NYC Primary Election 2020: Jonathan Herzog Takes On Rep. Nadler

NEW YORK, NY — Democrats living in New York's 10th Congressional District — which stretches over most of Manhattan's west side and parts of Brooklyn — will head to the polls on June 23 to cast their ballot in this year's primary race.

On the ballot will be incumbent Rep. Jerry Nadler, who has served in Congress since 1992, and challengers Lindsey Boylan and Jonathan Herzog.

Herzog, who was raised on the border of Hell's Kitchen and the Upper West Side, is a recent Harvard University and New York University graduate and was a founding member of presidential candidate Andrew Yang's campaign.

The 25-year-old has been a teaching fellow at Harvard Law School, a legal fellow in the New York State Attorney General's Office and an associate at the law firm of Simpson Thacher & Bartlett. He is a supporter of the Universal Basic Income policy endorsed by Yang and was a co-plaintiff in Yang's lawsuit against the New York Board of Elections to reinstate this year's presidential primary.

The primary election, slated for June 23, is open to registered Democratic voters. All New York voters may request a mail-in ballotdue to the coronavirus pandemic. Ballots must be postmarked by the date of the election for the vote to count.

For those who want to head to the polls, click here to find your poll site. Early voting is available from June 13 to June 21.

Patch reached out to all candidates in the primary election to create these profiles. Responses have been lightly edited for clarity.

Jonathan Herzog

Age as of Election Day (Nov. 3)

25

NYC neighborhood of residence

Hell’s Kitchen

Position Sought

U.S. Congress

Party Affiliation

Democratic Party

Family

Jonathan Herzog is the first generation son of immigrants who was raised with his two sisters on the border of Hell's Kitchen and Upper West Side of Manhattan.

Does anyone in your family work in politics or government?

No

Education

Jonathan Herzog obtained a B.A. in psychology from Harvard University, where he was first in his class. He received an M.B.A. from New York University's Stern School of Business and a J.D. from Harvard Law School.

Occupation

Jonathan Herzog was a founding team member of Andrew Yang's 2020 presidential campaign. His professional experience includes working as a teaching fellow at Harvard Law School, as a legal fellow in the New York State Attorney General's Office and as an associate at the law firm of Simpson Thacher & Bartlett.

Previous or Current Elected or Appointed Office

Co-President of Harvard Law School's student government

Campaign website

Herzog2020.com

Why are you seeking elective office?

COVID-19 has killed more Americans than died in the Vietnam War. It has killed more New Yorkers than 9/11. Unemployment numbers are projected to be worse than those during the Great Depression. Congress has been on recess. We need to wake up. Hate crimes in New York doubled last year. Nearly two-thirds were anti-Semitic. It's not about Trump. It's about what comes next. Theodor Wolff, 1933: "It's a hopeless mis-judgement to think that one could force a dictatorial regime upon the German nation. [Our] diversity calls for democracy." Yuval Harari, 2019: "Whoever controls the algorithms [is] the real government." We need a Representative who understands the 21st century crises we're facing and has 21st century solutions to tackle them. I'm an organizer, educator, and advocate of universal basic income endorsed by Andrew Yang. I was born and raised on the border of Hell's Kitchen and the Upper West Side. I'm a teaching fellow for legal and political philosophy at Harvard Law School and was part of the founding team that built Andrew Yang's 2020 presidential campaign. I'm a Democrat running for Congress to fight for deep freedom, not shallow equality. To raise the floor, not lower the ceiling. To fix the system, not find others to blame.

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

The single most pressing issue facing our nation/state/community is economic disparity brought on by technological disruption, artificial intelligence, the fourth industrial revolution and climate change that has been acutely exacerbated by a global health pandemic, sudden economic depression, ongoing systemic racism and civil unrest. Economic justice is the foundation of social and racial justice. Martin Luther King Jr. championed the fight for a universal basic income - while it does not solve every problem, it makes every problem easier to solve. Poverty is an absence of cash, not an absence of character. My campaign is championing a Universal Basic Income of $1,000 per month for every American adult and $500 per month for every American child. Economic justice is the foundation of social and racial justice. Before COVID-19, in the world's financial capital, 1 in 6 New Yorkers couldn't meet their basic needs and 1 in 5 storefronts were closing. Before COVID-19, 1 in 3 trans people of color lived in poverty. I know too well that the promise of “It Gets Better” is hollow without the promise of financial security in the case your family or community rejects you for who you are. I’m also fighting for universal healthcare, combating climate change, affordable housing, criminal justice reform, paid family leave, protecting reproductive and privacy rights, and a data bill of rights.

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

I understand the 21st century crises we're facing and have 21st century solutions to tackle them.

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

While COVID-19 has killed more Americans than died in the Vietnam War and more New Yorkers than 9/11 and unemployment numbers have reached levels that we have not experienced for generations, Congress has been on recess. Throughout this crisis, our leaders have chosen to bail out corporations and have willfully ignored the needs of the people, refusing to provide continuous direct cash payments to the American people and small businesses who continue to struggle with day to day needs.

