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Ryder Kessler
DEMOCRAT
Ryder Kessler is running for New York Member of Assembly, District 66, Democratic Primary.
Personal background
Ryder Kessler is from Chelsea, Manhattan. He earned his bachelor's in social studies and English from Harvard University and his Master of Philosophy and Master of Arts from Columbia University. He currently volunteers with the Community Board of Manhatten.
Professional background
Ryder currently works as the executive director of the Abundance New York Fund. He previously worked as the co-executive director at Abundance New York, a northeast regional voter protection director at the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee (DCCC), a voter protection director with the Maine Democratic Party, the co-founder and director of DipJar, a strategic advisor at Flippable, and a campaign manager at Tracy Mitrano for Congress.
Political background
Ryder previously ran for New York State Assemby, District 66 in 2022, but did not win.
Economy
Supports fixing the property tax system to provide relief for middle-class homeowners and endorses a proposed "circuit breaker" tax credit.
Wants to crack down on the “Buy, Borrow, Die” strategy that allows the ultra-rich to avoid paying taxes on their wealth and impose a tax on loans secured by appreciated assets.
Calls for increasing taxes on the ultra-wealthy through a tiered, progressive tax hike on annual incomes above $5 million to ensure fair tax contributions.
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Energy & the Environment
Advocates for drastically increasing tree cover and green space to reduce heat island effects and create more vibrant neighborhoods.
Supports coastal protections to mitigate storm surges and advocates for upgrading subway and sewer infrastructure, as well as innovative resiliency measures like porous cement and bioswales.
Calls for stopping backsliding on climate commitments, undoing rollbacks to emission reduction targets, blocking fossil fuel projects, and implementing cap-and-invest policies as soon as possible.
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Healthcare
Supports passing the New York Health Act to create a single-payer healthcare system for all New Yorkers, emphasizing the importance of access to quality healthcare untethered from employment.
Advocates for expanding access to reproductive care by lowering barriers to birth control prescription and payment.
Prioritizes ending prior authorization requirements for mental health medications and enforcing parity laws for mental health coverage.
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Voting & Elections
Supports increasing voter turnout by legalizing same-day registration, implementing Automatic Voter Registration, addressing technical and personnel delays, and ending cronyism at the Board of Elections.
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Public Safety
Supports passing Daniel's Law to send mental health professionals instead of officers to individuals experiencing psychiatric, alcohol, or substance use crises, promoting a community-based, evidence-driven response rooted in peer support and consent.
Calls for drastically expanding protected bike lanes to provide a safe space for riders.
Promises to design better streets with traffic calming measures and hardened daylighting to enhance safety for children, elders, and disabled New Yorkers.
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Education
Supports funding the Class Size Reduction Act to ensure middle schools have adequate space and staffing to meet legal class size limits.
Prioritizes expanding funding for CUNY and SUNY, advocating for larger contributions from private universities to offset their tax-exempt status.
Promises to ensure that trans youth can live and learn in accordance with their gender identities.
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Housing & Urban Development
Supports lowering housing costs by increasing housing supply through density legalization, speeding up approvals, and reforming property taxes while protecting rent-stabilized housing.
Advocates for the creation of a Social Housing Development Authority to focus on housing that caps rents at 25% of income, with at least 25% of units reserved for households earning less than 30% of Area Median Income (AMI).
Calls for the creation of more deeply affordable homes through expanded HPD programs and project-based rental assistance.
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