Candidate Profile: Yehudis Gottesfeld For Congress

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 Congressional District 17 on the Republican line. Longtime Rep. Nita Lowey is retiring at the end of the term.

The district covers Rockland County and most of Westchester.

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.

Yehudis Gottesfeld is seeking the GOP line on the ballot in November. Her opponent in the June 23 primary is Maureen McArdle Schulman.

Gottesfeld, 24, lives in Ramapo. A chemical engineer, she received a Bachelors of Engineering in Chemical Engineering with a Concentration in Nuclear Engineering, and a minor in Math and Public Policy and International Affairs, and is working toward a PhD.

Better health care is an issue she takes personally and prioritizes politically. Her brother died of cancer at 17 and this spring she lost both grandfathers to COVID-19.

She was endorsed by the Republican Party of Rockland and the Conservative Party of Westchester and Rockland.

Check out Patch's full Q&A with Gottesfeld:

Patch: Why are you seeking elective office?

I am seeking office to bring the voices of our residents to Congress. I believe Congressional Representatives should be listening to each of their constituents and bring their voice to Congress. I a young Jewish woman and scientist who grew up in the community I want to represent, put myself through school and have personally witnessed the desperation of illness and its effect on families. I believe I can represent all people in my district and bring a perspective and empathy that unites everyone around our shared American values. At the same time, I am uniquely positioned to send a message to the increasingly-radical Democrats about embracing policies that have failed my district, leading to high taxes, high cost of living, not enough good jobs and their coddling of anti-Semites like Rashida Tlaib and Ilhan Omar.

P: What's single most pressing issue facing our nation/state/community and what do you intend to do about it?

As our economy is struggling, we must keep taxes low, reduce needless red-tape and support smart trade policies which protect American workers while enabling consumers to enjoy low-priced goods. Citizens deserve to keep more of their hard-earned money and our tax policies should encourage, not punish work, investments, and savings. We need common sense changes to tax policy that will remove barriers for economic growth while making taxes fairer for all Americans.

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

For Republicans, voting in the primary election, this election will determine who will make that case in November and whether or not a Republican will represent the district. I’m a young, Jewish, female, scientist with a background in chemical, nuclear and environmental engineering. I’m not what the radicals in the Democrat Party expect. When it comes to policy, mark my word, there will be no stronger advocate for our values, cutting taxes, increasing opportunity in jobs, education and healthcare, and holding the radical Democrats accountable for their hate and tyranny, than me. I am also running on the Conservative Party line and will be able to win the seat for us in November.

P: Describe the other issues that define your campaign platform

As our health and safety are at risk and many Americans are struggling, we must do our best to keep Americans safe, ensure our families enjoy a recovering and growing economy, improve opportunities in education for our children, and reduce health care costs.

We owe a great deal of thanks to our first responders and members of our military. To do our part, we must be vigilant to keep Americans safe at home and abroad. We must adequately fund our border security, defense apparatus and public safety personnel, and reduce our dependence on China, so that Americans are kept safe. We must reduce foreign influence over American politics and media and hold the Chinese Communist Party accountable for the damages they’ve caused with spreading COVID-19. Additionally, our foreign and domestic policies must be strong enough to deter threats and be rooted in our values and we must stand with our allies such as Israel while working to combat domestic threats like anti-Semitism.

As our economy is struggling, we must keep taxes low, reduce needless red-tape and support smart trade policies which protect American workers while enabling consumers to enjoy low-priced goods. Citizens deserve to keep more of their hard-earned money and our tax policies should encourage, not punish work, investments, and savings. We need common sense changes to tax policy that will remove barriers for economic growth while making taxes fairer for all Americans.

Children are the future of our great nation. Young people should be provided every opportunity to succeed regardless of their zip code. Parents should be allowed the freedom to choose the best education for their child with state and local, not federal, governments making education policies.

Health care costs are astronomically high and government, providers, insurance companies and drug companies have nearly eliminated competition from the marketplace. We need to protect our most vulnerable and reduce health care costs and prescription drug prices by using free market solutions, such as price disclosures, fair billing and consumer protections, allowing the purchase of health insurance across state lines and reversing the artificial inflation of prescription drug prices charged to Americans when the same drug is available at far cheaper prices in other countries. We must vigorously enforce the intellectual property rights of American companies, diversify our pharmaceutical supply chain away from China and re-build our domestic capacity to produce our needed pharmaceuticals, pharmaceutical components and medical supplies.

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

I am a chemical engineer with research experience specializing in energy production (including nuclear energy) and industrial extraction of rare earth elements. I am currently on the boards of a non-profit organization and a professional development organization and have been involved in federal and local policy writing. I most-recently conducted environmental engineering research at Columbia University. Prior to my time at Columbia, I worked as a chemical engineer for the New York City Department of Environmental Protection. I began my post-secondary education at Rockland Community College and continued to The City College of New York, where she graduated with a Bachelor of Engineering in Chemical Engineering, a concentration in Nuclear Engineering and a double minor in Math and Public Policy and International Affairs. From a young age, I have been reaching out to communities, volunteering for non-profits, serving the mentally and physically disabled communities and organizing weekend retreats for a local university.

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

Please feel free to reach out to me at yehudis@yehudisforcongress.com or 914-294-2242. I appreciate hearing from our residents.

Campaign website: www.YehudisForCongress.com