Abundance NY

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Abundance New York 2026 State Legislative Candidate Questionnaire

Chloe Pierce

State Assembly, District 107
  • Please briefly describe your background and why you are running for this office.
  • I’m not running for office to learn this district. I’m running because I already know it. I was born and raised in the Capital Region, my family has called all four counties home for generations, and my career has been spent advocating for the people and organizations that keep communities like ours strong. I know what our communities need, I know what we’re not getting, and I know how to fight to change that.

    I started my career with AARP, and today I represent nonprofits and unions, including the New York State Nurses Association, and fight for policies and resources that improve people’s lives. I have worked on issues from food insecurity and supporting farmers to land preservation, child welfare, mental health services, healthcare, and protecting working families. I’ve learned how to listen to communities, build coalitions, navigate government, and take ideas and turn them into policies and funding.

    I’m running because I have the experience, ability, and passion to be the strongest advocate for this district in Albany. I know the people who make this district home, I understand the issues we face, and I know how to get things done.

    This campaign is about more than photo ops or ribbon cuttings. It’s about fighting to protect our democracy and our fundamental rights, fighting for the resources our communities need, and making sure working families have a real opportunity to thrive. The people of this district deserve an Assemblymember who will show up, do the work, and fight for them every day. I’m ready to be that person.

  • How are you differentiated from your opponent(s)? What does your path to victory look like?
  • This isn’t just a job to me. It is a privilege and an honor to be the voice for this district in the rooms where decisions are made. My opponent treats this office like a job and a chore. I do not.

    I also bring something different to this race: a proven track record of advocacy, a deep understanding of these communities, and a campaign built around actually showing up. We have a strong volunteer base and intern program, a well-coordinated field operation, and a campaign that is deeply engaged in communities across all four counties. We are outworking our opponents in every way, every day, and we are building the organization it will take to win.

    Our path to victory is straightforward. We need to earn every vote we can. That means talking to Democrats, unaffiliated voters, and Republicans alike. Every vote matters in November, but beyond that, I want every constituent to know that I will be accessible to them and that I will fight for them, regardless of their party affiliation, background, or ZIP code.

    I’m not running to represent just the people who agree with me. I’m running to represent an entire district and to build the kind of campaign and constituent relationship that makes people believe their voice matters, because it absolutely does.

— DEMOCRACY AND DELIVERY —

  • Respecting the Democratic Process. We believe in a democracy that delivers, and that includes maintaining a commitment to democratic norms. New York should not take steps to limit access to the ballot. The legitimacy of free and fair elections should not be subverted, and their results should not be challenged after being audited and/or upheld in the courts.
  • Agree

  • Increasing Focus on Outcomes: New York should revisit and update outdated rules on hiring, procurement, and approvals for infrastructure changes to ensure our protocols are aligned with our values—and should focus on actual outcomes achieved rather than money spent.
  • Agree

  • Civil Service Reform: New York should make it easier for the government to hire the staff they need by making exams more job-relevant, allowing work experience to count instead of degrees, and enabling temporary appointments. (See agenda item #2)
  • Agree

  • Capital Project Procurement Reform: New York State should give NYC more procurement flexibility (such as expanded challenge-based procurement and "other transaction authority" style contracting) in order to speed up the delivery of capital projects. (See agenda item #4)
  • N/A

  • City Charter Reform: New York City voters should approve “COGE” ballot questions 1-4 to accelerate nonprofit contracts, building permits, outdoor dining application review, and bike lane creation.
  • N/A

— HOUSING AND HOMELESSNESS —

  • Expanding Housing: Addressing the housing affordability crisis requires increasing production of all kinds of housing, including market-rate units, across all neighborhoods and municipalities.
  • I agree that we need to increase all kinds of housing to address the affordability crisis. I also believe that more data and research needs to be done to understand the types of housing that is best suited for each individual municipality. Each municipality deserves a targeted and unique approach and not a one size fits all to ensure we address the diversity, needs and geographic makeup of each area. I will take a comprehensive and detailed approach to ensuring we meet this moment and increase access to affordable, quality housing for our communities. 

  • Transit Oriented Development: New York should allow for more housing to be built near existing transit stations including near commuter rail stations, even if that requires changing zoning. (See agenda items #8 and #9)
  • Agree

  • Property Tax Reform: New York state should reform the property tax system to be fairer, especially for renters; easier to understand; and more progressive. (See agenda item #11)
  • Agree

  • Homelessness/Expedited permanent supportive housing: Addressing the homelessness crisis requires a housing-first solution such as expedited permanent supportive housing for those in need, because shelters are not a permanent solution. (See agenda item #12)
  • Agree

  • Build Code Reform: New York, at the city and state level, should embrace building code and licensing reforms (e.g., smaller elevator size requirements, modular construction, mass timber) that make it cheaper to build housing while maintaining safety. (See agenda items #15-17)
  • I support embracing code and licensing reforms that are cheaper while maintaining safety, but we need to ensure that we are not losing sight of ADA compliance and advancements in that space to make sure there is equitable access for differently abled people.