Describe the other issues that define your campaign platform

· Universal Basic Income - $1,000 per month for every American adult and $500 per month for every American child. We're going through the greatest economic and technological shift in our history. Before COVID-19, in the world's financial capital, 1 in 6 New Yorkers couldn't meet their basic needs and 1 in 5 storefronts were closing. Before COVID-19, 1 in 3 Americans were at risk of permanently losing their jobs to new technology. Martin Luther King Jr. championed the fight for a universal basic income - while it does not solve every problem, it makes every problem easier to solve.
· Universal Healthcare - Expand Medicare to cover all Americans. We spend nearly double what other countries do on healthcare to worse results. Before COVID-19, life expectancy in the U.S. had declined for three years in a row due to "deaths of despair" -- drug overdoses and suicides. More than 1 million New Yorkers are uninsured; healthcare is the leading cause of bankruptcy. We need to cut the cost of prescription drugs, invest in innovative technology, change the incentives for healthcare providers, shift our focus to preventative care, and invest in mental health.
· Publicly Financed Elections - $100 clean election vouchers for every American adult. The corrupting influence of money in politics is at the root of nearly every issue we face, from climate change to gun safety. Politicians spend 50% of their time dialing for dollars. Democracy Dollars would drown out big money in politics by increasing the number of small donors, empowering all voters, diversifying candidates, and making Representatives accountable to the people. We should also overturn Citizens United, eliminate super PACs, and adopt ranked-choice voting for all federal elections.
· Ranked Choice Voting - Move nationally to a ranked-choice/single transferable vote voting system, a system that has recently been implemented for New York City local elections and is being explored by many other localities. Each voter ranks their top three candidates, from 1 to 3. After this is complete, every voter’s first choice is tallied. If one candidate received over 50% of the vote, they win the election. If no candidate hit the majority threshold, the candidate with the fewest votes is eliminated. Then, everyone who listed that eliminated candidate as their first choice has their second choice considered, a process which continues until someone breaks 50%.
· Data Bill of Rights - Data is the oil of the 21st century. "Whoever controls the algorithms [is] the government." If anyone benefits from our data, it should be us. Data generated by each individual needs to be owned by them, with certain rights conveyed that will allow them to know how it’s used and protect it.
· Affordable Housing - Expand federal investment in affordable housing development. NIMBY (“not in my back yard”) policies and zoning laws have made the creation of affordable housing impossible in areas that are most in need of new housing, driving workers from those areas to multi-hour commutes. Work with localities to relax zoning ordinances for the purpose of increasing the development of affordable housing. Encourage the building of new innovative housing options like micro-apartments and communal living for people in high-density urban areas.
· Climate Change Mitigation – New York City's coastline could be underwater by 2100. The past four years have been the four hottest on record, and July 2019 was the hottest month ever recorded. We need to reach bet-zero emissions by 2050 and take steps to build a sustainable economy by transitioning away from fossil fuels to renewable energy, upgrading our infrastructure, and improving the way we farm and use land. In addition, provide the innovation and technology that will power the rest of the world while reverse the damage we’ve done. Research needs to be done on removing carbon from our atmosphere, cooling the planet and rejuvenating ecosystems. And to hold future administrations accountable, we need to pass a constitutional amendment that creates a duty on the federal and state governments to be stewards for the environment.
· Crypto and Digital Asset Market Legislation - It’s time for the federal government to create clear guidelines as to how cryptocurrencies/digital asset markets will be treated and regulated so that investment can proceed with all relevant information. It’s time to end the era of Ponzi scheme inequality. It’s time to bail out the people, not the banks. It’s time to build, but the structural problems we face can’t be solved through market-based solutions alone. We need to bring Bitcoin and crypto innovation back to New York and promote legislation that provides clarity in the cryptocurrency/digital asset market space by:
· Criminal Justice Reform - More than 1,000 Americans have been shot and killed by police over the past year. It's time for substantive structural change including: require a federal standard limiting use of force to only necessary as a last resort and mandate the use of de-escalation techniques; prohibit neck holds, chokeholds, and other maneuvers involving excessive force that restrict the flow of blood or oxygen to the brain; enforce robust data collection on police-community encounters and law enforcement; de-militarize law enforcement; prohibit no-knock warrants; modify 18 U.S.C. Sec 242 to allow prosecutors to hold law enforcement accountable for the deprivation of civil rights and civil liberties; develop a national public database of police agencies covering violations and license revocation due to misconduct; end qualified immunity which has been interpreted by courts as unqualified impunity. Moreover, we should: ban private prisons; reduce mass incarceration; legalize and regulate Marijuana; decrease the use of pre-trial cash bail.
· LGBTQ+ Equality - Sexual orientation and gender identity are not protected classes, leaving millions of Americans vulnerable to discrimination. Our current laws do not adequately protect communities that are most vulnerable to violence and discrimination making the following actions essential: pass the Equality Act, the Do No Harm Act, and any legislation extending protected status to individuals based on sexual orientation and gender identity; restore the Voting Rights Act to protect against voter ID laws that can deny transgender individuals access to the ballot box, reverse the Trump administration’s ban on transgender people serving in the military; provide federal funding to school districts that implement LGBTQ+ inclusive programs. improve the treatment of transgender inmates by providing adequate gender-affirming healthcare and ensuring gender-appropriate housing for inmates, decriminalize sex work; ensure access to non-discriminatory gender-affirming healthcare and services.

