The Road to City Hall: Public Advocates

Name: Eric Gioia

Age: 36

Party Affiliation: Democrat

Area Serving: Borough of Queens

Occupation: City Council for the past eight yers

Money raised thus far:

Why did you decide to run for Public Advocate? Gioia said that he has spent the last eight years working in the City Council helping people in his district with issues affecting their communities. He said that leadership is more than just about talking, it is about enacting real change – something he believes he has accomplished as a City Council representative. “It’s my energy, my vision and my results,” Gioia said.

What are the biggest issues of the campaign? “The biggest issue I see is making sure that every day New Yorkers have a voice at City Hall,” Gioia said. “Far too many New Yorkers feel like they’re invisible to City Hall; that government doesn’t see them or understand their concerns. That needs to change. What we need in the next Public Advocate is someone who listens, who understands what regular New Yorkers are going through, and who will fight for them to get results that make a real difference in their lives.”

What’s the first thing you would focus on if elected? Gioia said his number one priority would be to listen to regular New Yorkers and get working to help them solve their problems. “Right now though, one of the things I’m looking at is health insurance,” Gioia said. “On the campaign trail, I’ve spoken to parents who were putting health insurance on their credit cards even though their kids qualify for free or reduced care. Cutting through the red tape to enroll them, much as we’ve done with food stamps, will be a top priority for me as Public Advocate – there are over 200,000 uninsured kids in New York City and around 70 percent of them qualify for free or reduced health care.”