Where: Virtual, will be released shortly on Eventbrite. We’ll also update this page with the new Eventbrite link.
When: Tuesday, November 17@7pm ET
Details:
- You must be a member in good standing to vote for MYD Elected Officers.
- See MYD’s Constitution & By-laws page for additional Election details.
- Questions? Reach out to vp@gomyd[.]com or president@nysyd[.]org for assistance.
Candidates
President
Anju Suresh
What MYD events, meetings, or programs have you attended in 2019?
I’ve attended Executive Board meetings, and have been a regular at phone banking events leading up to the General Election. I’ve helped in organizing Enraged and Engaged letter writing sessions, notably with regards to securing additional state funding midst COVID-19 to maintain essential services, and have helped organize our Defend Our Court initiative to delay the SCOTUS nomination until after the elections. Additionally, I’ve attended all of the big annual events for MYD, including the Young Gets It Done, for which I invited local and state officials to attend.
What strengths do bring to this position?
I’m conscious to approach problems with compassion and through the lens of supporting the most vulnerable communities affected. In consequence, my biggest strengths are in relationship building and networking, both of which are critical for this role. I’ve already made strides in attending key events going into 2021 to make MYD (and my own) presence known in the broader Democratic community and I’m committed to doing so as we prepare ourselves for the aftermath of a critical election year. As I previously stated, I further believe I’m well-poised for the position given my two plus years of experience as Policy and Political Director (and more generally my continued dedication to YD).
What is your vision for the Manhattan Young Democrats for 2020? Please give some specific examples of initiatives you would undertake throughout the year.
https://docs.google.com/document/d/1peYpI95YgKLIwM91n30VVqAYS9eUjmC7XTR7xM9HVFk/edit?usp=sharing
Serving as an executive officer of MYD is a significant time commitment. Please list your commitments outside of your employment (i.e. leadership positions in other clubs/organizations).
I’m a member of Community Board 6, serve as a County Committee member, and am part of Executive Committee for Lex Dems. I foresee the potential to partner with these organizations in moving forward with MYD’s projects and initiatives.
Give three (3) examples of issues that are important to young New Yorkers and how you would, from your position, engage our membership to take action.
1. Student Debt Relief & Access to Education – national student debt has climbed to over $1.6 trillion as the college continues to become more expensive, even as many universities have gone virtual due to COVID-19. This debt stifles younger Americans from building intergenerational wealth and thus further exacerbates the existing racial wealth gap. To that point, I’m also interested in working with the high school YD chapters to ensure the creation of a more equitable admissions process to the city’s specialized high schools
2. Affordable Living – despite an affordable housing crisis, there is a glut of empty luxury condos in Manhattan. Albany passed a string of bills last legislative session termed together as Universal Rent Control, but there needs to be more accountability in establishing affordable living units in the city. Moreover, these units need to be in areas of high real estate investment to provide more equitable access to opportunities for tenants of affordable housing units.
3. Access to Affordable, Quality Healthcare – the COVID-19 public health crisis has severely exacerbated existing health disparities in the city and re-emphasized the importance of safeguarding the Affordable Care Act. As millions of Americans have lost their health insurance midst massive layoffs and are anticipated to enroll in Medicaid services, we need to make sure these services are accessible to the most vulnerable communities in NYC, i.e., the undocumented, in conjunction with increased investment to care providers in low-income communities
What would you hope to gain from MYD, personally and/or professionally, if elected to this position?
As with this past year, my goals are two-pronged: 1) to help address issues pertaining to diversity, equity, and social reform and 2) to make friends in the city that are also passionate about enacting progressive policies
Is there anything else you think we should know about you or your candidacy? (Optional)
Vice President
Ismail Sharif
What MYD events, meetings, or programs have you attended in 2019?
I have attended all board meetings and MYD events in 2020
What strengths do bring to this position?
I am a practicing attorney with an extensive background in legislative and policy work. Additionally, I currently serve as the MYD Legal Director for finance. As Vice President, I would bring to the position my policy and legislative insight and a keen sense of the day-to-day legislative and programmatic initiatives needed to sustain the organization.
What is your vision for the Manhattan Young Democrats for 2020? Please give some specific examples of initiatives you would undertake throughout the year.
As we advance, I envision the organization taking on more robust advocacy and policy-driven platforms. As vice president, I would work to provide additional options for direct grassroots activism for MYD members. In the current political climate, we, as an organization, must provide opportunities for members to engage with elected officials directly. My vision moving forward would include:
1.Trips to Albany for members to meet with elected officials and develop competency around statewide issues(virtual or in-person);
2.Townhall-style meetings where local elected officials speak directly with members(virtual or in-person);
3.Skills workshops by advocates and grassroots lobbyists willing to teach members the ins and outs of passing legislative and policy reform(virtual or in-person).
