Edward P. Ra, Assembly 19th dist

Edward P. Ra

Republican

BACKGROUND: Ra, 36, lives in Garden City South. Ra is running on the Republican, Conservative, Independence and Reform party lines. Ra was elected in 2010 to represent the 21st assembly district and re-elected in 2012 to represent the then newly created 19th district. Ra serves on the Assembly education, higher education, health, transportation, and ways and means committees. He is Assembly assistant minority leader pro tem. Ra earned a bachelor’s degree in computer science from Loyola University in Baltimore, a law degree from St. John’s University School of Law in Queens and a master’s degree in intellectual property law from Benjamin N. Cardozo School of Law in Manhattan. Ra served as a Hempstead deputy town attorney from 2008 to 2010 and as a legal aide in the office of the New York State attorney general from 2006 to 2007. Ra is a member of the Franklin Square Kiwanis and the Knights of Columbus at St. Catherine of Siena R.C. Church in Franklin Square. He is married.

ISSUES: Ra said that if reelected, he will continue to focus on education. Ra said, “I’m continuing to push for a less test-centric education system.” Ra said his legislative goals would include “decoupling teacher evaluations from the state tests and ensuring opportunities for all students by making sure we’re not doing things in one-size-fits-all fashion.” Ra added, “A lot of students have been left behind by standardized testing.” Ra said he would continue to advocate for making “our state government more accountable and transparent.” He continued, “We need a truly independent ethics watchdog to oversee the entire legislature, the executive branch and those who interact with government, including lobbyists.” He said a government watchdog with "the independence to investigate pay-to-play allegations and corruption, and protect taxpayer interests,” is needed. Ra also said the state’s “property tax cap has certainly slowed the growth in budgets and people’s property taxes, but we still have a long way to go to make New York more affordable for middle-class families and our seniors.”