PROGRAM
Roosevelt House is pleased to present the first of two primary election forums, designed to give members of the Hunter Community the opportunity to explore policy issues with those running for office in the June primaries. We begin with the three candidates seeking the Democratic nomination for Manhattan Borough President. Primary Day is June 24. Early voting begins June 14.
With incumbent Mark Levine running for City Comptroller, Manhattan will soon be led by a new borough president. To help guide our community in choosing Levine’s successor, candidates will field questions on a variety of the most impactful, urgent issues from our forum’s moderator, Editor in Chief of City & State, Ralph Ortega.
As the borough’s top office, the borough president is endowed with both the budget and the bullhorn to help address and amplify residents’ most pressing needs. Steering resources to schools, community-based organizations, transportation projects, and hospitals, calling public hearings so citizens can be heard on the land use projects that affect them most directly, the borough president has the power to sway decision-makers at the highest levels of city and state government.
Ralph Ortega, moderator, is a reporter and editor currently serving as Editor in Chief of City & State, where he has worked since 2020. Born and raised in New York City, Ortega has lived all over Manhattan, from StuyTown to Hell’s Kitchen. Previously, he worked at the Daily News, the Star-Ledger in Newark, and the Daily Mail.
Participating Candidates:
Brad Hoylman-Sigal is New York State Senator for the 47th District, covering much of the west side of Manhattan, and Chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee. First elected in 2012, he has passed over 350 bills, focusing on issues including housing access, affordability, public safety, LGBTQ+ rights, and education—including the Child’s Victim Act, expanding the statute of limitations on sex abuse allegations, and the Gender Expression Non-Discrimination Act, protecting transgender and non-binary New Yorkers. In 2021, City & State honored Hoylman-Sigal as one of its 100 most powerful people in Manhattan. If elected, he would become the first openly LGBTQ Borough President.
Keith Powers is a New York City Council Member representing District 4, covering Manhattan’s east side and midtown. His work on housing issues has included office conversions to housing, helping senior citizens at Waterside Plaza negotiate a rent reduction, and joining the Stuyvesant Town and Peter Cooper Village tenants in their legal battle to maintain rent stabilizations. Additionally, he passed legislation that prevents housing discrimination and protects renters from overcharges. A third-generation resident of Peter Cooper Village and Stuyvesant Town, he was recognized as New York City’s top lawmaker in 2019 by City & State, honored on Crain’s list of 40 under 40, and selected as a CUNY Lindsay Fellow and NewDEAL Leader.
Calvin D. Sun, MD, is a board-certified physician specializing in Emergency Medicine, clinical assistant professor, author, public speaker, and small business owner, born and raised in Manhattan. Dr. Sun graduated from Columbia University and SUNY Downstate College of Medicine, serving as Vice President and President of his classes, respectively. Following his college graduation, Dr. Sun led the Columbia College Young Alumni, overseeing the largest growth period in its 12 year history. During the COVID-19 pandemic, Dr. Sun provided critical firsthand reporting from New York City emergency rooms, and chronicled his experiences in his memoir, The Monsoon Diaries. Since 2018, he has served as the Chief Medical Officer and Lead Physician at the NYC Marathon’s finish line, practicing emergency medicine across the city.
