Sammy Ravelo: Candidate For NY Congressional District 16

NEW ROCHELLE, NY — There are several contested races in this month's primary, including the race to be the Democratic candidate for U.S. Congressional District 16. Patch asked candidates in the contested races to answer questions about their campaigns and will be publishing candidate profiles as the primary day draws near.

Sammy Ravelo, 50, is one of the Democrats competing in the primary for U.S. Congressional District 16. His opponents are Chris Fink, Jamaal Bowman and incumbent Rep. Eliot Engel. Andom Ghebreghiorgis pulled out of the race after the ballots were printed.

Ravelo is a resident of New Rochelle. He has an AAS degree from Bronx Community College and is a retired police officer. He has two children.

The 16th Congressional District includes the northern Bronx and Yonkers, Mount Vernon, New Rochelle, Mamaroneck, Larchmont, Scarsdale, Eastchester, Bronxville, Tuckahoe, Pelham, Pelham Manor, Rye, Rye City and parts of Ardsley, Hastings-on-Hudson and Edgemont.

Why are you seeking elective office?

To be the voice of those you have not been heard in a long time.

The single most pressing issue facing our community, and what I intend to do about it.

Jobs. The pandemic has caused this country to lose 40 million jobs. We need to get our people working again. I plan to introduce and push an infrastructure bill that will create millions of paying jobs to fix our crumbling roads and bridges and outdated water system. Many of those jobs will come to our district. It will help small businesses get back on their feet.

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

I have a long proven history of public service. I am the only candidate to serve in our military during war and I spent 26 years working with and for the community. I am the only war veteran running in this race.

If you are a challenger, in what way has the current board or officeholder failed the community (or district or constituency)?

His biggest failure was not showing up to the district during the pandemic. The only congressperson not to do it. The House was on a five-week recess and Eliot Engel stayed in Washington, D.C., while the epicenter of the pandemic was in our district. In certain jobs that is called dereliction of duty. Further, the poorest part of the communities in the district do not know him.

Describe the other issues that define your campaign platform.

We'd like to spend more on Education.
Stabilize the housing market.
Bring back the SALT deductions.
Lower the drugs prices.
Help small business get back on their feet.
Combat climate change by increasing federal and funding for state and local infrastructure projects.
Healthcare access to all Americans by improving on the Affordable Care Act.
Expand LBGTQ rights.
Address Income Inequality starting with raising the minimum federal wage to $15.
Immigration rights. I would move to normalize the DACA recipients.
Gun Control — ban assaults weapons.
Womens rights — pro-choice and equal for equal work.

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

I was a combat veteran of the Gulf War. I am a retired police officer that was a first responder and survivor of the attacks on 9/11. I am the only one that has responded to a mass shooting. In the NYPD, I was an undercover narcotics detective, I worked in Fugitive Enforcement Division and I was also assigned to counter-terrorism. I led the premier Domestic Violence unit in the Bronx during my tenure as the Special Operations Lt. in the 46th Precinct. I believe those experiences will help me make informed decisions if I was to get elected to Congress.

The best advice ever shared with me was …

If you don't stand for something, you will fall for anything. An older man that hung on the corner block used say that to a bunch of us kids almost everyday. It always stuck with me.

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

If voted in, I promise to return to the district every weekend as long as the legislative session permits it. I also commit to holding one town hall a month as long as I am a member of Congress.

Are you a candidate in the primary? Contact Michael Woyton for information on being featured in a candidate's profile and submitting campaign announcements to Patch.