'We need bold solutions.' Mayoral candidate Zellnor Myrie lays out plan if elected
Born and raised in Central Brooklyn, he is currently a New York state senator, representing the 20th District, where he grew up.
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Zellnor Myrie knows the struggles of everyday New Yorkers, being born and raised in Central Brooklyn.
"I feel it myself. I am trying to start a life in central Brooklyn with my wife, the average cost of a home is $1 million. We want to expand our family. The average cost of child care is $22,000 per kid per year, we need bold solutions in this moment," said Myrie.
The candidate is hoping to gain the Democratic nomination to unseat New York City Mayor Eric Adams in the primary election.
Born and raised in Central Brooklyn, he is currently a New York state senator, representing the 20th District, where he grew up.
"I would not be who I am if not for this city," said Myrie.
The senator is the son of two immigrants from Costa Rica, who raised him in a rent-stabilized apartment.
He is a product of the New York City public school system and a graduate of Brooklyn Tech, who earned his college degree from Fordham University. His education continued at Cornell Law School.
"I want to deliver 1 million homes over the next 10 years so everyone can have a place to stay, I want universal aftercare, so that working families can raise their families here, I want pre-K extended from 2 p.m. to 6 p.m., so that we can continue to build a city that attracts our families, we got to have safe streets, we got to have safe subways," said Myrie in a sit-down interview with News 12.
Myrie says he supports a rent freeze this year and would consider it in the future if the data points to it.
"I think the data we have seen this year supports a rent freeze. We cannot have our tenants shoulder the cost of keeping up the buildings, and it also can't be fully on the property owners, either. I'm the only candidate who has proposed a plan that would help property owners who are doing the right thing to give them resources from the government so they can keep the building in good repair and have a good place for tenants to stay, " said Myrie.
In his seven years as a state senator, Myrie has passed 60 bills, including first-in-the-nation gun legislation that holds manufacturers accountable and has strengthened protections on voting rights.
When it comes to public safety, Myrie wants to restore the police headcount to what it was in 2018 and have police and clinical teams out on patrol 24/7. He also wants more detectives focused on non-fatal shootings.
"We have to think big in this moment," said Myrie.