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

Jonathan Herzog won two lawsuits in federal court against the NYS Board of Elections to reinstate the presidential primary and protect voters’ rights as co-plaintiff with Andrew Yang and other Yang and Sanders delegates. And as a founding member of Andrew Yang's 2020 presidential campaign team, Herzog helped Yang secure widespread online media coverage, qualify for the DNC debates, and bring universal basic income to the mainstream along with building out the campaign’s ground team and operations in Iowa.

The best advice ever shared with me was:

Yuval Harari: “whoever controls the algorithms [is] the real government.”

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

· The Great Rebuild - Invest in a multi-trillion dollar scale public works and infrastructure plan to re-employ tens of millions of Americans in the wake of the new Great Depression and this global pandemic. Invest tens of billions in fiber optic development to ensure universal access to high-speed internet. Invest in public transit, and sustainable city design. Explore creative financing mechanisms such as a common-ownership self-assessing tax mechanism, continuous public auctions, and quadratic funding to fund public-private infrastructure development.
· Carbon Fee and Dividend - Set an initial carbon tax of $40/ton, which would increase in regular intervals until it hit $100/ton. Allocate at least 50% of revenue towards sustainable energy, infrastructure, and transportation development.
· Paid Family Leave- Guarantee 6 months paid family leave for all parents, including the birth of a new child, adoption or foster care to promote health, employment, and family cohesion.
· Women + Equality – Protect privacy and reproductive freedom. Codify Roe. Ensure comprehensive contraceptive care is covered under health insurance plans. Repeal the Hyde Amendment. Support the Pregnant Worker Fairness Act. Fully fund Planned Parenthood. Refuse to contract with firms that don't provide equal pay or disclose salary information.
· Guaranteed Childcare - Invest in, incentivize, and guarantee universal childcare and universal pre-K.
· Seniors - Ensure the solvency of Social Security. Support seniors and enable retirement in dignity through the biggest expansion of Social Security in our lifetimes - a universal basic income.
· Mental Health Investment - Increase access to mental health resources, integrate mental and emotional wellness into the greater health care system. Integrate regular mental health checkups into primary care. Invest in suicide prevention, build the mental health workforce, improve funding for crisis helplines and veteran mental health. Leverage telehealth services to mitigate accessibility barriers.
· Gun Safety - Pass universal background checks, close the gun show and Charleston loopholes. Prohibit bump stocks. Invest in mental health, increase funding to the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline and the US Department of Veteran Affairs Suicide Prevention efforts. Let the CDC research gun violence. Invest in de-escalation training and personalized gun technology. Implement a federal licensing system and voluntary buyback.
· Disability Rights - Ensure healthcare covers preventative care services for people with disabilities, such as assistive mobility devices, hearing aids, adequate catheters, and sufficient physical therapy visits to prevent secondary conditions. Expand access to early detection, intervention, and care for children with disabilities. Invest in accessible public transit, ADA-compliant hospital facilities, and ensure equal access to care.
· Regulation of Artificial Intelligence - Refund the Office of Technology Assessment. Create a Department of Technology to monitor technological developments, assess risks, and create new guidance. Invest in public-private partnership to identify and mitigate emerging threats while promoting innovation and sustainable growth.
· Student Loan Relief - Reduce student loan payments by ensuring the federal government does not profit from educational loan servicing. Provide immediate blanket relief and then implement a federal student loan relief with a 10x10 plan, where the federal government would relieve student loan debt and allow students to opt-in to commit 10% of their salary per year for 10 years, after which the balance would be forgiven. Enable discharge through bankruptcy.
· Counter-Extremism and De-Polarization Investment - Properly designate as domestic terrorism, standardize federal prosecutions, disrupt multinational networks, and investigate to the fullest extent of the law, treating white nationalism and domestic terrorism as a Department of Justice and FBI priority.
· Social Media Addiction Reduction - Trillion dollar companies have purposefully designed addictive platforms without considering their effects on developing brains. Our kids are spending hours every day on social media and becoming more tired, stressed out, and depressed because of it. Create a Department of the Attention Economy to help ethically design smartphones, social media, gaming, and chat apps. Provide screen use guidance.
· Net Neutrality - The repeal of net neutrality protections threatens the free internet for all Americans. It is imperative that we protect this technology so that all Americans can continue to enjoy unfettered and affordable access to the internet.
· Vocational and Technical Education Investment - College is being over-prescribed. Dramatically increase investment in technical, vocational, and apprenticeship training and de-stigmatize non-college paths.
· Legislative & Judicial Term Limits - Implement 12-year legislative term limits and 18-year Supreme Court term limits.