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Mahfuzul Islam

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Mahfuzul Islam
Image of Mahfuzul Islam

Democratic Party

Elections and appointments
Last election

June 23, 2020

Personal
Religion
Muslim
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Mahfuzul Islam (Democratic Party) ran for election to the New York State Assembly to represent District 24. He lost in the Democratic primary on June 23, 2020.

Islam completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey in 2020. Click here to read the survey answers.

Biography

Mahfuzul Islam attended Stony Brook University and Fordham University for undergraduate study and earned a degree in 2013. He earned a graduate degree from Fordham University in 2016. Islam's career experience includes working as a founder with the nonprofit organization Jhal and as an adjunct professor with Fordham University. He has served as a member with the American Federation of Teachers.[1]

Elections

2020

See also: New York State Assembly elections, 2020

General election

General election for New York State Assembly District 24

Incumbent David Weprin won election in the general election for New York State Assembly District 24 on November 3, 2020.

Candidate
%
Votes
✔
Image of David Weprin
David Weprin (D)
 
99.2
 
34,000
 Other/Write-in votes
 
0.8
 
276

Incumbents are bolded and underlined. The results have been certified. Source

Total votes: 34,276
Candidate Connection = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
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Democratic primary election

Democratic primary for New York State Assembly District 24

Incumbent David Weprin defeated Mahfuzul Islam and Albert Baldeo in the Democratic primary for New York State Assembly District 24 on June 23, 2020.

Candidate
%
Votes
✔
Image of David Weprin
David Weprin
 
50.4
 
4,329
Image of Mahfuzul Islam
Mahfuzul Islam Candidate Connection
 
29.6
 
2,540
Image of Albert Baldeo
Albert Baldeo Candidate Connection
 
19.7
 
1,693
 Other/Write-in votes
 
0.3
 
24

Incumbents are bolded and underlined. The results have been certified. Source

Total votes: 8,586
Candidate Connection = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.

Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team.

Campaign themes

2020

Ballotpedia survey responses

See also: Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection

Candidate Connection

Mahfuzul Islam completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey in 2020. The survey questions appear in bold and are followed by Islam's responses. Candidates are asked three required questions for this survey, but they may answer additional optional questions as well.

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Mahfuzul Islam is a graduate of Fordham University and the founder of Jhal NYC, a non-profit organization dedicated to empowering immigrant communities with the resources needed to successfully transition into society. Mahfuzul has seen too many communities and neighborhoods in District 24 ignored during times of crisis not only through the lens of a community organizer but as a resident of the district himself. He is running against an incumbent who has held office for 10 years unopposed. It's time for District 24 to vote for a leader who works to serve their constituents.


  • Participatory Democracy: Mahfuzul plans to focus on increasing participatory democracy by reducing the barriers constituents face trying to get involved with the town halls and promoting transparency. This is coupled with inclusive economics. The budget should reflect what constituent priorities by incorporating community feedback in the decisions and prioritizing funds for local organizations and programs.
  • Affordable Housing: The pandemic only further exacerbated the current socio-economic conditions of constituents across the state. Now more than ever, constituents will be in dire need of affordable housing and stable rent. Despite state attempts to include more affordable housing units, we need a more inclusive plan that calculates area median incomes based on zip codes rather than in a fashion designed to benefit developers.
  • Health Care: The New York Health Act would revolutionize healthcare for all New Yorkers. We need to pass the NYHA to show the country that single-payer does work. As the State coordinates healthcare for everyone, research has shown that the state would save over $15 Billion a year in healthcare expenses, with the majority of the savings serving the bottom 90% of New Yorkers. The bottom 90% of New Yorkers can expect to save $2,800 annually per person. That's more money in your pocket, with better health care!
COVID-19 has impacted every aspect of life in America, most prominently our healthcare system. Now, more than ever, access to healthcare is crucial for all New Yorkers. The pandemic has emphasized the importance of healthcare as a basic right for all humans. Although the state has created a special enrollment period for NY state health insurance, it is not a long term solution. My district is one of the most highly infected areas in NYS, and the effect on our community has been detrimental. This is the time for us to advocate for universal health care and ensure the safety and wellbeing of everyone. We cannot allow further cuts to Medicaid spending, thus I will continue to push for passage of the New York Health Act.
The three most important characteristics include empathy, open-mindedness, and the ability to engage with individuals and communities. Elected officials are there to advocate and serve the needs of the constituents. I believe our current elected officials have forgotten the original intention behind their positions. Empathy reflects and elected officials' ability to connect with their constituents on a personal level and ensure policies are effectively addressing their needs. An elected official should also be able to change their mind on policies based on the evidence and testimonies before them. Public hearings are an important process in passing legislation, and if an elected official is close-minded and refuses to consider different perspectives, then they failed their role to act on the best interests of everyone. Lastly, a role that is designed to represent a district requires the ability to engage and communicate with them consistently.
I have the passion, the drive, and the skills to represent my district and ensure their rights and interests are protected. I have first-hand experience on what it is like to live in the district which helped me develop a deeper understanding of what the residents need. My qualifications are not only defined by my experience living in the district, but also as a community leader through Jhal NYC. I founded Jhal NYC to empower one of the most vulnerable populations in my area, Bengali immigrants. Their stories are not unique. District 24 deserves a leader who knows the community's priorities and will be an advocate.
My first paid job was at a tutoring center, in Elmhurst Queens. I got the job to help my dad pay for my tuition. I was glad that it was my first job because it nurtured patience in me and the ability to interact with all sorts of people. The job was also fulfilling because I felt like my work had a direct impact. The students were learning things that opened up a world of possibilities for them.
Oh what a World by Kacey Musgraves
No. I believe the best legislators are those who are more involved with the community and have experience working and understanding people and their needs than knowing how to work politics. Right now, some of the most experienced elected officials are holding back our country from progressing because they have a limited perspective. In order to facilitate change on a government level, one must be creative and engaged in the community. That experience will help oneself develop and sponsor policies designed to help our communities.
Recovering from COVID-19 and reaching a new normal that accounts for all the faults in our system will be the greatest challenge. Our greatest failure would be if we did not learn from this and prepare our state politically, economically, and culturally for future crises. New York helped lead the nation during the pandemic crisis, but we were still lacking in many ways. Essential workers are still in need of compensation for their work as they risk their lives every day to help sustain our lives, constituents are still struggling to afford rent, small businesses are struggling, and our state as a whole will have to overcome the shared trauma of this pandemic and the havoc it wreaked on our lives.
Commerce, Economic Development and Small Business Committee

Housing, Construction, and Community Development Committee

Local Government Committee

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

2020 Elections

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Footnotes

  1. ↑ Information submitted to Ballotpedia through the Candidate Connection survey on May 19, 2020


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