Esther Adina Sash District Leader

Campaign Information

What is your name?

Esther Adina Sash

What office are you running for?

Female District Leader of the 45th Assembly District

Have you held this position before? If so, how long?

No

Who is the point of contact for your campaign and what is the best way to get in touch with them?

Daniel Atwood, danielatwood1@gmail.com

What is your campaign phone number?

917-922-8105

What is your campaign e-mail?

Adina@Voteflatbushgirl.com

What is your campaign website?

Voteflatbushgirl.com

Is your campaign on social media? If so, what platform(s) and what are the names?

Twitter @flatbush_girl,

Instagram https://www.instagram.com/flatbushgirl/,

Facebook https://www.facebook.com/flatbushgirl/

Campaign Issues

What do you see as the role of district leader? What would you bring to that role?

I primarily see District Leader as a conduit between the residents of the district and lawmakers at the city, state, and federal level. When someone has an issue — whether it’s fixing a pothole or dealing with an immigration status issue — they often don’t know who to turn to. As District Leader I will utilize my position to direct people to the resources they need and, most of all, hold our leaders accountable. I am not afraid to stand up to anyone, and I answer to no one but my neighbors. As a social-media local celebrity with 40K followers, I have a significant platform to hold our elected officials accountable.

What do you see as the role of the Brooklyn Democratic Party, both currently and in the future?

Brooklyn is the center of the Democratic Party in New York. So many amazing people have come out of the Brooklyn Party (including our current Mayor and Public Advocate). There is a reason Hillary Clinton based her campaign in Brooklyn.

However we must root out rampant corruption and remind longtime incumbents that they answer to the people, not party bosses in Manhattan, Albany, or Washington.

What do you see as your role in increasing voter turnout and political participation and how will you go about it?

This is my #1 priority. The fact that our last statewide primary had 9% turnout is abysmal and unacceptable. I am proud of the fact that I have used my platform, through Instagram, canvassing, and voter registration parties, to register many millenials in our district as Democrats.

What is your opinion of the leadership of the Brooklyn Democratic Party, and in what ways, if any, should it change?

It is a real shame that there aren’t more women in any of the leadership positions of the party. I hope to promote women’s leadership in particular. I am not committing to voting for any head of the party yet, when the time comes I will interview the candidates and decide then. I have already spoken with potential candidates for party head and keep an open mind.

Are there any things the Brooklyn Democratic Party can do to be more transparent and accessible to the average Democrat?

Most people, in my experience, have no idea what a “district leader” or “county committee” is. They don’t know who the party head (Frank Sedido) is, or the difference between a state assemblyperson and a city councilperson. This needs to change. Elected officials should be present in their communities. The party should be actively advertising to people who their representatives are and provide opportunities such as town halls for everyone to weigh in on the issues.

What do you think about the current role of County Committee and how, if at all, should it be changed?

I see the role of the county committee as first and foremost growing and strengthening the Democratic Party by electing more Democrats and better Democrats. As a Democratic hub, Brooklyn can be a positive example to the nation about what a big-tent, inclusive Democratic Party should look like.

What, if anything, should the Brooklyn Democratic Party do about party members who run for election as Democrats but do not caucus with Democrats once elected?

If someone is elected as a Democrat they should certainly caucus and vote with the Democrats But I also believe that the Democratic process must be respected, people have the right to elect whomever they want, including Democrats who are more conservative. I do not think it is the role of the county committee to determine for a particular district whom their representative should be. If a conservative Democrat wins a Democratic primary fair-and-square, I can respect that choice even though I may disagree with it.

I believe the Democratic Party must remain a big tent that can include both more progressive Democrats and centrist and more conservative Democrats in order to be successful nationwide.

What do you think about the current process by which judges are chosen to receive the Democratic nomination and how, if at all, should it be changed?

The current process is a real shame, in that most judges are chosen by leaders instead of elected by the people, as they are supposed to be. If a judge retires before their full term is up it should trigger a prompt special-election, a replacement should not just be appointed to fill a term as long as 10 years.

What do you think about the current process for determining the Democratic nominee in special elections and how, if at all, should it be changed?

The current process is very disheartening. Multiple Democrats should be able to run. This is essentially a one-party town, and it is a bit silly that a Democrat is chosen to fill a seat and run against a Republican who will get 10% of the vote, as opposed to an election between two competitive candidates. I believe in opening up the election to anyone of any party who can get the requisite petition signatures.

We must also speak out against the reason trend of elected officials retiring or resigning mid-term or right before a filing deadline, which allows them to handpick their replacements. I will make sure that a candidate is committed to serving their full term — barring an extreme circumstance — before endorsing them.

Should district leaders have term limits? Why or why not?

As I have seen first-hand, the system does all it can to keep new candidates down. It also is strange to me that many district leader positions are filled by people who are members of other elected bodies. I believe there should be a term limit. Having people with experience is important, so the limit should be high (perhaps a max of five two-year terms), and the terms should be staggered so there isn’t total turnover at once.

How independent should district leaders be from other elected officials? Should district leaders be allowed to hold another elected position? Why or why not?

I think that ideally district leaders should not be allowed to hold other positions. First of all, i believe in maximal participation. Why is it fair that an state Senator can hold two positions, when there are so many talented people who want to get involved but can’t? Additionally, I believe the district leader should serve as a conduit between the community and elected officials and hold them accountable. If they are the elected official, their position as DL basically gets lost, which is a disservice to the people.

What other issues should a district leader take a position on?

Whatever interests them! My main issues are increasing voter participation, increasing transparency in our government, and increasing women’s leadership in the party. It is absurd that there are so few women in the city council, Assembly, and state Senate, and that there are no female party heads. I do not work for my male district leader.