We continue our series of conversations with candidates on the ballot this election season.
This hour, we sit down with Samra Brouk, who is seeking re-election in New York State Senate. She discusses her priorities for the 55th district.
Our guest:
- Samra Brouk, candidate for New York State Senate, District 55
Key issues raised by candidate during "Connections" appearance:
- Brouk said she first ran to "create some of the change that I wanted to see in our communities." She said some of those things have been delivered, and her life experiences since then — becoming a mother, for example — are among the things driving her now.
- She cited legislation and other supports focusing on maternal health care, mental health, small businesses and minority- and women-run businesses as accomplishments.
- "It's really difficult to be a working person in this state right now," she said, referring to the challenges in finding child care and affordable and stable housing. "And so I think the more we can focus on those types of issues, we will have a robust workforce."
- Regarding reproductive health, Brouk said "every woman deserves autonomy over the decision she makes about her body." She added that in states that "have not protected the right to an abortion" and reproductive care, "people are dying because they cannot get the care that they need."
- Brouk said she believes "we have done a really good job of building community" for many of the asylum-seekers who have come to New York. She said we should welcome immigrant communities, and "at a state level, our job is to make sure that our localities have the resources necessary."
*Notes: To hear our interview with Brouk's opponent, Luis Martínez, click here.
You can read more about this race and others you'll see on your ballot in the WXXI Local Elections Guide.
