Election Q&A: Meet Assembly Candidate Eli Northrup

UPPER WEST SIDE, NY — Democratic candidate Eli Northrup is running for Assembly in District 69 in New York City's primary election on Tuesday, June 23.

Both Northrup and his opponent, Stephanie Ruskay, are vying for Assemblymember Micah Lasher's seat, which is up for grabs as the Assemblymember pursues a seat in Congress.

District 69 includes parts of the Upper West Side, Morningside Heights, Harlem and Central Park.

Ahead of the election, Patch posed several questions to Northrup about his platform, priorities, experience, and district. See his replies below.

EDITOR'S NOTE: The following article contains information about one of two candidates who have announced their campaigns for Assembly District 69 in the 2026 primary election. Patch has contacted the other candidates with the same questions and will post replies as they are received. None of what Northrup said during this interview has been fact-checked.

PATCH: What neighborhood are you from?

NORTHRUP: I live in Morningside Heights and have been in the neighborhood since 2015.

PATCH: What languages do you speak?

NORTHRUP: I am fluent in English and proficient in Spanish, having lived in the Dominican Republic after college.

PATCH: What’s your professional and educational background?

NORTHRUP: I’m a public defender, policy advocate, and community leader who has spent my career fighting for justice and standing up for people.

For over a decade, I’ve worked at The Bronx Defenders, representing New Yorkers who can’t afford an attorney in criminal court, standing with them through some of the hardest moments of their lives. Being a public defender means showing up when things are most dire, listening when few others will, picking up the phone at odd hours, and fighting even when the system is stacked against you. As Policy Director for the Criminal Defense Practice, I’ve led statewide coalitions to advance justice reforms, protect due process, expand opportunity, and ensure stability for all New Yorkers.

I received my J.D from the New York University School of Law, where I graduated cum laude and was an Arthur Garfield Hays Civil Liberties Fellow. I received my L.L.M in Trial Advocacy from Georgetown University Law Center and a B.A. in Psychology from Cornell University. Prior to working at The Bronx Defenders, I was an E. Barrett Prettyman Fellow at Georgetown University Law Center and clerked for federal judges on the Third District Court of Appeals and the Southern District of New York.

In law school, I worked with the NAACP Legal Defense Fund, the Neighborhood Defender Service of Harlem, and the Legal Aid Society. I believe that through my professional background and advocacy experience, I have the necessary skills to be the fighter that the West Side needs in Albany.

PATCH: Renter or owner?

NORTHRUP: I am a renter and believe deeply in tenants’ rights.

PATCH: The cost of living in NYC is going up. What’s your plan to make New York City more affordable?

NORTHRUP: New York City is in an affordability crisis. 50% of working-age New Yorkers struggle to afford basic needs, including housing, food, and transportation. We must ensure that the people who keep this city running — the teachers, social workers, nurses, EMTs, public defenders — can afford to live in it. As your Assemblymember, I will be an advocate for universal childcare and will champion universal healthcare through the New York Health Act. I will fight to lower grocery costs by cracking down on price gouging and discriminatory pricing for smaller grocers, and for the expansion of the Fair Fares program to make transit more affordable.

PATCH: What is your position on bike lane expansion and street redesigns?

NORTHRUP: The proliferation of e-bikes on our streets has increased convenience and given local businesses a lifeline, while at the same time making our streets and sidewalks feel chaotic and less safe. When done right, bike infrastructure is safer and more climate-friendly than cars. I will be a champion for design-forward responses for safer streets. This means advocating for protected bike lanes, which have been shown to have an injury risk reduction of 34%. This also means fighting for the implementation of universal daylighting, which is the removal of visual obstructions around intersections. Currently, New York City is exempt from a state law that mandates daylighting. I will support legislation to change that.

PATCH: List two ways you plan to make New York safer.

NORTHRUP: My view is that we can build safer communities if we commit to policies rooted in care, accountability, and shared responsibility for one another. For example, a recent study from the University of Chicago found that a 1 percent increase in eviction rate within a census tract was associated with 2.66 additional shootings. So, housing creates safety and stability, and therefore investing in housing is an investment in New York’s safety.

I will also advocate for care for every New Yorker, whether it is through the Treatment Court Expansion Act–which expands access to mental health and substance use treatment as an alternative to incarceration–or by expanding and adequately funding supportive and licensed housing so that those who need extra support can achieve the stability they need. By caring for everyone, we will work to ensure that everyone is safe in our community. When we invest in treatment, housing, and support, we build a community where everyone can be safe.

PATCH: What type of relationship will you have with the Trump administration?

NORTHRUP: This community has one of the highest concentrations of Democrats in the country, and thus should be the center of the resistance to the authoritarianism happening at the federal level. For more than a decade, I have stood up to abuses of power as a public defender. I have represented clients facing deportation, defended constitutional rights, and stood up to ICE at 26 Federal Plaza. I will fight for the universal right to counsel in immigration proceedings, knowing it has a profound impact on case outcomes and the lives of impacted families. I will champion New York for All, legislation that makes clear that New York will not be a cog in Trump’s cruel and reckless deportation machine, and the RECOURSE Act, legislation that would allow New York to withhold payments to the federal government if they unlawfully block funds owed to the state. I will ensure that New York remains a safe-haven for all marginalized communities, including immigrants, people of color, the LGBTQ community (especially trans youth), and low-income individuals.

PATCH: What sets you apart from the other candidate?

NORTHRUP: My experience. As a public defender for more than a decade, I have represented people in criminal court who can’t afford an attorney. As Policy Director for the Bronx Defenders, I spent the last seven legislative sessions traveling to Albany advocating for equity in our legal systems. I have drafted bills, organized coalitions to get them passed, and worked to ensure they are implemented correctly. I know the legislative systems and how to navigate them. I will also be able to provide robust constituent services, connecting people with resources, legal services, and advocacy organizations. I believe that I have the experience, credibility, and integrity to be an effective lawmaker on day one.

I am also the progressive candidate in this race, having been endorsed by Mayor Zohran Mamdani, Congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, Senator Bernie Sanders, and the Working Families Party, as well as over 100 other progressive legislators, unions, organizations, and community leaders. I am not taking donations from the real estate lobby or corporate PACs, and am running this campaign on grassroots donations and volunteer support from the heart of the 69th District.

PATCH: What's a local project that deserves more federal funding?

NORTHRUP: NYCHA has been chronically underfunded for decades, and Assembly District 69 is home to four large NYCHA developments and a number of other smaller sites. The buildings are experiencing inhumane conditions, and we cannot allow them to fall further into disrepair. This is a health and safety crisis that affects more than 500,00 New Yorkers, the majority of whom are Black and Latino. We need a serious, sustained federal commitment to NYCHA so that public housing is treated as the essential infrastructure that it is.

PATCH: What local experience most shaped your politics?

NORTHRUP: Defending individuals in Bronx Criminal Court is what fundamentally shaped my politics. I have seen firsthand the inequity based on race and class. As a public defender, I’ve stood between community members and the vast power of the Government. I’ve watched my clients lose their liberty, jobs, housing, and stability over charges that would have been resolved very differently for someone with more resources. Seeing this made abstract ideas about inequity concrete and urgent. It pushed me to fight outside of the courtroom and be politically active. Everything I do now is driven by my conviction that every person deserves to be treated with dignity, regardless of their wealth, skin color, or zip code.

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