Candidates for 19th City Council District

Democratic
* If there is an asterisk next to a candidate's name, s/he did not submit a profile or record a video.
Austin I. Shafran
Democratic

Party Enrolled In: Democratic

Current Occupation: Candidate for City Council District 19 (Queens)

Previous Occupation(s): Vice President of Public Affairs, Empire State Development, Office of Governor Andrew M. Cuomo; Press Secretary, New York State Senate Democratic Conference; Director of Media Relations, Sheinkopf Ltd.; Communications Director, NYC Council Finance Chair David Weprin; Community Liaison, US Congressman Gary Ackerman

Education: Queens College, City University of New York

Organizational Affiliations: Democratic District Leader

Prior Public Experience: Vice President of Public Affairs, Empire State Development, Office of Governor Andrew M. Cuomo; Press Secretary, New York State Senate Democratic Conference; Communications Director, NYC Council Finance Chair David Weprin; Community Liaison, US Congressman Gary Ackerman

1. What is the most important issue in Council District 19 you would address if elected?

My top priority is improving educational equality and outcomes for our children by increasing parental, community and educator input in policy planning, stopping over-crowding in our schools, and reducing the misguided reliance on high-stakes testing.

 

2. What other important issues would you address if elected?

Other priority issues include protecting our neighborhoods from corporate over-development, cutting taxes for middle-class families, securing more funding for our senior centers, parks and libraries, and banning all outside income and employment for Council Members to end the cycle of pay-to-play corruption.

 

3. What makes you the best candidate for this office?

I was born and raised in Northeast Queens and have spent my entire life working to make the only place I have ever called home a better place to live, work and raise a family. With a decade of experience working in the city, state and federal government, I know what it takes to improve our schools, protect our neighborhoods, improve senior services, and build an economy that produces jobs and reduces taxes for working families.

 

Reprinted as supplied by the candidate. Participating in the NYC Campaign Finance Program.

 

This Guide lists all candidates who appear to be on the ballot for the primary election based on the latest information obtained from the New York City Board of Elections, even if a candidate did not submit a profile or record a video for the Guide. Profiles and video scripts were submitted to the CFB by the candidates and are reprinted as supplied, except in the case of egregious errors and minor formatting issues, which may be corrected by the CFB. Videos appearing in this Guide were recorded and approved for broadcast by the candidates. All the candidates have affirmed under penalty of perjury that the information in their profiles and videos is true to the best of their knowledge. Website and social media links were supplied by the candidates. The CFB is not responsible for non-working links, although it does correct or remove them to the extent practicable. The CFB removes links that are not campaign-related.

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