A WSR Conversation With Candidate Patrick Timmins in the Race to Represent the UWS in Congress

By Gus Saltonstall

West Side Rag readers will recognize Patrick Timmins from his recent campaign for Manhattan District Attorney.

Timmins, a Morningside Heights local, is now one of the many candidates running to succeed Rep. Jerrold Nadler in New York’s 12th Congressional District. There are a total of 10 Democratic challengers vying for the open seat, along with seven Republican candidates, and three Independent candidates, as of March 23.

West Side Rag is looking to profile as many of these candidates as we can. Most recently, we spoke with Timmins, a longtime New York litigator and adjunct law professor at John Jay College of Criminal Justice.

Our interview included questions about his background, stances on immigration, housing, affordability, and why he chose to run.

The interview has been edited lightly for clarity.

WSR: You recently ran for Manhattan district attorney; what made you want to seek election once again, but this time as a member of Congress?

Timmins: It’s far different race. When you’re the lone challenger to an incumbent, like I was in the DA race, that’s a different campaign altogether. What triggered this run is probably what triggered other people. It’s a vacant seat. I’m the only one who has run in the entire 12th Congressional District and we received more than 50,000 votes in the 12th CD. With that type of support, even though we lost, I felt that with that base of tens of thousands of people pulling your lever seven months ago, it made me say, ‘Hey, let me jump in.’

I’ve always wanted to serve and to serve in Washington is very exciting.

WSR: How similar is your platform to when you ran for district attorney?

Timmins: There’s no real similarity with it. Then, it was about crime, and issues with the handling of the Manhattan district attorney’s office. In Washington, it might be more difficult to do things about crime in the 12th CD, but with my knowledge in the subject, I will push for improvements in that. I still believe that subways should be an easy, convenient ride and they’re not. People are still being shoved in front of trains.

This campaign is about a wide variety of issues from term limits to Medicare to immigration to energy to affordability.

WSR: What do you think sets you apart from the other candidates?

Timmins: We’ve heard a lot from candidates in this race about abolishing ICE and impeaching Trump. In my opinion with ICE, the agency doesn’t need to be abolished but needs to bring all of its officers back. Bring them back to wherever they trained them, and retrain them. Take the masks off of them. Enforce body cameras. Create stricter background checks for new recruits. Make them an effective but not violent force.

WSR: Any other thoughts on the topic of immigration?

Timmins: I have an idea for a “Democratic Blue Card.” “The Blue Card” gives people who have been in the United States illegally for at least 10 years and haven’t got in any sort of trouble, a legal status, and an easier pathway to permanent, legal residence.

WSR: You mention Trump; if elected, you would be joining into a relationship with the executive branch; how would you view it?

Timmins: Being in opposition with the executive branch is not a smart campaign. The Democratic Party has to be a party of ideas, not reactionism or emotionalism. What I want to do is get to Washington and focus on creating bills. We need laws. I’m hoping that maybe President Trump wants to leave a legacy of new laws, so I would push for that.

When it comes to impeaching Trump, if I’m elected by the good people of the 12th CD, I would be sworn into office in January of 2027. If you begin an impeachment, you’re losing time on creating laws that help people and if it’s ever successful, which I don’t think it would be because of the Senate, you’d get J.D. Vance. That’s bad politics.

WSR: What are some of those other subjects you’d look to build legislation around?

Timmins: Medicare, it should include dental and vision. That’s a no brainer, if you want people to have longevity, they can’t have rotting teeth or bad eye sight. Immigration. Energy. Term limits. No taxation on Social Security; I don’t care about how much you get each month, that will help affordability.

There also has to be a review of the tax code at certain income levels so people have more money in their pockets to pay rent. On the topic of safety, if you’re apprehended or arrested with an illegal gun, I would like to see the federal courts handle those cases, [as] opposed to the state, country or city. The process would go faster. We also have to stop the guns coming from these gun-friendly states.

WSR: Why is the subject of federal accountability such an important part of your campaign?

Timmins: When I decided that term limits for Congressional members was necessary, I was thinking about elected officials like Senator Charles Grassley, who is 92 years old. There are Democrats who are real old timers too. You can’t be that effective when you’ve been around for so long. We need good leadership that is always changing. That’s why I signed the National Pledge for Term Limits, which says three two-year terms for Congress members and two six-year terms for the Senate. You’re going to get a more robust, energized Congress by implementing that. I don’t want people winning an election and thinking it’s a generational seat, but that’s what’s happened. In my years of working, generally, you get the best production from a worker in their first five to eight years.

WSR: Affordability is another central issue in the campaign. What would you look to get done on the topic within New York-12?

Timmins: Right now, I’m connected with the effort to stop the demolition of 18 buildings down by the Chelsea Houses. The people do not want that. These projects never seem to work out for the people that live there. The Section 9 housing in the 12th CD is very important. These people need to live good lives, lives where they’re not afraid and can prosper.

12th CD also has lots of co-op and condominium housing. That community of people who own their homes in that way, OTI, oil, tax, and insurance, is always the reason that is given to raise your maintenance. If we have better energy policy, where we can reduce the cost of electricity, it will put money back in people’s pockets. We need to find a way to convert waste to power. Waste can be converted to methane, which can be used for energy, which we desperately need.

Other affordability issues, we need to look at our transportation. I’m all for fighting Trump when it comes to speeding up the Second Avenue Subway project or the New York and New Jersey Gateway Tunnel, because it creates jobs and also will provide people with a faster way to get around.

WSR: You also point to voting rights as a major issue in your campaign?

Timmins: I want everybody to vote. There is a difficulty for people to vote, so far as getting out the house, if they’re not well. In New York City, many people don’t have a car or the ID that comes along with it. Let’s make things easier for people to vote. It’s important that everybody gets involved in the civic process. It’s difficult to realize that most registered voters don’t vote in a given election. In my most recent Manhattan District Attorney primary race, a total of 32 percent of registered Democrats in the borough got out to vote. That’s a shame. We need more openness. We need more public announcements about the races.

WSR: On a more local level, do you have any personal favorite spots on the Upper West Side and in the district?

Timmins: I’ve lived a full life in the district. Whether it was as a Harlem Little League manager for seven years or a West Side Soccer manager for four years, I’ve been a resident of this district. I know the issues.

I like Riverside Park a lot. I just had a great Irish dinner at The Ellington. I love Madison Square Garden. It’s iconic. The subway system. That has helped me so much, and helped my children so much.

WSR: Before the final question, anything you would want to mention that we haven’t covered?

Timmins: What’s happened with the city and country so far as anti-Semitism and how it has really grown tremendously as a guy who was born in Manhattan. My grandparents were immigrants from Ireland. Anti-semitism has to be dealt with in different ways. We have to educate on the topic, we have to create opportunities for familiarity with our Jewish communities. The Jewish community has helped build the city as much as any group.

WSR: What would your 30-second pitch to voters be?

Timmins: I’m a radical pragmatist. I have vast experience in terms of managing and running things. My focus will be on proposing and passing bills in Washington D.C. that help people in the district in their day to day lives. I just ran a race last June and got a total of 70,000 votes. People know me. Given that experience, I’m the best person in the race to take home the nomination.

You can find out more about Timmins on his campaign website — HERE.

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