Serving as an executive officer of MYD is a significant time commitment. Please list your commitments outside of your employment (i.e. leadership positions in other clubs/organizations).
N/A
Give three (3) examples of issues that are important to young New Yorkers and how you would, from your position, engage our membership to take action.
The three most silent issues affecting Young Democrats are:
1.The economic fallout of Covid-19 – One of the hardest-hit demographics when it comes to Covid related financial hardship are Young people under the age of 36. As Vice President, I will work with our members to develop comprehensive policy initiatives related to employment, housing, and other related economic hardships. (see issues 2&3)
2.The employment crisis – Covid-19 has exposed an already festering set of inequalities in the New York job market. As Vice President, I will work to create opportunities to educate members around legislation/policies that would affect the job market and provide opportunities to advocate.
3.Housing and land use- As New Yorkers and Manhattanites, we are all too familiar with the housing market and its astronomical costs. What many fail to realize is the interplay between land use and the ever-rising rents. As Vice President, I will educate members on land use( ULURP) and its broad implications. I also look forward to visiting community boards with our members (virtually or in-person) to give an in-depth look at the land use process up close.
What would you hope to gain from MYD, personally and/or professionally, if elected to this position?
My only goal is to give our members robust opportunities to educate themselves and provide a forum to amplify their desires and concerns.
Is there anything else you think we should know about you or your candidacy? (Optional)
Treasurer
Zak Pasikowski
What MYD events, meetings, or programs have you attended in 2019?
Many.
What strengths do bring to this position?
Familiarity with MYD finances and administration, tech and excel skills.
What is your vision for the Manhattan Young Democrats for 2020? Please give some specific examples of initiatives you would undertake throughout the year.
Expanding the membership base and trying to make membership stickier. Having something that members specifically do at meetings being more interesting to me than the membership perks. Keep the financial momentum going from the past few years, and try to build to at least match the 2019 and 2020 fundraising numbers.
Serving as an executive officer of MYD is a significant time commitment. Please list your commitments outside of your employment (i.e. leadership positions in other clubs/organizations).
None.
Give three (3) examples of issues that are important to young New Yorkers and how you would, from your position, engage our membership to take action.
Making NYC affordable, fixing national governance and constitutional problems, chinese internment and persecution of the Uyghur people.
The first two are subjects that I expect and anticipate that an incoming president would organize around, and I hope to be a part of that and push for engagement from members. These have been topics of heavy discussion among membership for years, and I believe that helping the organization grow will bring more young dems to confront and educate themselves on the topics.
The final topic is a point of personal interest. I hope personally to build a task force of sorts to study, educate, and push for US policy change on this front. The ongoing internment of, re-education, stripping of cultural heritage, forced contraception, and compelled marriage of the Chinese minority is an under recognized modern travesty. It is our moral imperative to educate ourselves about and fight.
What would you hope to gain from MYD, personally and/or professionally, if elected to this position?
Treasurer experience, financial experience, expanded MYD responsibility.
Is there anything else you think we should know about you or your candidacy? (Optional)
I have been an MYD board member for 2 years as deputy political director and membership director, and an active member for years before that. I have extensive knowledge of what makes the organization run and of its membership. I believe this knowledge will make me a productive officer from day one.
Secretary
Todd Hirsch
What MYD events, meetings, or programs have you attended in 2019?
In my capacity as National Political Director I attended almost every MYD event held in 2020. Before the pandemic and the resulting lock-down, I attended letter writing campaigns and general assembly meetings as well as our monthly issues assembly. As a proud member of the board, I have attended all ten (and counting) board meetings. During the last 7 and-a-half months of lock-down I have been involved in helping prepare for the annual Young Gets it Done event, and participated in nearly every phone bank and e-mail writing campaign to help push for progressive legislation on the local, state, and federal level and convince constituents to vote for progressive candidates in the general election.
What strengths do bring to this position?
I am obviously deeply passionate about the issues concerning what is happening in our city, state, and the nation. I feel that I have the necessary tools and qualifications to be the next Secretary. As a board member this passed year I feel that I already have some of the necessary experience that is required of Secretary.
As National Political Director I have been in contact with other young democratic organizations in order coordinate phone bank opportunities for Senators in crucial swing states. This includes Georgia, Iowa, Maine, and South Carolina. Last month I initiated a full day of action, along with the South Carolina Young Democrats, to help get Jaime Harrison elected as the next Senator from South Carolina. Sixteen other Young Democratic groups from around the country joined in our efforts that day. We also organized phone banks for candidates, including Sara Gideon, and we have a Jon Ossoff phone bank effort planned for this Tuesday, October 13. This past week, following the passing of Justice Ruth Bader Ginsberg, I helped organize a phone bank/ e-mail evening of action to mobilize voters to petition senators vulnerable to reelection in 11 swing states to oppose the confirmation of Amy Coney Barrett.
