With early Primary voting set for June 18-26, it’s time to buckle down on the ballot names and decide who you want to succeed the retiring Richard Gottfried as New York State Assembly District 75 rep. We asked candidate  Harrison Marks about the problems and potentials of the area he seeks to advocate for in Albany.

Scott Stiffler for Chelsea Community News (CCNews): In the February 9, 2022 Q&A that introduced you to our readership, you said it was “critical that the state—right now—begins work to facilitate a post-pandemic period that is different” from the 2019 normal of “astronomical rents, unacceptable inequalities, and opportunities that were far too limited.” Four months later, what do you think of the state’s response to that challenge? What actions would you take, if you were currently the Assemblymember?

Assembly District 75 Candidate Harrison Marks (Harrison): We are still in a pandemic. I’ve been on the street almost every day talking to voters, and the economic and public health effects are still palpable. Neighbors are still struggling to make rent or pay their bills, elders are concerned by relaxed mask rules that require them to be hyper-vigilant, and growing families are afraid to search for a new apartment because prices are soaring.

I’d work tirelessly to get constituents the services they need and lobby the Speaker of the Assembly to pass my priority bills to reduce rent, make our streets safer, and fill vacant storefronts. I know that these are issues that many Assemblymembers care about, and part of my skill set is to work in broad coalitions to get things done.

We are still experiencing pandemic-era inequalities and astronomical rents, and I don’t believe the city or state are doing nearly enough to address these issues. Good Cause Eviction wasn’t passed. Nothing to alleviate the issue of vacant storefronts was passed. This is going to be a tough summer for some of our neighbors, but I’m still hopeful for the future of New York.

CCNews: What are the markers for recognizing we’ve arrived at the moment when the pandemic is over?

Harrison: We must listen to experts and follow the science. Hospitalizations must be extremely low. We may be living with COVID-19 for a while and that requires us to create thoughtful policy that improves access and the quality of healthcare.

CCNews: The jump from your past experiences right into an Assemblymember seat without having held an elected office before: Should voters be concerned?

Harrison: None of the candidates in this race have held elected office before, and in fact my depth of experience in the public and private sectors is one of the core factors that both differentiates me from the other candidates and will enable me to serve as an effective policymaker for our community.

Dick Gottfried was a law student when he was first elected; he inspired the community with his youthful energy and ideas and that is something I’d also like to bring to the table, combined with my policy background.

CCNews: What connections and alliances are you bringing to the office and what alliances need to be formed between now and taking office?

Harrison: I’m bringing with me connections to the Chelsea community, the theater community, and robust support from neighborhood leaders like Lowell Kern. With that said, I’m not beholden to big donors or the political machine. I’m running to bring substantive and competent governance to the 75th Assembly District and would look forward to working with every neighbor closely to ensure I can represent our community’s views in Albany.

CCNews: Talk about the relative merits of a Zoom forum, petitioning, and pop-up appearances at subway stations or local parks. How are the interactions different/the same, and what are the top voter concerns you’re hearing?

Harrison: There’s nothing like being able to connect with members of the community in-person, and in-person conversations have been a critical part of the campaign. At this point, I’ve spoken to thousands of voters over the last several months. One of the most important parts of the campaign for me has been getting to listen to neighbors while looking them in the eye.

Zoom forums, too, have played an important role. They’ve allowed us to engage safely during an ongoing pandemic. And, crucially, they are accessible to even more neighbors. For my campaign in particular, the forums have provided an opportunity to demonstrate my substantive policy chops, which are a core reason why I’ll be able to serve our community well in the Assembly. I encourage everyone to get to know the candidates better by watching one of the forums here. These conversations have informed my platform and kept me grounded in solving the real issues facing the neighborhood.

No matter where I’m speaking to voters, though, the concerns I’m hearing generally fall within the same themes. Quality of life is a major one—and people are noticing a change for the worse. They want to see an increased commitment to public safety and to restoring the vibrancy of the neighborhood. Housing costs are the other major problem that comes up time and again: so many members of our community are struggling to afford to live here.

CCNews: Is 80/20 housing still a viable way to create new affordable housing stock? What role might retrofitting play, and can the same be done with government-owned properties?

Harrison: Affordable housing is the most important issue facing our community. And the reality is that we don’t have it. 421a is clearly not working. It’s too easy for developers to make promises and not deliver. The idea of converting office buildings and hotels and distressed properties to housing is the way to go. The state has already started doubling down on the Housing Our Neighbors with Dignity Act (HONDA) to fund some of these conversions, but there are a lot of regulatory barriers that we need to work to remove in order to take real advantage of our excess commercial spaces.

CCNews: You’re a resident of our website’s namesake neighborhood. Take Chelsea’s temperature as you walk around, and what’s the diagnosis?

Harrison: I am a Chelsea resident and a lifelong New Yorker. The livability and public safety issues are at the top, for me. The number of vacant storefronts and the amount of trash on the streets has increased significantly in the last few years. We’re at risk of entering a cycle in which vacant storefronts, safety and sanitation issues cause people to want to walk around less, which causes those initial problems to worsen.

One of my favorite coffee shops is St. Kilda Coffee (213 Eighth Ave. btw. W. 20th & 21st Sts.). They’ve had issues with people trying to break in or loitering and scaring away customers. CCNews recently reported there’s a deli right next to this coffee shop that openly purchases stolen goods, which fuels drug dealers on the same corner. It’s absolutely unconscionable that something like this is allowed to continue in our neighborhood. My platform is focused on changing that.

CCNews: Do we need a Marshall Plan or a Moonshot to help small businesses around the neighborhood?

Harrison: I think it is part of the government’s role to support small businesses in a moment of crisis. And we should keep in mind that bringing those businesses back is harder than sustaining them in the first place. So there are a few things we need to do: inject funding into supporting those small businesses that remain. I am also an advocate for the creation of a business launch fund to provide startup capital for local small businesses to get off their feet. Finally, commercial rents are quite high and it’s shocking to see so many storefronts remain vacant. We need a commercial space vacancy tax to make it costlier for landlords to keep their rents too high and their storefronts empty–but an idea that I’m putting forward is that landlords should be given an option to forego the tax if they enable “pop-up” artists studios and galleries in their vacant spaces while they seek an acceptable tenant.

CCNews: What are your thoughts on the state of the race?

Harrison: We’re in the last few weeks of this race, and the momentum of our campaign is palpable. Our supporters and I are hitting farmers markets and subway stops every day, we’re reaching voters at-scale, and I’m feeling excited going into the early voting period starting June 18th. It’s been incredible to hear positive feedback from neighbors and community leaders.

Our message of experience is really resonating with voters. I started my career working in President Obama’s Administration, and I served as the staff lead for the Reimagine New York Commission’s efforts to support our state’s workforce, arts, and small businesses during the pandemic. I have the experience we need at this critical moment for our city, and my campaign is focused on the issues most important to voters including street safety, affordable housing, and addressing the issue of empty storefronts in our neighborhoods.

CCNews: Thank you, Harrison!

Harrison: Thank you!

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