Communicated: Meet Congressional Candidate Bruno Hirshberg-Grandsard
By Idy Perl
Bruno Hirshberg-Grandsard appeared on the campaign trail seemingly out of nowhere but has captured the attention of voters throughout the NY-10 district. BoroPark24 spoke with Hirshberg-Grandsard to hear more about how he got into politics, what he thinks needs to change, and his plans for improving the district.
Hirshberg-Grandsard, who’s Jewish name is Abraham, was born in France to his NY native mother and lived there until he was eighteen. At that point he came to the US for college and graduate school, where he studied international relations and economics. For many years he worked as a business consultant for international business, studying industries to help businesses grow globally, and worked in investment management and started his business consulting firm a few years ago.
So how did Hirshberg-Grandsard get from international business to politics?
“I’d been looking at the political system lately,” Hirshberg-Grandsard says, “and I saw that structurally it’s extremely dysfunctional, mainly because of extreme partisanship. I noticed how money plays too big of a role in politics and how it affects the voting process and the people we get into office. I decided to set out to change that.”
Hirshberg-Grandsard goes on to say that he doesn’t think the problems today are so much with the candidates that are being elected, but rather with the primary voting system that gets those candidates into office.
“For example, I don’t think that voters should only be able to vote for the candidate of their own party, the way it is now in the primary elections. I believe a Democrat should be able to vote for the Republican nominee if they want to, and vice versa.”
Such changes to voting laws are happening in the west, and Hirshberg-Grandsard wants to bring it to the east as well.
Hirshberg-Grandsard is also approaching his candidacy and campaign trail in a unique way. He’s taking “running for office” rather literally, as he’s spent most of his campaign walking his entire district, a total of 350 miles, and just talking to people on the street and listening to what they have to say.
“I’ve always been a listener; my work in business included a lot of listening to others and really hearing what they’re trying to say, and then looking at data to come up with solutions. That’s what I want to do for the residents in this district,” he explains.
Hirshberg-Grandsard ’s campaign is focusing on a few specific issues that have been plaguing the NY-10 district. Although each neighborhood is different and has its own issues, there are a few overarching problems that people everywhere are struggling with. A few of the issues Hirshberg-Grandsard ’s campaign is focusing on are:
Political Reform
“I think that reducing partisanship and bringing the parties together is of utmost importance right now,” he states. “We need to work together to come up with solutions to the problems that average Americans are facing right now.”
Housing
The housing crisis is being felt everywhere right now, as a lack of available housing continues to increase prices. Hirshberg-Grandsard wants to facilitate new construction and zoning changes to build more housing for the growing population.
“At the same time, we need to protect older neighborhoods and ensure each neighborhood maintains its unique charm,” he clarifies, “but I believe it’s possible to accommodate new construction without losing the character of the different neighborhoods in the district. We need a 50–100-year plan for housing in each city, because right now it’s just gridlocked.”
Economics
Of course, one of the biggest issues we’re facing now is inflation and affordability. As a trained economist, Hirshberg-Grandsard has an intimate understanding of what motivates business and is equipped to deal with those challenges.
“There are so many things we can be doing to help struggling families right now,” Hirshberg-Grandsard says passionately. “The Child Tax Credit expired; why aren’t we bringing that back? The Social Security Trust Fund won’t be able to cover its expenses in eight years; Congress is aware of this but they’re not addressing what we’re going to do in eight years when they’re forced to cut benefits. We need to talk about the high cost of healthcare and so many other things that are not being addressed.”
Boro Park
When it comes to Boro Park, Hirshberg-Grandsard notes that a lot of the city services seem to be inferior compared to other neighborhoods.
“The sanitation, the parking, the traffic… for some reason it’s a lot worse in Boro Park than in other neighborhoods I’ve been to, and I’m determined to give Boro Park the same amount of attention as any other neighborhood,” Hirshberg-Grandsard declares.
He notes issues like the sanitation schedule, which collides with the yeshivah schedule, causing heavy traffic when there are buses and garbage trucks on the road at the same time.
“It seems like a common-sense solution would be to change the sanitation department’s schedule; why is no one doing that?” he asks.
Safety is a big concern to the community right now, given the rise of antisemitic incidents, and Hirshberg-Grandsard wants to ensure that there is sufficient security in Boro Park, and especially at Jewish institutions, so that everyone feels safe.
Hirshberg-Grandsard is also passionate about education and believes that there is not one single approach to how children learn, and that the education system needs more flexibility to allow for various educational methods.
When asked for a parting message to the Jewish community in Brooklyn, Hirshberg-Grandsard simply responds, “I’m your friend. As a Jew myself, I understand a lot of the issues the community faces, as well as the values it holds dear. I’m coming into this with an open mind, ready and willing to listen and be an advocate for the Jewish community. I strongly believe that there is a lot of progress we can make together”
Paid for by Bruno Grandsard for Congress