Meet The Candidate: Gottesfeld For Congress In NY17

HUDSON VALLEY, NY - New Yorkers will choose their representatives in Congress Nov. 3 in the 2020 general election.

In anticipation of the election, Patch asked candidates in the contested races to answer questions about their campaigns and is publishing candidate profiles as election day draws near.

Yehudis Gottesfeld is seeking election to the New York Congressional District 17 seat being vacated by longtime Rep. Nita Lowey, and will appear on the Conservative party line on the ballot. Her opponents on the ballot in November include the Republican candidate Maureen McArdle-Schulman; a Serve America Movement candidate, Michael Parietti; Democratic candidate Mondaire Jones; and independent Josh Eisen.

The district covers Rockland County and most of central and northwest Westchester County.

Gottesfeld, 24, received a bachelor's degree in Chemical Engineering with a concentration in nuclear engineering and public policy/ international affairs from the City College of New York; and a master's in Earth and Environmental Engineering from Columbia University (December 2020).

She is a chemical engineer with the NYC Department of Environmental Protection; researcher/scientist for environmental engineering and recycling industrial wastes; direct support professional for developmentally disabled adults and children.

Campaign website:

www.YehudisForCongress.com

Check out Patch's full Q&A with Yehudis Gottesfeld:

Why are you seeking elective office?

I am a young Jewish woman and scientist who grew up in our district, put myself through school and have personally witnessed the desperation of illness and its effect on families. I'm running for Congress to reduce our country's vulnerabilities, keep Americans safe, ensure that we enjoy a strong economy, and reduce our health care costs using free market solutions. I will represent everyone in our district by balancing a perspective of empathy and logic looking towards American ingenuity and innovation to build a more prosperous and unified country centralized around our shared American values. At the same time, I am uniquely positioned to send a message to the increasingly-radical Democrats about embracing policies that have failed our district, leading to high taxes, high cost of living, not enough good jobs and their coddling of radicals like Alexandria Ocasio Cortez and Ilhan Omar.

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

We owe a great deal of thanks to our first responders and members of our military. To do our part, we must be vigilant to keep Americans safe at home and abroad. We must adequately fund our border security, defense apparatus and public safety personnel, and reduce our dependence on China, so that Americans are kept safe. We must reduce foreign influence over American politics and media and hold the Chinese Communist Party accountable for the damages they’ve caused with spreading COVID-19. Additionally, our foreign and domestic policies must be strong enough to deter threats and be rooted in our values and we must stand with our allies such as Israel while working to combat domestic threats like anti-Semitism.

As our economy is struggling, we must keep taxes low, reduce needless red-tape and support smart trade policies which protect American workers while enabling consumers to enjoy low-priced goods. Citizens deserve to keep more of their hard-earned money and our tax policies should encourage, not punish work, investments, and savings. We need common sense changes to tax policy that will remove barriers for economic growth while making taxes fairer for all Americans.

Children are the future of our great nation. Young people should be provided every opportunity to succeed regardless of their zip code. Parents should be allowed the freedom to choose the best education for their child with state and local, not federal, governments making education policies.

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

Being a young, female chemical (nuclear-environmental) engineering scientist that grew up in this district, put myself through school, and having personally witnessed the desperation of illness and its effect on families, I will represent each of you in our district, even those of us struggling and usually forgotten, while bringing a perspective and empathy that will unify us all around our shared American values. At the same time, due to my background, I am uniquely positioned to send a message for us to the increasingly-radical Democrats about embracing policies that have failed our district, leading to high taxes, high cost of living, and not enough good jobs and their coddling of anti-Semites while bringing common-sense solutions to cleaning our environment and protecting our energy portfolio.

I encourage voters to learn more about me, my campaign and my policy positions at www.YehudisForCongress.com.

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

I'm a chemical engineer with research experience specializing in energy production (including nuclear energy) and industrial extraction of rare earth elements She most-recently conducted environmental engineering research at Columbia University. Prior to my time at Columbia, I worked as a chemical engineer for the New York City Department of Environmental Protection. I began her post-secondary education at Rockland Community College and continued to The City College of New York, where I graduated with a Bachelor of Engineering in Chemical Engineering, a concentration in Nuclear Engineering and a double minor in Math and Public Policy and International Affairs. From a young age, I have been volunteering for non-profits, serving the mentally and physically disabled and organizing weekend retreats for a local university. I am currently on the boards of a non-profit organization and a professional development organization and have been involved in federal and local policy writing.

The best advice ever shared with me was:

"Do unto others as you would have them do unto you."