Why I support Alina Bonsell for New York State Senate District 28

This past June I had the opportunity to meet Alina Bonsell, an amazing woman and strong leader who attended an Israel Event that I was hosting on the Upper East Side in NYC. Alina is a Republican and independent candidate running for the New York State Senate in District 28. Both I and many New Yorkers consider her a strong candidate due to her platform focused on public safety, court accountability, and economic relief. Her background combines a career in healthcare and entrepreneurship with community advocacy. Included in her community advocacy, she has positioned herself as an unapologetic Zionist who actively fights antisemitism. Her platform and public statements place a heavy emphasis on Jewish security, public safety, and pro-Israel advocacy.

When it comes to Public Safety and Criminal Justice, she supports fully funding the NYPD. She advocates for amending bail laws to implement stricter penalties for repeat offenders, removing violent offenders from the streets, and legalizing non-lethal self-defense tools like pepper spray for residents. Regarding Court Reform, a central focus of her political entry is reforming the New York Family Court system. She criticizes the local court systems as archaic and completely unaccountable. Both Mental Health and SHelters have been a major issue to public safety in NYC, in which Alina  proposes expanding long-term inpatient care facilities and institutionalizing the severely mentally ill homeless population. She also advocates for passing a Shelter Accountability Act.

Alina Bonsell is a huge advocate of affordability and supports Small Businesses and opposes progressive economic policies like the pied-à-terre tax. She campaigns on reforming residential and commercial property taxes, providing tax relief for small landlords, and loosening strict regulations on short-term rentals. Regarding Education and Community values, she supports expanding charter schools, raising academic standards, and integrating civics into education. Additionally, she strongly supports Israel’s right to exist and condemns rising antisemitism. I recently had the tremendous opportunity to interview this remarkable candidate and gain a better understanding of who she is and how she will get NYC back on track.

1. Why are you running for New York State Senate District 28?
I never intended to enter politics. My experience navigating New York’s family court system for the past 12 years changed that. I witnessed firsthand how broken laws, lack of accountability, and a dysfunctional judicial system can devastate families and children. I realized that to fix the system, we need to change the laws. That’s what motivated me to run for office.

As I became more involved, I recognized how many other government policies were failing New Yorkers. I’m not a career politician. I’m a businessperson and a mother who wants to fix broken laws and policies that are hurting the people they’re supposed to serve.

2. What is your vision to get NYC back on track?

New York City is known for having more billionaires than any other city in the world. But we’re not nearly as rich in safety, cleanliness, community, or opportunity. My vision is to make New York known for those things, too.

We need to replace elected officials who continue to support failed policies. Unlock vacant apartments, achieve energy independence, remove bureaucratic barriers to innovation and development, invest in the next generation, and create pathways from public assistance to financial independence. Cut government waste and fraud, return unnecessary tax dollars, support our police, enforce our laws, prosecute criminals, and make social programs accountable for results.

We have the resources. What we need is better leadership and better policies.

3. As a Jewish immigrant from Ukraine, a businessperson, mother, and candidate, what does the American Dream mean to you?

I came to America in 1989 as a six-year-old Jewish refugee from the Soviet Union. America gave my family safety from being targeted for our Jewish identity and opportunities that Jews were denied in the Soviet Union.

The American Dream meant that regardless of the circumstances you were born into, there were no predetermined limits on what you could achieve. I was able to get an education, build a career, become a businessperson, raise my children, and now run for public office.

That’s what concerns me about the direction we’re heading. I believe socialist policies that seek to equalize outcomes rather than expand opportunity end up creating limitations and penalizing success. We should be encouraging ambition, independence, and upward mobility, not punishing people for succeeding.

4. What is the best way to combat antisemitism in NYC?

Education and awareness are important, but they’re not enough. We need enforcement, accountability, and real consequences.

I want to reform New York Penal Law Article 485 to establish stronger minimum sentencing requirements for violent hate crimes, so offenders don’t walk away with a slap on the wrist.

I also propose a centralized hate crime reporting and accountability portal where victims and witnesses can securely submit evidence, including photos and videos. Investigators could use modern technology, including facial recognition with appropriate safeguards, to help identify perpetrators.

The portal would also provide case tracking for victims and public reporting on investigations, prosecutions, convictions, and sentencing, while protecting victims’ privacy.

We need stronger security around Jewish institutions, better enforcement of existing laws, and transparency about how hate crimes are handled. Antisemitism must have real legal consequences.