Joshua Eisen, a businessman from Westchester County, has announced his candidacy for the U.S. Senate in 2024, setting up a challenge against incumbent Senator Kirsten Gillibrand. Eisen, a Republican, previously ran for the U.S. House of Representatives in New York’s 17th Congressional District in 2020 but withdrew before the primary. He later attempted to revive his campaign.
Eisen, who made his fortune by starting companies specializing in background checks, is running on a platform focused on reducing government regulation and intervention in everyday life. His campaign highlights his background as the child of immigrants and his commitment to preserving the American Dream against what he perceives as excessive government interference.
Eisen’s campaign positions include supporting government assistance for agriculture and small businesses with burdensome loans but not for student loans. He criticized Gillibrand’s support for student loan forgiveness, accusing her of favoring those who “borrowed money to party and go to school” over individuals who work hard. Eisen also proposes to dismantle the New York City Housing Authority, replacing it with public management corporations, and advocates for reducing government size in favor of community and individual autonomy.
Eisen, who aims to end a more than two-decade trend of Democratic wins in statewide offices in New York, has started fundraising for his campaign and plans to self-fund to an extent.
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