New York State Sen. Jessica Ramos, 39, is a candidate in this year’s crowded mayoral race against the incumbent Eric Adams.
Ramos currently represents New York’s 13th District in the state Senate, which includes the Queens neighborhoods of Corona, East Elmhurst, Jackson Heights, and parts of Rego Park and Forest Hills.
A Queens native, she was raised in Astoria by immigrant parents from Colombia. Her mother crossed the Mexican border by herself at 24, and her father was arrested in a workplace immigration raid in the 1980s and spent days held in a detention center. Her parents fought for the right to dual citizenship for Colombian-Americans and founded Siempre Colombia, a not-for-profit organization in Jackson Heights. She credits her love for activism and public service to them.
Ramos was a member of Queens’ Community Board 3 and served as Democratic District Leader in the 39th Assembly District. She was first elected to serve in the Senate in 2019. A strong union advocate, Ramos chairs the Senate Committee on Labor, as well as worked with Social Service Employees Union (SSEU) Local 371, 32BJ Service Employees International Union (SEIU), and Build Up NYC to fight for the city’s employees, construction, building, and hotel maintenance workers.
To date she has raised $232,292 in private funds, according to the latest filings of the New York City Campaign Finance Board (NYCCFB).
The Amsterdam News caught up with Ramos over the phone. Here is what she had to say about her campaign. (Questions and answers have been shortened or edited for space and clarity.)
AmNews: When you speak to New Yorkers directly, what are their main concerns?
Ramos: Oh, that the rent is too damn high and that the wages are too damn low. I mean, you know this isn’t new, right? The crisis of affordability in our city has been well documented even before the pandemic, but I think in the post-pandemic recovery we’ve done a poor job of really making the city work for everyone. No matter what type of New Yorker I’m speaking with, the common denominator is that New Yorkers are overwhelmed with anxiety, many are not sleeping. There’s a lot of uncertainty coming from the federal administration, and the future feels bleak for many. It’s almost as if New Yorkers feel like they’re certainly grinding, they’re certainly working and working, but they don’t feel like it amounts to much. I argue that City Hall plays a very important role in addressing the economic factors in the quality of life we have.
AmNews: Just to take it back a little bit, can you talk about what you’ve accomplished over your last six years as senator?
Ramos: I’m a [proud] senator who chairs the labor committee in the state Senate. I have raised the minimum wage prior to inflation for the first time in the history of New York State. I expanded child care eligibility to go up to 400 % of the federal poverty line. I have passed legislation offering labor protection for Amazon workers, domestic workers, construction workers, retail workers, public sector workers, and so many others because I’ve been very deliberate about fighting poverty and building opportunities for Black and brown communities to join and stay in the middle class.
AmNews: As someone who’s obviously a strong supporter of unions and labor, would you agree that more provisions should be put in place to make sure that locals are hired during housing development projects throughout the city?
Ramos: Oh absolutely. I think the challenge with construction is that it’s temporary work and the second challenge we’ve had is a lack of interest from the Mayor to really engage in tackling both the affordable housing crisis, and the climate crisis. Both of which should create thousands of jobs for New Yorkers to address the challenges in their own communities.
This is something I think about a lot with respect to [New York City Housing Authority.] NYCHA really offers us many neighbors who are open to workforce development opportunities, and who in turn should be hired to do the work of retrofitting our NYCHA campuses and repair the 5,000+ apartments that the city has been warehousing and keeping from so many who need them.
AmNews: Can you highlight your top three key policy items?
Ramos: Mental health services to truly address our public safety, universal child care, and workforce housing in order to address the shortages of public sector workers we have and the homelessness crisis that’s unprecedented.
AmNews: Do you agree with Gov. Kathy Hochul’s approach to addressing the mental health and homelessness crisis? Meaning changing the involuntary commitment laws.
Ramos: I believe we have to have a holistic model that addresses those New Yorkers who are homicidal, suicidal, or clearly aren’t in a position to take care of themselves and displaying erratic behavior. I think sometimes we get stuck in the debate about whether it’s voluntary or involuntary, but the real crisis is the lack of psychiatric beds and mental health institutions that were closed by Andrew Cuomo. And that by the way is what Harmony NYC, mental health plan, offers. [I will] declare a mental health emergency on day one of my administration, so that I can access more funding streams dedicated to reopening those facilities, staffing them, and taking those who are struggling with severe mental illness off our streets and off our subways.
AmNews: As someone who’s of Colombian heritage, what do you think about birthright citizenship being argued in the Supreme Court next month. And how would you go about best protecting immigrants in the city?
Ramos: This is a matter that was settled in the courts over 100 years ago and clearly anyone and everyone who is born in this country, including myself, is an American citizen under the law. And, that cannot be challenged unilaterally by the president.
First and foremost, we have to get U.S. [Immigration and Customs Enforcement] ICE out of our public institutions right, whether they’re schools, hospitals, houses of worship; and any other place, like libraries, where New Yorkers have traditionally sought sanctuary. I want to also make sure that we are helping those who come seeking asylum to actually be able to put in their application. I think it’s a travesty that over the past few years with a migrant influx, a city with around seven law schools has failed to offer the level of legal services that are needed in order to help the migrants adjust their status. The mayor of the City of New York should be the loudest voice, the loudest advocate for work permits for immigrants so that they can be able to provide for themselves and maximize their contributions to our city.
AmNews: Medicare privatization and retirees, apparently this was a huge issue between the Mayor and organizers. I wonder if you could just expand on what your proposal is to make sure that retirees receive the Medicare benefits they want.
Ramos: My proposal is simple. We should keep all of the promises we make to our civil servants. The minute that we start rolling back those promises we set a dangerous precedent and distrust between the government and its public sector workers. So, I am committed to providing our retirees with the health care benefits that they paid for. And, I think that’s important to note here, this isn’t an entitlement. This is a benefit that they paid for with their blood, sweat, and tears in service to the safety and well-being of our city. I find not providing them with those benefits quite criminal and cruel.
And even if the city were to say that there is no money to do so, that we spent the money, I would say that right now the city of New York pays the state $400 million in a surcharge called [New York State Health Care Reform Act] HCRA. It’s something that’s very backward, but essentially, the city has to pay the state because it provides its employees with health care. I will actually be introducing legislation soon at the Senate level in order to reverse that law, and ensure that the employers who are not providing their workers with health insurance are the ones who have to pay a surcharge –– relieving New York City of that bill. I’ll make sure that it’s secured for the purposes of protecting our retirees and their spouses.
AmNews: You and [City Council Speaker] Adrienne Adams are the few women in the mayoral race. How does that make you feel?
Ramos: I’m running for mayor in order to bring working people’s voices to City Hall like it has never been done before. I’m also the candidate who has worked in the City Council. I’ve worked in a mayoral administration, and I’ve been in Albany now working for seven years. I have a very well-rounded perspective on both the function and dysfunction of City Hall. I’ve had a front-row seat to three very different mayoralties and I’m ready to serve on day one. That’s what I believe sets me apart from all the other candidates, not just my gender.