As Political National Director I felt obliged to take initiatives to help MYD implement the changes we advocate for as an organization. When we were on the brink of war with Iran this past January, I led an MYD delegation to the “No War with Iran” protest in Columbus Square. At the beginning of the pandemic, sent e-mails to elected officials seeking their support of progressive legislation presented in Congress including the Essential Workers Bill of Rights, the Paycheck Guarantee Act, and cancellation of student debt legislation. During the George Floyd protests I contacted our elected officials asking for their support of the George Floyd in Policing Act, the People’s Justice Guarantee, and H.R 40. In my spare time, I continue to write blogs, that have been posted to the MYD website. Topics have included the bravery of essential workers, the evolution of the Democratic and Republican Parties, and my general feelings about the Democratic primaries.
What is your vision for the Manhattan Young Democrats for 2020? Please give some specific examples of initiatives you would undertake throughout the year.
If fortunate enough to be elected Secretary, I am humbled at the prospect of having to fill the enormous shoes left by Jordan Stein’s absence. However, I firmly believe that I am up to the challenge. I will diligently take minutes at all meetings, inform members of upcoming events via e-mail, do everything in my capacity to encourage new membership, and meticulously plan MYD events. As I did in my capacity as National Political Director, I will undertake new initiatives with in consultation with the President and Vice President. MYD is a big tent organization that welcomes everyone of all political ideologies while promoting a progressive agenda. We will be unapologetically supportive of progressive goals which serve as our platform. I see us putting together bi-weekly letter writing and e-mail campaigns to urge local, state, and federal legislative bodies to support the following policies: universal healthcare; housing for all; a jobs guarantee; tuition and debt free college; a program that fundamentally transitions our economy to 100% renewable energy within the next couple of decades; tax reform that assures the wealthy pay their fair share; ending systemic racism and protecting the rights of all minorities; and re-evaluating our priorities by spending less on the military and corporate subsidies and re-investing those funds in research and development, science, and public education.
I also am a strong proponent of finding ways in which to expand the progressive base. Once the pandemic is in our rear view mirrors, we could petition for causes that we support as an organization by travelling to neighborhoods throughout the city and even the state securing signatures through “in-person” solicitations rather than having to rely on phone calls and Zoom. We could also use this opportunity to reach out to those less interested in politics and who may be skeptical of progressive ideas. If the pandemic continues to persist through 2021, we will need to redouble our efforts in advocating for these issues via phone banking and e-mails. Long story short, we cannot merely preach to the already converted will need to expand our base by convincing others that the policies we support will work for them. In so doing, we will continue to host our issues assembly meeting specifically featuring activist organizations like Justice Democrats, Our Revolution, Working Families Party, Color of Change, March for Science, and the Sunrise Movement.
As Secretary, I will also be submitting blog entries to our web site on a monthly (perhaps bi-weekly) basis pertaining to current events. We should also urge our members to submit their own blogs.
Serving as an executive officer of MYD is a significant time commitment. Please list your commitments outside of your employment (i.e. leadership positions in other clubs/organizations).
I do not have any commitment that would impede my ability to serve as the Secretary of MYD.
Give three (3) examples of issues that are important to young New Yorkers and how you would, from your position, engage our membership to take action.
One of the most important topics ever-present on the minds of young New Yorkers is the cost of living in New York City. We need to address the sky high cost of rent, the burden of skyrocketing college debt, and protection of the environment via ambitious climate change proposals.
Secondly we need young people in New York City to become more informed of about public policy on the city, state, and federal level. We have to convince them that choices made in City Hall, Albany, and Washington D.C. affect them directly.
Finally we need young people to become more engaged in the voting process. When young people show up to vote Democrats and progressives win and they need to understand that complaining about the state of affairs in this currently is not sufficient…now is the time to become active and to cause the change they seek through exercising their precious right to vote.
What would you hope to gain from MYD, personally and/or professionally, if elected to this position?
On a personal level, I am looking for a sense of fulfillment knowing that I am committed to making a difference in New York by advancing the progressive ideals of MYD and promoting the democratic principles we cherish here in the city and throughout the United States. I feel as a person of relative privilege, that everyone should have the same opportunities as I do and be given the tools with which to follow their dreams.
Is there anything else you think we should know about you or your candidacy? (Optional)