Shekar Krishnan (Facebook)
Dec. 2, 2020 By Michael Dorgan
A Queens community activist and civil rights lawyer announced last month that he is running to be the next city council member for the 25th District.
Shekar Krishnan, a resident of Jackson Heights, is looking to fill the seat currently occupied by Council Member Danny Dromm who is term-limited.
There are seven other Democratic candidates vying for the seat which covers Elmhurst and Jackson Heights with the primary scheduled to take place in June 2021. The new council member will take office on Jan. 1, 2022.
We talk to Krishnan in a podcast about his campaign and his platform.
Krishnan announced his candidacy at a press conference at Travers Park on Nov. 17 and vowed to improve the lives of residents by tackling housing affordability and advocating for racial justice.
“It is more important than ever that we have a fighter representing us, someone who has the vision and experience to confront the systemic injustices we face,” Krishnan said.
“I’m running because we need to radically restructure New York so that it works for everyone.”
Krishnan says that he has fought alongside vulnerable communities throughout his career and has advocated for housing to be recognized as a human right.
He is the co-founder of Communities Resist, a legal services organization located on 5th Street in Brooklyn, which represents low-income tenants and neighborhood coalitions throughout North Brooklyn and Queens. The organization supports fair housing litigation and anti-displacement advocacy in gentrified neighborhoods.
Krishnan was endorsed last week by Congresswoman Nydia Velázquez.
Velázquez said that she has worked with Krishnan for more than a decade during which time he has helped working families and vulnerable residents.
“From protecting tenants against harassment and housing discrimination by holding predatory landlords accountable, to organizing alongside community groups to preserve cherished institutions that serve working families… Shekar understands the struggles of working families and will be their champion on the city council,” Velázquez said in a statement.
Krishnan also co-founded the local volunteer group Friends of Diversity Plaza which helps organize public events at Diversity Plaza in Jackson Heights. The group hosts arts and culture events, vigils, rallies, and seasonal celebrations at the location which is situated on 37th Road between 73rd and 74th Street.
Krishnan is of Indian heritage and is married to Zoe, an immigration public defender and reproductive justice advocate. They have two children.
The other candidates in the race include; Fatima Baryab; Lucy Cerezo Scully; Suraj Jaswal; Liliana Melo; Manuel Perez; Alfonso Quiroz; and Carolyn Tran.
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