which not many politicians are. My ability to listen would help me advocate for my constituents and find common goals with other legislators.
The core responsibility for someone holding any elected office is to represent their constituents. In the New York State Assembly, members have the opportunity to influence the state budget during negotiations with the governor. My opponent has already announced his intention to seek another elected office, and would leave the residents of my district without a voice in Albany during budget negotiations. My core responsibility would be to fulfill a dual obligation: first to spend time in my district listening to residents and understanding their problems and concerns, and second to voice those problems and concerns in Albany while working with legislators to address them.
I hope that my legacy will be one of renewing faith and interest in our local and state governments. Every New Yorker should know who their state legislators are and be confident that they're in Albany to serve the people that elected them.
Destiny of the Republic by Candace Millard. It's a fascinating story about an important time in U.S. history-the Gilded Age. But it also illustrates how pure chance encounters can have a tremendous impact on the arc of history, and by the end, you'll be devastated that James Garfield didn't get to complete his term as President.
We Can Work It Out by The Beatles
There are two that immediately come to mind. First, there's climate change, which is an existential threat to human life as we know it on this planet. That means it's a challenge for every state, but as a progressive state, New York has a responsibility to pursue bold solutions and lead the way to net zero emissions. A big part of that will be finding ways to replace crumbling infrastructure with green infrastructure and transition our economy to rely more on renewables. But to do that we need a government that is inclusive, responsive, transparent and ethical. Which brings me to the second challenge. If we're going to rally New Yorkers around an ambitious legislative agenda, we have to restore public faith in Albany and run corruption out of the statehouse. It's why ethical leadership is such a central part of this campaign. We can't ask people to help us address the urgency of this moment if we haven't given them a reason to believe in the integrity and efficacy of our democratic institutions.
Three committees I'd love to join are Transportation, Ethics, and Tourism, Parks, Arts and Sports Development. If there was a Small Business committee I'd throw that in too.
A couple months ago I met Carol, who runs the Friday Volunteer Soup Kitchen Group at All Souls Church. Every Friday Carol and her group of regulars come to All Souls and cook a healthy and filling meal for hundreds of homeless people from all over the city. Carol and her team run this operation all on their own, but it's the contributions from across the entire community that help to make it a success. Carol partners with local businesses like Levain and Eli's to get bread and pastries, with schools like Allen-Stevenson and the Town School to have students prepare sandwiches, with local street cart vendors to provide hot beverages while the kitchen is under construction. Different stakeholders from our neighborhood all do their part to aid in this important project. Carol's work is a reminder that the problems we face are best solved when we work together as a community-when we create different ways for everyone to contribute their talent and time. Our community is one to be proud of. Many of us have spent our entire lives here. We have a robust social fabric, people who care for one another, and give back in whatever way they can. These are the values that define this district and these are the values I would take to Albany.
Note: Ballotpedia reserves the right to edit Candidate Connection survey responses. Any edits made by Ballotpedia will be clearly marked with [brackets] for the public. If the candidate disagrees with an edit, he or she may request the full removal of the survey response from Ballotpedia.org. Ballotpedia does not edit or correct typographical errors unless the candidate's campaign requests it.
See also
External links
- ↑ Information submitted to Ballotpedia through the Candidate Connection survey on February 14, 2020.
Leadership
Speaker of the House:Carl Heastie
Representatives
Democratic Party (102)
Republican Party (47)
Vacancies (1)