Battle for Rep. Maloney’s seat grows
Progressives continue coup against the ‘establishment’ in congressional race
New York’s 12th Congressional District, according to Google Maps.
BY MARK HALLUM
Congresswoman Carolyn
Maloney’s district has
become a more contested
battleground as the field of
2020 challengers has widened
to a total of three with the
addition of Peter Harrison.
The Democratic Socialists
of America member is
running on a platform to
make housing a human
right and has worked on the
campaign for Alexandria
Ocasio-Cortez as well as
joining in the opposition
to Amazon HQ2 in Long
Island City.
Harrison joins Erica
Vladimer and Lauren
Ashcraft in the Democratic
primary, more than a year
away, against Maloney who
has served in Congress
since 1993.
Harrison told QNS that he
was running simply on the
platform that housing should
be a human right, and while
many contend that this is a
local issue, he disagrees.
“This is a national crisis
and a national issue,”
Harrison said.
Harrison was cautious
to claim that his DSA
membership would win him
an endorsement and support
from the party, but said
discussions would be held in
the fall as to who they would
choose to back.
Harrison touts a 10-
year record as a housing
activist, having stood up for
his own rights in housing
court when rents were
rising in Stuyvesant Town.
Claiming to have had the
advantage of coming from a
middl- class family, Harrison
said he saw first-hand what
a disadvantage immigrants
and poorer tenants faced.
“I was middle class
and could fight at housing
court, but others including
immigrants could not,”
Harrison said. “Housing
was how I got involved with
the DSA.”
Meanwhile, Vladimer
told QNS that her values fell
into line with the DSA and
claimed she would welcome
their support as well if they
chose to endorse her.
“Demographics are
changing. People feel they
don’t have a stake and are
rising up,” Vladimer said.
“People are very dissatisfied
with a lack of leadership.”
As a former staffer for
now-unseated state Senator
Jeff Klein, Vladimer made
headlines in 2015 speaking
out against her boss on sexual
assault allegations. After
coming to terms with the
trauma of her experiences
working for Klein, Vladimer
said she took a break from
working in government
until finding the right
support groups.
Ashcraft, who lives
in LIC, filed paperwork
with the Federal Elections
Commission in February and
is a Democratic Socialist who
vows to reject all corporate
and super PAC funds.
With a background as an
employee for JP Morgan,
Ashcraft is also a comedian.
Maloney’s seat, which
covers Long Island City
and Astoria, is not the only
one attracting competition;
Ocasio-Cortez already has
seven conservatives looking
to make the 28-year-old a
one-term congresswoman.
Reach reporter Mark
Hallum by email at mhallum@
schnepsmedia.com or by
phone at (718) 260–4564.
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