Candidate Profile: Elijah Reichlin-Melnick For State Senate

HUDSON VALLEY, NY - New Yorkers will be hitting the polls on June 23 for the primary election to choose who will be on the ballot for the general election in November.

Among the local races, some residents of the Hudson Valley will be able to elect who will run for State Senate in District 38. The seat is being vacated by David Carlucci, who is running to replace Rep. Nita Lowey in Congress.

The oddly-drawn district covers Rockland County and, across the Hudson River, Ossining in Westchester County.

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.

Elijah Reichlin-Melnick is seeking the Democratic line on the ballot in November. His opponents in the June 23 primary are Justin L. Sweet and Eudson T. Francois. The winner will face either William J. Weber, Jr. or Matthew R. Weinberg, who are facing off in the Republican primary.

After graduating from Nyack High School, he earned a BA in History & Government from Cornell University, and a Master's in City & Regional Planning from Rutgers University.

He currently serves as the Legislative Director for State Senator James Skoufis, who represents parts of Rockland, Orange, and Ulster counties. He has held this position since January 2019. Over the past decade, he has steadily built his legislative experience by working at all levels of government. After working in Virginia in 2008 to help elect Barack Obama, he returned to Rockland and spent nearly five years as a constituent service specialist and district representative for Congressman Eliot Engel and Congresswoman Nita Lowey.

While completing his Master's degree, Reichlin-Melnick worked as the Executive Assistant for Orangetown Town Supervisor Andy Stewart, and managed Stewart's successful re-election campaigns in 2013 and 2015.

After earning his Bachelor's degree from Cornell University in 2006, he spent two years as an elementary school teacher at an inner city school in New Haven. From 2016-18, he was a Senior Research Planner at Hudson Valley Pattern for Progress, a Newburgh-based non-profit focused on regional planning and local government issues throughout the Hudson Valley.

He has served as a Nyack Village Trustee since being appointed to the board in April 2017. He was elected to the position in November 2017 and re-elected in November 2019.

Check out Patch's full Q&A with Reichlin-Melnick:

Why are you seeking elective office?

In 2018 voters elected a progressive majority in the State Senate for the first time in decades, and in 2019 we saw the results: landmark action on climate change and reproductive health, making the property tax cap permanent, passage of the Child Victims Act, important gun safety reforms, decriminalization of marijuana, major election reforms, and more protections for LGBTQ New Yorkers. Now it’s time to continue on the path of bold change while making sure that New York works for everyone, not just the wealthy and well-connected.

I am a proud progressive. I believe government has a vital role to play in protecting our quality of life by ensuring safe neighborhoods, clean water, good roads and mass transit, and well-funded education for our kids. Government exists to serve the people, and improve all our lives.

I love the Hudson Valley. It's why I've chosen to make my home in Nyack, the village where I was born and raised. But while Rockland and Westchester remain wonderful places to live, our region faces many challenges. Property taxes are some of the highest in the nation. Rents are rising rapidly, and healthcare costs are an enormous burden on many families. We’re struggling to retain businesses. School districts like East Ramapo and Ossining aren’t getting the education funding they deserve. Commuters in Rockland lack access to convenient mass transit.

State government can—and must—do more to help residents of Rockland and Westchester.

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

Recovering from the public health and economic consequences of the COVID-19 pandemic. I have put together a detailed plan to help New York families and businesses get back on their feet. We need to establish universal coronavirus testing and guarantee free treatment for anyone with COVID-19 symptoms, build a reliable stockpile of personal protective equipment and take care of vulnerable seniors with delivered meals, case management, homecare services, and increased staffing in nursing homes. To help provide relief for workers businesses we need to secure financial relief for all those negatively impacted by the economic slowdown by waiving state income taxes on unemployment and federal stimulus payments, expand zero interest loans and grants that cover fixed costs and payroll for small businesses and push for tax deferrals, rental assistance and eviction protection for businesses struggling through the crisis.

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

I am the only candidate running with experience in local, state, and federal government, having worker for Congresswoman Nita Lowey, Congressman Eliot Engel, former Orangetown Supervisor Andy Stewart, and now serving as a Nyack Village Trustee and the Legislative Director for State Senator James Skoufis. My Albany experience means I'll be able to hit the ground running representing the people of the 38th district in 2021.

I am also the only candidate with a detailed policy platform and stances on the important issues in the race. Neither of the other candidates has released any information about their platform or positions on the issues. I have also received far more endorsements (more than 70) from current and former elected officials, candidates, party and community leaders, unions, and progressive groups.

There is a significant difference between me and my opponent Justin Sweet on the issue of gun safety. While I have been designated by Moms Demand Action for Gun Safety as a "Gun Sense Candidate of Distinction," Justin has a history of troubling ties to the NRA and affiliated groups, having attended local NRA fundraisers, and being supported by leaders in the local NRA affiliate, United Sportsmen Association of Rockland. The Journal News covered this story: https://www.lohud.com/story/ne...

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

There is no incumbent in this race.

Describe the other issues that define your campaign platform

Education - As a former teacher, I know the importance of education funding. Schools across the 38th district are struggling to find the funding they need to provide students with the education that they deserve. New York State has continually failed to deliver on its promise to fully fund the Foundation Aid program that is supposed to guarantee fair funding to all of our school districts. I will fight for fully funding foundation aid so we can make sure the kids in our community get an excellent education without needing to further raise property taxes on local taxpayers.

Property taxes - Property taxes in Rockland and Westchester Counties are some of the highest in the country. I strongly support maintaining the property tax cap that limits the growth of property taxes and will protect the STAR program from any changes or reductions. Since the bulk of the property tax bill for families in the 38th Senate District goes towards school district taxes, my plan to direct more state funds to local school districts means property taxpayers will get a break. I will also fight for a state fund to help local governments find ways to share services and consolidate operations to save money for taxpayers. And at a time when so many people have lost jobs or seen their hours cut back, I believe we need a comprehensive state plan to help people who could be in danger of losing their homes to eviction or foreclosure after the current moratoriums on evictions and foreclosure expire.

Environment - There is no greater threat to our long term future than climate change. If we don’t take this threat seriously, rising temperatures and rising sea levels will ruin ecosystems, damage our agricultural production, and cause hundreds of billions of dollars in flood damage in New York over the coming decades. In 2019, New York passed the most aggressive climate legislation in the nation, the Climate Leadership and Community Protection Act (CLCPA). Elijah believes that we must move quickly to implement the provisions of the CLCPA and provide new funding to develop renewable energy sources and protect coastal communities from the worst impacts of rising sea levels. We don’t have to choose between a cleaner, more sustainable future and economic growth--a green economy will be a prosperous economy.

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

My extensive record in state, local, and federal government working for other elected officials and understanding the way the process works, and my background in regional planning all have prepared me for this job.

The best advice ever shared with me was:

Treat others the way you'd like to be treated. I always try to live by the golden rule.

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

I believe you shouldn't go into politics unless you enjoy working with people and truly want to help them. I'll always have an open door policy and make myself accessible to anyone with questions or concerns. Representing the residents of the district I grew up in would be the greatest honor of my life. I ask for your support in the Democratic Primary on June 23. If you need more information about my positions or want to reach me to ask a question please visit my website (www.elijahforsenate.com) or email me at elijah4senate@gmail.com.

Campaign website: www.elijahforsenate.com