General Election
NY Senate · Senate District 17
First-term Republican's crime and shelter bills versus a Democratic district leader's neighborhood plans
Steve Chan won the seat in 2024 with 54.7% of the vote over incumbent Iwen Chu, in a district Donald Trump carried by nearly 15 points that year. Neither party held a June primary for the seat; Chan is on the Republican, Conservative and Stop Mamdani lines, and Larry He on the Democratic line.
Issues
3 issues · 2 candidates · every claim sourced
Where homeless shelters go
Central to the raceWhether state law should limit where New York City can place homeless shelters, and how the city should answer neighborhood concerns about transparency, construction safety and procedure when it plans one.
Larry He
Opposes the proposed homeless shelter in Bensonhurst. At a March 28, 2026 rally against it, raised concerns about transparency, construction safety and whether proper procedures were being followed.
Documented — Bensonhurst shelter protests, March 2026 ↗
Steve Chan
In coverageWants state law to bar homeless shelters within 500 feet of any transit facility in New York City, saying the aim is the safety of transit commuters and nearby communities. Joined a March 28, 2026 rally against a proposed Bensonhurst shelter, raising concerns about transparency, construction safety and whether proper procedures were followed.
✓ Track record — what they've actually done
Sponsors S5554, to bar homeless shelters within 500 feet of any transit facility in New York City; it was referred to the Senate Cities 1 Committee on Feb. 24, 2025.
Sponsor · 2025-02-24 · Sent to the Senate Cities 1 Committee
Crime and public safety
Central to the raceState law sets criminal penalties and police procedures; a 2025 law, for example, requires police answering family-violence reports to take temporary custody of firearms for at least 120 hours.
Larry He
Wants to expand the city's LockerNYC secure delivery lockers throughout the district to cut package theft, pushing the city Department of Transportation to use NYPD theft data to prioritize the area before its 2026 program review. Would require multilingual sign-up help in Cantonese, Mandarin, Russian and Spanish at district sites.
Larry He campaign website — Package theft ↗Steve Chan
In coverageWants stronger penalties for offenses committed while using public transportation, including a new felony of reckless endangerment on public transit, saying tougher penalties answer serious safety risks. Also sponsors bills to require registration and licensing of any vehicle able to go over 25 mph and to bar battery storage systems holding more than 20 kilowatt hours within 500 feet of schools and homes in cities of one million or more people.
✓ Track record — what they've actually done
Sponsors S9938, referred to the Senate Codes Committee on April 16, 2026, and S6373, in the Senate Transportation Committee as of Jan. 7, 2026. Sponsored S7710, which the Senate Energy and Telecommunications Committee defeated on May 6, 2026. Voted no on S1985, requiring police at family-violence calls to take temporary custody of firearms, on June 9, 2025; it became law as Chapter 466 on Oct. 16, 2025.
Sponsor of S9938, S6373 and S7710; voted no on S1985 · 2026-04-16 · S9938 in the Senate Codes Committee since April 16, 2026; S6373 in the Senate Transportation Committee as of Jan. 7, 2026; S7710 defeated in committee May 6, 2026; S1985 signed into law as Chapter 466 on Oct. 16, 2025
Transit and commuting
Also in playLarry He
Calls fighting for fewer delays and more consistent subway service one of his core promises, after asking residents how long they have waited for the D train.
Larry He campaign website ↗Steve Chan
In coverageWants a reduced Verrazano-Narrows Bridge toll for Kings County residents driving their own vehicles, set at 70 percent of the regular crossing fare.
✓ Track record — what they've actually done
Sponsors S10353, referred to the Senate Transportation Committee on May 14, 2026.
Sponsor · 2026-05-14 · In the Senate Transportation Committee since May 14, 2026