A New Brand of Public Service: Why I’m Running for Public Advocate

The state of our Government is in peril. I have prepared my whole life to take on this moment. Today, I am announcing my candidacy to be the next Public Advocate of the City of New York.

These past few months, we have witnessed nightmarish violence on our streets and subways, an affordability crisis that costs lives, and a loss of confidence in our government. We have seen a weakened Democratic party that must be reshaped and re-energized to find people where they are, not where the chattering class wants them to be. 

We need fresh, new leadership that focuses on realistic solutions over lifeless ideology and on decisive action over performative rhetoric.  We need to bring a new standard of excellence to government, where inadequacy is a choice, not the status quo.

It is time to take our City back from the extremists and the incompetents. Self-righteousness and grandstanding has stifled efforts to address important– too often crippling– issues like housing, homelessness, the affordability crisis, and public safety. It is time to restore hope. We must tackle the issues head-on— the crisis of affordability, violence on our streets and subways, repeat offenders cycling through the system, the mental health crisis, an inadequate housing supply, NYCHA’s year-after-year freefall of disrepair and mismanagement, and a broken child care system. Anything less is unacceptable.

My life’s work is my message. Throughout my career, I have worked to lift up the vulnerable and voiceless. Upon graduating from Stanford Law, I helped win one of the largest workplace gender discrimination lawsuits in history, on behalf of thousands of women workers. As a lawyer, I partnered with the U.S. Department of Justice to combat corporate excess and fraud, saving millions of taxpayer dollars. As the State Director of Immigration Affairs, I immediately created a first-in-the-nation program to provide immigrants in New York with legal counsel. As a state legislator, I have passed bills to modernize New York City’s procurement process, making the  building of public housing faster and more affordable. And on my weekends and evenings, I taught political science at CUNY’s Lehman College in The Bronx, bringing out the potential of the young people who will shape the future of our City.

As the first South Asian-American woman elected to a New York state office, I drove through historic legislation making Diwali a school holiday in our City. I introduced and passed nationally recognized legislation establishing human rights for domestic workers. On the ground, I led coalitions combating hate crimes against every community, spearheading a movement that garnered the support of the White House.

I have fought for our City even when it has been unpopular to do so, when popular groupthink suggested not going too hard on fellow Democrats. When the migrant crisis left New York City struggling alone, I led a coalition of lawmakers calling upon President Biden to support our City in its time of need. When illegal smoke shops began popping up on every corner undermining our quality of life, I authored and passed the SMOKEOUT Act to shut them down. I am now helping to lead the charge in Albany to protect New Yorkers from the dangers of reckless e-bikes that have seriously injured pedestrians on our streets.

But I am not stopping there. Most recently, I have committed to addressing our city’s mental health crisis by introducing the landmark Empire State of Mind Act, a comprehensive bill that creates a right to community mental healthcare, supporting the treatment and reintegration of New Yorkers living with serious mental illness.

My life of service is rooted in a time-tested New York value: the unwavering belief that people from anywhere and everywhere can do great things - a lesson that is close to my heart and home. My mom was born in a mud hut in India and my parents came to this country with $300 and a suitcase in search of the American Dream. Like  so many others, they found it in Queens — a launching pad to education, opportunity, and jobs. That promise of upward mobility must remain alive in every corner of the City. It should be guarded from threats of violence and inflation, from apathy and laziness. It requires an advocate–a Public Advocate– who acts with urgency every day.

The current Public Advocate, Jumaane Williams, has failed in this role. For fifteen years, he has focused on style over substance —supporting divisive policies like “defunding the police” from his predictable rhetorical corner, during a time when public safety is one of the top concerns of New Yorkers. He has taken positions against abortion rights and marriage equality — policies at odds with New York City's inclusive values. He proudly flaunts his extremist ties. His focus on publicity stunts, public relations arrests, and slogans has not delivered the results New Yorkers need and deserve.

In 2025, the politics in our City must change. People are leaving New York City because they have lost faith in its future. We cannot delay a safer, more affordable city because of the “holier-than-thou” and the self-preserved. It is time to replace empty leadership with bold leadership rooted in common sense and common ground. The stakes for New Yorkers are too high for anything less.