Abundance New York 2026 State Legislative Candidate Questionnaire
Stephanie Ruskay
State Assembly, District 69
Background
Please briefly describe your background and why you are running for this office.
I felt called to run for office by the state of our country and our world. I have been civically engaged and doing multifaith justice work for my entire career, but I felt like I needed to be doing more than I’m able to currently do. For the last few years, I’ve watched our legislators try to make New York the safest it could be for all people in the face of the Trump administration, and I wanted to be part of that. A big part of my vision is housing justice! It’s abundantly clear that the West Side (and all of New York City) needs more housing to be built, and we need fearless and creative legislators who believe in that.
Last summer, my own rent went up, and there is such little available housing stock. I know firsthand that communities don't thrive if people can't afford to live there. I'm running to make life on the Upper West side and Morningside Heights affordable for working people.
How are you differentiated from your opponent(s)? What does your path to victory look like in your district?
There are a few key differences. Firstly, I’m a 40+ year resident of this district. I know these neighborhoods, their values, and feel firsthand the challenges facing West Siders. I am especially familiar with the challenges surrounding childcare, education, and quality-of-life issues because I am raising my own family here! My candidacy contains a few historic dimensions to it - I would be the first female rabbi in American history to be elected to state office, and the first woman in 50 years to represent this district. My coalition of endorsers speaks to my virtually lifelong presence on the Upper West Side - I’ve been endorsed by the leaders West Siders know and trust: Comptroller Mark Levine, Council Majority Leader Shaun Abreu, former Borough President Ruth Messinger, and former Comptroller Scott Stringer. I’m also proud to be endorsed by housing champions like Assemblymember Keith Powers and former Chair of the New York City Planning Commission Dan Garodnick.
My path to victory is by outcommunicating, outhustling, and outraising my opposition. My win number is 12,500 votes. I’m proud to say that as of the first filing deadline, I maxed out the public matching funds available to me ($175k) and comfortably outraised my opponent (by about $40k). My total raise, including my anticipated matching funds payout, is currently $360k. I expect to raise between $450-500K for this race. My path to victory relies on my base of middle aged and senior voters on the Upper West Side, growing my support in Morningside Heights with the help of my endorsers, Councilmember Shaun Abreu and Comptroller Mark Levine, and building a coalition with support from organized labor (The Hotel Trades Council and 32BJ SEIU has endorsed my candidacy) and elected leaders from across the district.
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
I’m encouraged by Governor Hochul’s willingness to reform and adapt SEQRA to face our housing challenges head on.
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.
Agree
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
I’m in favor of more busways all over Manhattan, and certainly in the 69th Assembly District. As for Automated Camera Expansion, I’m strongly in favor of that — and I hope newer cameras aid in the crackdown on “ghost plates,” those license plates with intentionally obfuscated numbers/letters on them.
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?
I was born into Mitchell-Lama housing, I understand first hand the needs to save rent-regulated housing. I have advocated for more affordable housing, like the housing my parents were able to have to raise our family. I believe we need to build more affordable housing in my district and across the city. In my role at JTS I’ve seen students struggle to find affordable housing and worked with them to solve their housing issues. I currently live in a market-value apartment and even though my husband and I both work at good non-profit organizations, we may one day be forced out because of housing increases.
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 I’m fortunate enough to be elected, I will focus on housing/affordability, immigration and healthcare. I would also focus on the environment and education. Morally, I cannot live in a country that calls itself a democracy and disappears immigrants and not do more to stop it. New York for All is a major legislative priority for me, and I hope it’s signed into law by Governor Hochul soon.
In terms of housing, we are in a national housing crisis. Access to housing that is affordable is a key factor in helping people lead lives with dignity. We need to focus on increasing the housing stock while paying attention to affordability and environmental protections. The Faith-Based Housing Act is something I’ll support, and I believe I’m uniquely suited to be one of its strongest advocates in the Assembly.
Our healthcare system is irreparably broken. We need a single payer option, and ideally a federal one. In the absence of that being possible, New York State must lead and create one for our state. The New York Health Act is legislation I’ll be working to advance.