Skyler Johnson, a college student from Mount Sinai, has announced he will seek the Democratic nomination to run in 2020 for the New York State Senate seat held by Kenneth P. LaValle.
Mr. Johnson, 19, will vie in the primaries against Tommy John Schiavoni, a Southampton Town councilman who lives on North Haven, and Laura Ahearn, an attorney and social worker from Port Jefferson.
Mr. Johnson attends Suffolk Community College, studying political science, and has worked for Democratic candidates in Brookhaven Town elections. He has been active in voter registration efforts among young people as well.
“I got frustrated with what Senator LaValle was doing in Albany, or, rather, what he wasn’t doing,” Mr. Johnson said. “We need someone with fresh ideas to step into Albany. I’ve been able to interact with a lot of other young people who are eager to see change.”
His campaign will focus on human rights, he said. For example, he said he would like every SUNY school to provide female students with free tampons and pads, the cost of which is often a burden on women.
“We’re shifting the focus to social justice,” he said. “We might be coming from different groups, but we are the same, we are equal.”
Mr. Johnson wants to help establish single-payer health care for all New Yorkers. “I believe health care is a human right and that everyone should be covered under health-care laws,” he said. “No one would have to opt in. There would be no more co-pays, premiums, or deductibles. It would help close economic gaps and health gaps. A sick state is not a productive state.”
Having observed many young people leaving New York State in search of a less costly place to live and work, Mr. Johnson also wants to legislate for affordable housing and education, and to improve and monitor water quality.
He has described his campaign as “one of hope.”
“People have been pretty confident in my ability to interpret and solve issues here,” he said. “In any race, no person is going to have overwhelming knowledge on every subject. What a candidate has to be able to do is rely on people who have this knowledge. I’ve done extensive research and I’ve been talking to people who are affected to increase my knowledge on the issues.”