Kiana Bierra-Anderson, a progressive candidate for the 4th Congressional District, is challenging the incumbent Democrat Rep. Laura Gillen.
She said her first-hand experience with the affordability crisis and her time as a union leader, community organizer, and small business owner have led her to seek a further role in representing the place she loves for its diversity in race, class and religion.
“Progress is affordability. Affordability is progress,” Bierra-Anderson said. “For me, progress is not just working across the aisle, but it’s working across all levels of government and being responsible for how money is being managed.”
The 32-year-old was born in Baldwin, raised in Freeport and lives in Hempstead with her grandparents.
She said she has 14 years of experience in government, political, and community advocacy. She was a union captain at New American Leaders and previously worked at the Long Island Civic Engagement Table. She was a constituent liaison and then chief of staff for Assemblywoman Michaelle Solages (D-Elmont).
According to hercampaign website, Bierra-Anderson’s main issues are increased affordability, accessible housing, dignified immigration, infrastructure investment, financial accountability, healthcare for all, fully funded education and climate justice.
“We’re living in one of the most expensive counties in the nation, and we barely have anything to show for it,” she said. “We need to make sure that our taxpayer dollars are going towards the things that the community really cares about.”
She said that because of high property taxes, high rents and scarce housing, the county has lost residents of all ages at a high rate over the past decade.
“Housing should be as diverse as the district that we live in and housing should be everywhere,” she said. “I’m interested in seeing property taxes, not only loweredbut our property tax grievance system reformed and restructured so that people who are not paying their fair share are held accountable.
“We have to deal with the NIMBYism on Long Island,” she said, “and come to terms with the fact that the more people move out, it impacts our tax base, our political influence and the future of the region.”
Source: LI Press
