NEW YORK (PIX11) – Incumbent New York Senator Kirsten Gillibrand joined PIX11 News Tuesday night to discuss her priorities in the race, including securing abortion rights and enforcing term limits for Supreme Court justices.
Come Nov. 5, the 15-year Democratic senator will defend her seat against Republican challenger Mike Sapraicone.
The historic indictment of New York City Mayor Eric Adams last week has led to many elected officials calling on the mayor to resign.
Gillibrand said she has concerns about the mayor’s ability to govern, especially after many of his top officials left their posts, but stopped short of saying he should resign.
“These are criminal allegations, so he really is entitled to due process, but my concern is there,” she said. “Showing that he can govern is going to be really important.”
Here’s what Gillibrand had to say on other issues New Yorkers care about.
Immigration
An influx of asylum-seekers to the New York City areas has dominated political conversation in the state this year.
Gillibrand said New York needs to reform its policy on asylum-seekers. She suggested people should apply from their country of origin or first safe country to avoid a backlog in the state as applications sit pending for years.
Because this backlog already exists, the state needs emergency work visas for asylum-seekers to work in industries with vacancies like agriculture and hospitality, Gillibrand said. The government must increase resources to get cases resolved faster, she said.
The candidate supports President Joe Biden’s move to cap daily border crossings. Gillibrand added that more needs to be done to address migrants entering through New York’s northern border.
Abortion
Gillibrand supports codifying Roe v. Wade by adding the long-proposed Equal Rights Amendment to the U.S. Constitution.
In New York, voters will decide on an Equal Rights Amendment to the state constitution, which would explicitly disallow discrimination based, among other things, on gender.
“Equal Rights Amendments have been used in states across the country to guarantee reproductive rights and reproductive health care,” Gillibrand said. “It’s really important that New York shows our leadership on this too.”
Term limits
Gillibrand supports 20-year term limits for senators. If she’s reelected and the legislation passes, this would be her final term.
“It keeps our governing bodies fresh,” Gillibrand said. “I think it’s exciting to have new people running all the time and to have fresh ideas.”
Gillibrand also supports term limits and ethics rules for Supreme Court justices, which she said is necessary to reverse the recent politicization of the court.
“This court has become extremely political,” she said. “It is our job, we have oversight and accountability responsibility about both branches of government.”
Gillibrand said she is urging Sen. Ted Cruz to add Supreme Court term limits to his existing legislation on Congressional limits.
Economy
New York is still reeling from the economic effects of the COVID-19 pandemic, Gillibrand said. A number of tax policies could help with that, she said, including reinstating SALT tax deductions, which allows taxpayers in high-tax states to deduct certain taxes already paid to local governments from their federal income taxes.
Former President Donald Trump’s administration put a cap on SALT tax deductions, which reduced the number of taxpayers using the SALT deduction. The cap is set to expire after 2025.
Gillibrand identified issues like food costs and interest rates for first-time homeowners and small businesses as key economic challenges. Gillibrand also said she supports a doubled child tax credit.
“People feel that anxiety even though the price of gas has come down,” she said.
Watch Republican challenger Mike Sapraicone’s PIX11 forum interview in the video player below.
Election Day in New York
The polls in New York will be open from 6 a.m. to 9 p.m. on Election Day, Nov. 5. Early voting will take place between Oct. 26 and Nov. 3.
To find your designated polling site in New York City, click here. To find your designated polling site in New York State, click here.
In addition to the Senate seat, New Yorkers will be asked to vote on local U.S. House races, state Supreme Court Justice appointments, and state assembly races. To search for candidates across the state, click here.
To view ballot proposals for New York City and New York State, click here.