  • — PUBLIC TRANSIT AND THE PUBLIC REALM — 

  • Reducing Car Dependency: New York should aspire to reduce the number of cars on the road and vehicle miles traveled, by expanding access to high-quality, affordable, and safe public transit and micro-mobility.
  • Agree

  • Transit Cost Containment: New York should act in a coordinated fashion to reduce the cost of building new transit projects, including reducing the size of stations and allowing the temporary disruption of street traffic to more quickly complete projects. (See agenda item #19)
  • Agree

  • Busway Expansion: New York City should: 1) expand the number of busways (routes where private cars are banned); and 2) eventually pursue bus rapid transit lines to increase bus speeds throughout the city. (See agenda item #20)
  • N/A

  • Parking: New York City should charge more for parking and reduce or eliminate free street parking, and should eliminate parking mandates for new homes. (See agenda items #18 and #26)
  • N/A

  • — CLEAN ENERGY AND RESILIENCY —

  • Abundant Clean Energy: New York should prioritize private and public sector construction of new renewable energy, grid electrification and transmission upgrades, and resiliency infrastructure to meet our climate goals and adapt our infrastructure for the future.
  • I am in support of this goal but we need to prioritize our union workers and create green, union jobs.

  • Solar Energy: New York State should preempt local regulations that effectively ban solar projects by establishing a ceiling on restrictions and should streamline solar permitting by adopting automated systems in order to enable more solar energy. (See agenda items #32 & #33)
  • I am in support of removing our reliance on fossil fuels and embracing clean energy alternatives, but we also need to do so with our individual municipalities in mind. There are different kinds of solar installations and some project types - like community solar, floating solar or solar carports - that may be better suited for some areas than others. So our approach can't be a one size fits all model.

  • New Energy Development: Beyond solar, New York should expand its nuclear energy capacity—including by building new reactors and extending the life of existing plants—and advance geothermal projects in order to hit the goal of 100% zero-emission electricity generation by 2040. (See agenda items #39 & #40)
  • Agree

  • Resiliency Authority: The State should create and empower a public authority to address New York's resilience needs led by a Chief Resilience Officer and guided by a collaborative statewide resilience plan that prioritizes protecting socially vulnerable communities. (See agenda item #37)
  • Agree

  • — RECORD AND PRIORITIES —

  • Abundance Examples from Your Work: Please describe a specific example from your record (legislative, professional, or community work) where you championed a project or policy that is aligned with our agenda. What obstacles did you overcome, and what was the outcome?
  • Through my advocacy work, I have represented various clients that are in alignment with Abundance New York's agenda. One example of a project I am actively championing is through the Trust for Public Lands. The Empire State Trail (EST) is intended to be a statewide multi-modal path that connects communities, increases access to green spaces and provides alternative modes of transportation to reduce reliance on cars. But the EST is not fully statewide, and therefore I advocate for it's expansion to include areas like Long Island. There is opposition with the introduction of multi modal paths, some of which involves the concern of increase crime. To combat this, myself and my team commissioned a study by a criminologist to produce a white paper to illustrate how crime rates differed prior to the introduction of a multi modal path and post completion. The data showed there was no substantial threat to the residential areas and communities in and around the multi modal paths. The white paper data corrects misinformation and supports the push for increased funding allocations to make the trail fully statewide.

  • Legislative Priorities: If elected (or re-elected), what are your top three priorities? Please be specific about the policies you would advance and what you hope to achieve.
  • 1. Make New York More Affordable: My top priority is advancing a strong affordability agenda that meets people where they are. I will work to lower the cost of utilities, healthcare, housing, education, and food, while making the infrastructure investments necessary to keep our communities affordable and accessible. Families should not have to choose between paying their utility bill, filling their prescriptions, or putting food on the table.

    2. Invest in Our Communities and Working People: I will fight for strong public schools, accessible healthcare, affordable childcare, reliable transportation and broadband, and the local infrastructure our communities depend on. That also means supporting the workers who provide these essential services, strengthening unions and good-paying jobs, and ensuring state investments reach communities across all four counties.

    3. Build a Sustainable Future: I will continue advancing clean energy and climate resilience, protecting farmland and open space, and supporting New York’s farmers, small businesses, and local economies. We can grow our economy while protecting the land, resources, and quality of life that make our communities worth investing in.