Meet The Candidates Running To Represent The UES In State Senate District 28

MANHATTAN, NY — Two Upper East Siders — Alina Bonsell and Liz Krueger — will face off next Tuesday in the race to represent District 28 in the State Senate.

District 28, which includes the Upper East Side, Roosevelt Island and a central swath of Manhattan from Midtown down to Union Square, has been represented by Krueger, the Democratic nominee, since 2002, when she won with about 51 percent of the vote.

State Senate District 28 has more than 138,310 registered Democrats and more than 27,930 registered Republicans, according to New York state data from February. But more than 57,000 voters in the district aren't registered with either party.

Here's a quick candidate breakdown, in the order that they'll appear on the ballot.

Liz Krueger

Krueger, an Upper East Sider who describes herself as "hardworking, honest, fair, and able to get things done," is currently serving as the State Senator representing the Upper East Side.

As part of her platform, she's committed to fighting to build affordable housing "without subsidizing luxury development" and regulating data centers "so ratepayers don’t absorb their energy costs," she told Patch.

She also said she'd keep investing state funds in gun violence prevention tactics and mental health services.

"We need to make sure people with severe mental illness are getting real treatment, not just enforcement that at best can only ever be a band-aid," Krueger told Patch. "I’ll keep pushing for the treatment beds and discharge planning that should be part of these wraparound services."

She also told Patch she supports homeless shelters in her district, as long as the impacts on the neighborhood are minimized.

"I’ve welcomed shelters in the district – but always made clear that shelter operators must minimize their impacts on surrounding neighborhoods, hire well-trained security and social services staff, actively participate in community advisory boards, and address any concerns that arise quickly and effectively," Krueger told Patch. "Shelters only work if there’s permanent housing for people to move into, so at the state level I’m focused on building affordable and supportive housing."

When it comes to President Donald Trump, Krueger said she doesn't have a relationship with the president and "doesn't want one."

Read Krueger's Q&A here.

Alina Bonsell

Bonsell, an Upper East Sider who describes herself as a purpose-driven moderate Republican with a background in the private sector, is the Republican nominee for the State Senate's 28th District. She's also running as an independent candidate under the "Block Mamdani" party.

"At different points in my life, I’ve been many of the people our government is supposed to represent," Bonsell told Patch. "I understand so many of the challenges New Yorkers face because I’ve lived many of them myself."

As part of her platform, she's proposed an affordability agenda that eliminates New York State income tax for working adults under 30 and working parents with children under five, as well as getting zombie apartments — those vacant rent-stabilized units that need to be renovated — back on the market.

"I want to change those policies and get usable apartments back into circulation. More supply gives renters more choices and puts downward pressure on rents," Bonsell told Patch.

She also told Patch she'd fight to keep repeat offenders from being released on bail.

"Judges need greater discretion when someone repeatedly commits crimes or poses a threat to public safety. Albany has forced judges to release criminals back onto our streets," Bonsell said.

She also told Patch she wrote a set of bills aimed at boosting transparency, safety oversight and accountability in the city's homeless shelter siting process.

"We need shelters, but we also need safeguards for the people who live in them and for the communities surrounding them," Bonsell said.

When it comes to President Donald Trump, Bonsell will take a neutral approach to the conservative president.

"My decisions will never be based on a party banner. If President Trump has a policy that’s good for New Yorkers, I’ll support it. If any Democrat has a good policy, I’ll support that too," Bonsell told Patch.

Read Bonsell's Q&A here.

Early voting will take place now through Sunday, Nov. 1. Here's where to vote in Manhattan. Polls are open from 6 a.m. to 9 p.m. on Election Day, Nov. 3. Find your poll site here.

For questions, email Miranda.Levingston@Patch.com.