Abundance New York 2026 State Legislative Candidate Questionnaire
Pia Rahman
State Assembly, District 37
Background
Please briefly describe your background and why you are running for this office.
I am a lifelong New Yorker and proud native of the Bronx. I was born in Parkchester to Bangladeshi immigrant parents and have lived in every borough except Staten Island—from Parkchester and Midtown Manhattan to Sheepshead Bay, Fort Greene, Greenpoint, and now Long Island City. While I spent my middle and high school years in Utica, upstate New York, my heart has always been here, and when I say I love New York, I mean all of it. It would be an honor to represent my only home, my forever home.
Some of the most formative experiences that shaped my approach to leadership came during the COVID-19 pandemic, when I served as a dietetic intern in a COVID-only state hospital. The challenges of that time led me to organizing as a way to make a tangible impact. I was fortunate to find my footing with Team AOC Food Pantry, which opened doors to the broader political world. Through multiple cycles of Team AOC, and campaigns for leaders like Zohran Mamdani, Kristen Gonzalez, and Brad Lander, I learned how grassroots organizing can translate into real change. Working alongside Brad, in particular, showed me how bold, community-centered leadership can transform a city and inspire people to engage deeply with their communities.
Today, I serve on Community Board 2 in Queens, continuing my commitment to local politics and the people I represent. I am a lifelong advocate for social, economic, and environmental justice. I am running to fight for a New York where everyone—regardless of race, income, immigration status, or zip code—has access to quality healthcare, housing, education, and a living wage.
My core values are equity, accountability, and solidarity: I believe in building power with communities, not for them, and ensuring that the government serves people, not corporations or special interests. My vision is a New York where public resources are invested in people, workers have rights and dignity, and our policies reflect justice, fairness, and a sustainable future for all.
How are you differentiated from your opponent(s)? What does your path to victory look like in your district?
Through years of experience across multiple campaign cycles, I have learned that the foundation of any successful campaign is meaningful voter contact and strong volunteer engagement. Winning campaigns are built by meeting voters where they are, listening to their concerns, and building a motivated network of supporters who are invested in the outcome of the race. Our strategy is centered on a robust, coordinated outreach effort that prioritizes direct voter engagement and empowers volunteers to play an active role in the campaign.
My team is committed to executing an aggressive and comprehensive campaign plan that reaches voters through every available channel. This includes traditional field operations such as door-to-door canvassing, phone banking, and community events, as well as strategic digital outreach and targeted media communications. By combining grassroots organizing with modern digital tools, we will ensure our message reaches voters across the district and builds the broad coalition necessary to win.
At present, our core team is already in place and working closely together to move the campaign forward. Evyn Steinberg is serving as my Campaign Manager, bringing strong organizational leadership and strategic oversight to the operation. John Bartos is our Treasurer, ensuring the campaign maintains the highest standards of financial compliance and transparency. Nishat Chowdhury is serving as Political Director, helping guide our political strategy. Our digital and media strategy is being led by CounterPoint Messaging, a firm with deep experience in political communications and message development.
Government Delivery Reform
SEQRA reform: New York should reform the State Environmental Quality Review Act (SEQRA) to reduce the time and scope of environmental review for housing, transit, renewable energy, and resilience projects.
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.
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.
Agree
Additional context
(No response)
Housing
Expanding Housing: Addressing the housing affordability crisis requires increasing production of all kinds of housing, including market-rate units.
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.
Agree
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.
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.
I'll support this if we ensure that the buildings are going to go up safely, be accessible for all abilities, equitable across the state.
Additional context
(No response)
Transit
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.
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.
Agree
Automated Camera Expansion: New York should allow New York City to expand automated camera enforcement, including red light cameras, bus lane cameras, and bike lane cameras, to make streets safer.
Agree
Parking: New York City should charge more for parking and reduce or eliminate free street parking.
Agree
Additional context
(No response)
Clean Energy
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.
Agree
Nuclear Energy Development: New York should expand its nuclear energy capacity by building new reactors and extending the life of existing plants in order to hit the goal of 100% zero-emission electricity generation by 2040.
Agree
Additional context
(No response)
Candidate Statement
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?
One example of work aligned with an abundance-focused approach is my involvement in organizing and expanding access to community resources through Know Your Rights (KYR) workshops and coalition-based outreach. These efforts were designed to ensure that immigrant and underserved communities had the information, tools, and connections needed to fully access services and participate in civic life.
A key obstacle was building trust and accessibility. Many community members were hesitant to engage due to language barriers, fear of government systems, or lack of clear information. To address this, I worked with trusted community leaders and organizations to host workshops in accessible spaces, provide multilingual resources, and create an environment where people felt safe asking questions and sharing concerns.
Another challenge was coordination across stakeholders—bringing together advocates, volunteers, and local institutions to ensure consistent messaging and resource availability. Through coalition building and grassroots organizing, we were able to align efforts and expand our reach.
The outcome was a measurable increase in community engagement and access to resources. More residents were able to connect with legal services, understand their rights, and participate in local civic processes. This work demonstrated that when we invest in outreach, coordination, and trust-building, we can break down barriers and create more inclusive systems that allow communities to thrive.
Legislative Priorities: If elected (or re-elected) to the State Assembly/Senate, what are your top three legislative priorities? Please be specific about the policies you would advance and what you hope to achieve.
If elected, my top three legislative priorities will be healthcare, immigration, and affordability, because these issues are foundational to the well-being and stability of our communities.
1. Healthcare
I will prioritize expanding access to affordable, high-quality healthcare for all New Yorkers. This includes supporting the New York Health Act to move toward a universal, single-payer system, increasing funding for public hospitals and community health centers, and investing in mental health services. I will also advocate for safe staffing standards and policies that support healthcare workers, ensuring both patients and providers are protected. My goal is to build a system where no one delays care due to cost or access barriers.
2. Immigration
I will fight to protect and uplift immigrant communities by supporting policies like NY4All, expanding funding for immigrant legal defense programs, and ensuring strong language access across all public services. I will work to prevent state and local resources from being used for federal immigration enforcement and advocate for policies that allow immigrant families to live and work with dignity, safety, and access to essential services.
3. Affordability
Addressing the rising cost of living is critical. I will push for policies that expand affordable housing, strengthen tenant protections, and support good-paying union jobs. I also support raising wages, investing in public transit, and lowering everyday costs like healthcare and childcare. My goal is to make New York a place where working families can not only live, but thrive.