NO PREFERENCE
NELSON CASTRO – DEM
(photo from NYS Assembly website)
Nelson Castro’s Candidate Questionnaire
Age: 38
Occupation: Member, NYS Assembly
Education: Andrews University (BA)
Assembly website: http://assembly.state.ny.us/mem/?ad=086
Nelson Castro, a former chief of staff to Assemblymember Adriano Espaillat (AD 72), is seeking reelection for the first time. Castro supports Citizens Union’s agenda on many issues, as reflected by his affirmative responses to every question on our questionnaire. He spoke to the need for election-day voter registration and establishing a public campaign finance system to provide matching funds for state elections. Castro also expressed the need to overhaul the New York State electoral system by getting rid of the petition process altogether and removing parties from electoral administration. Nevertheless, some of his responses on reform issues lacked depth or clarity. It is uncertain where he stands on the issue of redistricting since he failed to commit to either establishing an independent redistricting commission or granting legislators a direct role in drawing district boundaries when questioned by the Local Candidates Committee, after having indicated his support behind both on his responses to the questionnaire. When speaking of his district, Assemblyman Castro states that his top priorities are lowering his district’s high unemployment rate through tax credits and job-training programs, and promoting the expansion of affordable housing for working families and seniors. He is opposed to requiring prevailing wages for jobs connected to the Kingsbridge Armory, arguing that the mandate has led to the lack of job creation. While Citizens Union recognizes Castro’s appeal, it has concerns over his depth of knowledge on certain reform issues. Citizens Union has thus decided to prefer neither Assemblymember Nelson Castro nor his challenger Hector Ramirez, who did not schedule an interview with us.
HECTOR RAMIREZ – DEM
Has not returned questionnaire
Candidate declined to be interviewed by Citizens Union