Epicenter NYC and TBN24 invited several incumbents and challengers in key primary races across New York City to participate in the Candidate Conversations series. Interviews with other candidates will be scheduled and published ahead of the June primary. Are you running? Drop us a line at hello@epicenter-nyc.com.
The early voting period runs from Saturday, June 13 through Sunday, June 21, with the primary election taking place on Tuesday, June 23. To view your ballot and polling location, visit findmypollsite.vote.nyc.
Born and raised in the South Bronx to Jamaican immigrant parents, Michael Blake said public service has shaped his life from an early age. The former Obama White House aide, state assemblyman and Democratic National Committee vice chair traces that commitment to his family, citing his father’s work as a janitor, his brother’s military service and his own experience preaching as a teenager. “Service is what I know,” Blake said.
Now seeking to represent New York’s 15th Congressional District, Blake is centering his campaign on affordability, arguing that rising costs continue to squeeze families across one of the country’s poorest congressional districts. He also emphasized investments in after-school programs, violence interruption initiatives and mental health services, arguing that opportunity and public safety are closely linked.
“The young brother and young sister that’s standing on the corner, they are a mathematical genius,” Blake said. “They just have to be directed to the right problem.”
The son of immigrants and a longtime advocate through his nonprofit work, Blake also made immigration a central issue in his campaign. He criticized incumbent Rep. Richie Torres’ support for some measures that could increase detention and deportation for certain undocumented immigrants accused of crimes.
“We should actually protect our immigrants and not be supporting ICE,” Blake said.
