Marc Landis for City Council

As involved as I get with presidential elections, I have typically been delinquent getting involved in local campaigns. That’s about to change, thanks to my neighbors who hosted an open house tonight with Marc Landis, one of six City Council candidates representing the Upper West Side (6th Council District).

The event prompted me to research the candidates. Looking at their websites, it’s not easy to differentiate them based on issues  - they all want what’s best for the Upper West Side, but what stood out to me about Marc was his message that this is a “community campaign.” Marc’s first message on his homepage is that “a seat on the City Council is not the property of the person who is elected to it; it belongs to YOU! The legislative branch of government is where all of our voices must be heard, not only as campaign activists, but also as partners in governance.” All of the other candidates only talk about themselves on their website.

When I called Marc’s campaign office to confirm the apartment where the open house was being hosted, he called me back himself. Unfortunately, I wasn’t home to take the call, but I appreciated the personal voicemail. At the open house, Marc reiterated his message about the community campaign so now I know it wasn’t just some clever positioning for his website. Finally! A candidate who walks the walk when it comes to “a government of the people, for the people by the people” – President Lincoln’s quote that’s prominently displayed on the City Council website.

By the time of the open house, I had high expectations and Marc did not disappoint. He was asked questions about a broad range of topics, from affordable housing and saving local businesses to improving education and better policing of bike lanes. Marc was well versed on all issues and proposed some clever solutions. Marc impressed me with his out-of-the-box ideas. He was also honest that some of his ideas may be difficult to implement. Difficult or not,  they’re good ideas worth exploring.

With primary elections slated for September, I will continue to watch all the candidates and attend the forums and debates being scheduled. But it will take a lot to sway me away from Marc Landis. His message of community campaign, his knowledge of the issues and his original ideas will be tough to beat. Thank you again to my neighbors for introducing us to such a standout candidate.