New York Assembly District 19 Election: Meet Ed Ra

GARDEN CITY SOUTH, NY — The general election is less than two months away, and President Donald Trump isn't the only elected official on the ballot. In New York, state and federal elections will also be decided.

At the state level, Republican Assemblyman Ed Ra seeks re-election to represent District 19 against Democratic challenger Gary Port. The district includes some or all of the following communities: Garden City, East Garden City, Garden City Park, West Hempstead, Franklin Square, New Hyde Park, Williston Park, Mineola, Carle Place, Old Westbury, Old Brookville and Glen Head.

Ra, of Garden City South, was first elected to the Assembly in 2010. He serves as Ranking Minority Member of the Assembly Ways and Means Committee and previously served as Assistant Minority Leader Pro Tempore and Ranking Member of the Assembly Education Committee.

Ra graduated from Loyola College in Maryland in 2004 with a bachelor's degree in computer science. He received his Juris Doctorate from St. John's University School of Law in 2007 and a Master of Laws in intellectual property law from Benjamin N. Cardozo School of Law in 2008.

Prior to his election, Ra served as a deputy town attorney for the Town of Hempstead and as a legal aide in the New York state attorney general's office. He is also a member of the Franklin Square Kiwanis, a 3rd Degree Knight of the Knights of Columbus, a member of the 12 Apostles Council, and a member of the Cellini Lodge #2206 Order Sons of Italy in America.

Port is a retired Army Lieutenant Colonel and a former assistant professor at Hofstra University's Maurice Deane School of Law. He is also the former chairman of the Nassau County Bar Association Veterans’ Law Committee.

Port graduated law school in 1986 and was commissioned as an officer in the U.S. Army later that year. He served in active duty and as a reserve officer until retiring in 2015, ending his career as the legal advisor to the commanding general of the 78th Training Division. He received the Meritorious Service Medal twice, the Army Commendation Medal three times and was awarded the Army Achievement Medal.

Patch has reached out to both candidates to fill out our 2020 candidate questionnaire. Here are their responses, lightly edited for clarity.

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Ed Ra

Age as of Election Day (Nov. 3): 38

Town of residence: Garden City South

Position Sought: State Assembly

Party Affiliation: Republican

Family: Married to Laura. No children.

Does anyone in your family work in politics or government?

Yes. My brother and father both work at the Nassau County Board of Elections.

Education: B.A., Loyola University in Maryland; J.D.. St. John's University School of Law; LL.M. Benjamin N. Cardozo School of Law

Occupation: Attorney (12 years); State Assembly (10 years)

Previous or Current Elected or Appointed Office: Incumbent officeholder (elected 2010)

Campaign website: EdRa4NY.com

Why are you seeking elective office?

Over the past 10 years I have had the opportunity to work on many issues of concern to our community, but I feel I have plenty left to work on and I have the desire to continue serving, especially with the current COVID-19 related financial situation likely to impact our state budget situation for the next several years. In particular, we must continue to provide tax relief to our families and small businesses, enhance public safety by reversing bail reform and resisting calls to weaken our police departments, and continue to work to provide a more transparent and accountable state government.

The single most pressing issue facing our nation/state/community is _______, and this is what I intend to do about it.

Right now, our state's budget shortfall is its most immediate issue. First and foremost, it's important to remember we had an almost $7-billion budget deficit prior to the pandemic, which has now grown as a result of revenue lost during the COVID-19 shutdown. How we address it will impact every aspect for years to come including our schools, funding for local infrastructure and services for our seniors and disabled communities. While we need to continue to advocate for federal assistance we also need to be transparent about how we have allocated federal dollars provided under the CARES Act and how we have utilized cash flow measures included in this year's state budget including short term borrowing mechanisms. The Department of Budget needs to be more forthcoming with these details so that the Legislature can play a more active role in addressing this issue. While the temptation to look for additional revenue through new taxes and other means is strong we need to adopt solutions that work in both the near and long term. We must keep our business climate in mind as anything that makes us less competitive will stifle our economic recovery which will compound the sales tax shortfalls we are experiencing at both the state and local levels. We also must shift our economic development priorities away from wasteful programs that benefit large corporations and provide little results for New York, and instead help support our local businesses and get them back on their feet.

What are the critical differences between you and the other candidates seeking this post?

I believe I have the experience, desire to serve and the ability to put the interests and needs of my constituents first ahead of politics. My record shows I will put the interests of our middle class families first with the issues I advocate for and how I vote when something comes before the Legislature.

If you are a challenger, in what way has the current board or officeholder failed the community (or district or constituency): N/A

Describe the other issues that define your campaign platform

Public safety is another major aspect of my campaign. I think passing bail reform as part of the 2019-20 state budget in the middle of the night prevented the input from many stakeholder's from being heard. We have seen the results and they are not positive. In Nassau County we have seen repeat offenders commit residential burglaries and bank robberies. This has been compounded by the anti-police rhetoric coming from many of my New York City based colleagues. New York City, which is only miles from our district, exceeded 1,000 shootings this year before Labor Day. Officers have been targeted for violence. While we can and should have productive conversations about reforms, violence in our streets does nothing to foster this dialogue. We need to support our men and women in law enforcement and work with them, not against them to create more inclusive communities.

What accomplishments in your past would you cite as evidence you can handle this job?

During my tenure I have been a leading voice on issues of both statewide significance and local concern. I successfully fought to restore millions of dollars in aid to our local towns and villages after changes in the state budget jeopardized this funding. I have worked to increase parents voices in education by helping elect new members of the Board of Regents who possessed the necessary experience to serve in that role. This session, our push to restore bail eligibility for some of the most serious offenses was successful, although we have much work left to do. I have been a steady and staunch advocate for the populations that are too often left voiceless, including developmentally disabled children and adults, and have helped secure additional resources for their education and services they rely upon every day.

The best advice ever shared with me was:

You have two ears and only one mouth for a reason. Listen twice as much as you talk. While this may seem like a paradox in politics, if you are not listening you can't expect to know what is important to the people you represent.

What else would you like voters to know about yourself and your positions?

In the time I have been in office I have been accessible and remained a constant presence in the communities I represent. While the pandemic has canceled many events, my staff and I worked around the clock helping constituents seek unemployment filing assistance and local businesses in need of guidance on re-opening and working with colleagues at all levels of government to best advocate for the needs of our residents. I will continue to put the interests of our residents first on how I vote and the issues I advocate for to help our communities recover and thrive.