Candidate Profile: Burdick For New York State Assembly

HUDSON VALLEY, NY - Residents of northern and central Westchester will choose a new state Assembly representative Nov. 3 in the 2020 general election.

In anticipation of the election, Patch asked candidates in the contested races to answer questions about their campaigns and will be publishing candidate profiles as election day draws near.

Democrat Chris Burdick is seeking election to the State Assembly in District 93. His opponent, John Nuculovic, is running on the Republican and Conservative party lines.

The district covers North Salem, Lewisboro, Bedford, Pound Ridge, Mount Kisco, New Castle, North Castle, Harrison, and part of White Plains. Incumbent David Buchwald ran and lost in the Democratic primary for Congressional District 17.

Burdick, 69, is currently Bedford Town Supervisor. Elected to the Bedford Town Board in 2007 and 2011, he has been elected Supervisor four times since 2013. He has a master’s degree from the Johns Hopkins School of Advanced International Studies and a JD from Seton Hall Law School.

Campaign website: Burdickforassembly.com

Check out Patch's full Q&A with Chris Burdick:

Why are you seeking elective office?

NYS currently has the most progressive state legislature in its history, and over the last year-and-a-half has achieved so much. However, there is still much more we can do on issues such as the environment, social justice, infrastructure and educational funding, health care, gun violence, and women’s rights. And now we are in the middle of a pandemic, an economic crisis, and our country is at a breaking point over racial injustice and systemic racism. Under my leadership, Bedford has made great strides in cutting carbon emissions, infrastructure development and affordable housing. I want to take my experience and record of accomplishment in Bedford and bring it to Albany to fight for the 93rd Assembly District.

The single most pressing issue facing our nation/state/community is _______, and this is what I intend to do about it.

The world has changed drastically since I first decided to run. While the climate crisis is still of utmost importance, our first priority has to be making sure our district has the funds it needs to recover from this global health crisis. I believe we can help our environment and our economy by bringing good green jobs to the district. I’ll also fight to get the funding we need for our educational system and for equal access to healthcare.

What are the critical differences between you and the other candidates seeking this post?

I will work determinedly to bring the state’s economy out of the pandemic-induced recession, combat climate change, fight for social justice and equality, fund our schools, protect women’s rights and LGBTQ+ rights, and provide universal healthcare so that people don't have to decide between paying their rent or getting medical treatment.

Describe the other issues that define your campaign platform

In addition to the pressing needs for economic recovery, climate action and expanded access to health care and affordable housing, I am committed to fighting for social justice, preserving education funding, building on New York State’s criminal justice reform, and vigorously defending the rights of women, the LGBTQ community, the elderly, minorities, immigrants and the disabled.

What accomplishments in your past would you cite as evidence you can handle this job?

As Bedford Town Supervisor, I have worked extremely hard at keeping my community safe and informed during the pandemic and during the aftermath of Tropical Storm Isaias. Under my leadership, Bedford has cut carbon emissions by 44% town-wide, broken ground on a sewer project crucial for environmental safety and economic development, built affordable housing on a timeline no one thought possible, and passed one of the strongest immigrant protection plans in the county. I will bring this experience and record of accomplishment to Albany.

The best advice ever shared with me was:

Marry Illyria (my wife).

What else would you like voters to know about yourself and your positions?

I am known in my community as a tireless worker who acts promptly on constituent concerns and builds effective coalitions to face challenges head-on. As a strong progressive, I want to seize this moment to build economic, environmental, and social justice for all in our community. And I promise, no one will work harder.