Gannet/USA Today

Office sought: Governor of New York

Name: Howie Hawkins

Age: 65

Occupation: Retired Teamster

Party: Green

Ballot lines: Green

Education: 4 years at Dartmouth College

Why do you want to serve? (100 words maximum)

I’m the only progressive candidate left on the ballot. I’m the only candidate who will sign the NY Health Act for universal single-payer health care, the only candidate who will sign the NY Off Fossil Fuels Act for 100% clean energy by 2030, the only candidate who will fully fund Foundation Aid for public schools, and the only candidate who will tax the richest 1% – who receive 31% of all income in the state – in order to pay for infrastructure improvements, from the MTA and NYCHA to 1,837 structurally-deficient bridges and building out a 100% clean energy system.

Biggest challenges facing your constituents? (150 words maximum)

Working people struggle to pay their bills and stay in their homes because wages are stagnant while the costs of rent, property taxes, health care, and college are rising rapidly. A million people left the state since Cuomo took office because most available jobs are crappy and the cost of living is too high. Our cities and towns cannot provide proper services because unfunded mandates and miserly revenue sharing forces local property taxpayers to balance the state budget on their backs. I propose a Green New Deal for New York to improve the economy from below instead of Cuomo’s trickle-down tax breaks, subsidies, contracts, and regulatory favors to wealthy pay-to-play campaign donors. Corporate welfare doesn’t trickle down to the rest of us. Revitalizing public services and infrastructure will create 100,000s of good jobs, purchasing power will rise, and private businesses will expand and hire to meet the increased demand.