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Village Hospital Advocate Yetta Kurland Files for 2013 Election

By Andrea Swalec | January 19, 2012 7:06am
Civil rights attorney Yetta Kurland, center, had raised nearly $20,000 for a 2013 election as of mid-January 2012.
Civil rights attorney Yetta Kurland, center, had raised nearly $20,000 for a 2013 election as of mid-January 2012.
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DNAinfo/Shayna Jacobs

MANHATTAN — Local activist Yetta Kurland surprised many in the 2009 Council primaries by giving City Council Speaker Christine Quinn a run for her money.

It now appears she's raised enough cash to give public office another shot.

Kurland, a civil rights attorney who has represented Occupy Wall Street protesters and opposed Rudin Management's plans to redevelop the site of St. Vincent's Hospital, raised nearly $20,000 between mid-July 2011 and mid-January 2012, according to city Campaign Finance Board records published Tuesday. 

Kurland, 43, of Chelsea, has not officially declared the office for which she will run. 

"I haven't made a decision to run for anything specific yet, but I have the incredible opportunity now to do exactly what I want to be doing — a lot of work with health care, Occupy Wall Street and as a civil rights attorney," she said Wednesday evening. 

Kurland has been discussed as a viable candidate in Quinn's progressive District 3, which covers the Village, Hudson Square, Chelsea, Hell's Kitchen and Midtown. 

In the first reporting period of this election cycle for which she has declared funds, Kurland received money from 72 contributors, with an average contribution of $274. 

Her contributors include John Neu, of real estate developer Hugo Neu Corporation, and his wife Wendy, who each donated $2,875; political hopeful Dodge Landesman, 21, who gave $2,000; Thomas Greco of the Jim Owles Liberal Democratic Club, who gave $1,000; and Stacy Lentz of The Stonewall Inn, who gave $1,000. 

Running on a platform of advocacy for affordable housing, employment rights and health care issues, Kurland won 31 percent of the vote in the Sept. 15, 2009 Democratic primary for that district, falling behind Quinn, who won 53 percent of votes. 

Kurland's public Facebook profile includes invitations to three upcoming fundraising events for the candidate, with suggested donations between $125 and $500 each.