Calvin Sun (Manhattan Borough President candidate) – Meet the Candidates 2025!

The Murray Hill Neighborhood Association reached out to all the candidates running for office in 2025 that intersect our neighborhood (Mayor, Manhattan Borough President, City Council District 2, and City Council District 4, etc.) with questions sourced directly from our members via our Ask the Candidates questionnaire. See the candidate’s answers below.

How you would improve our streets and quality of life?

Improving our streets and quality of life starts with rethinking how we prioritize safety, accessibility, and efficiency. As an ER doctor, I’ve treated patients who were hit by reckless drivers or hurt because of inadequate infrastructure. Every day, I see the impact that poor urban planning has on people’s health and well-being.

My approach involves:
• Hardening and institutionalizing bus and bike lanes to prevent illegal parking and keep all commuters safe.
• Widening sidewalks to make pedestrian travel safer and more accessible.
• Greening spaces and enhancing tree canopies along streets to improve air quality, reduce heat island effects, and enhance quality of life for pedestrians.
• Advocating for more traffic enforcement and implementing a more dynamic model of optimized congestion pricing based on real-time traffic data and adaptable thresholds.

As well as other measures that the team of urban design experts I’d bring in — with demonstrated success in prioritizing safety through smart street design — would develop with community research and input. My overall philosophy is to ensure that every improvement we decide on is built on best practices, community consultation, and real-world case studies.

We can’t afford to treat pedestrians, cyclists, and mass transit riders as an afterthought. They are New Yorkers contributing to a cleaner, safer, more efficient city. As a doctor, it’s personal to me: Every improvement in street safety and quality of life is an investment in public health.

How are you going to handle the illegal migrant situation that has escalated into NYC?

As an ER doctor, I see firsthand the human cost of policies that don’t account for everyone in our city. I’ve treated patients of all backgrounds, from fellow lifelong born-and-raised Manhattanites like myself, to those who came here looking for safety and opportunity. The word “illegal” doesn’t change the fact that these are undocumented human beings, and failing to address their needs only creates more problems for everyone. But it’s also clear that the approach to transitional housing, such as the conversion of hotels over longtime empty commercial real estate (which should be the real prioritization for conversion), has been flawed—particularly when it’s done without adequate community consultation. When decisions are made without engaging the neighborhoods they impact, it creates resentment and resistance, undermining both public safety and well-being as well as pitting good human beings against each other.

We need to pivot from punitive approaches to pragmatic, compassionate solutions. In this day, that means protecting civil rights and increasing coordination between city agencies and nonprofits to create shelter in empty commercial real estate spaces, legal assistance, and mandatory job training and on-site work opportunities that empower migrants to contribute to our city. When people have stable housing and the ability to choose to work legally, they’re healthier, safer, and able to contribute more to their communities.

Just as in an ER, where triage prioritizes the most critical cases without prejudice while ensuring all patients are entitled to a medical screening exam—practices rooted from both a doctor’s ethical oath and our federal law—our city needs to recognize the urgency of this situation and act accordingly without depriving others of the right to care. It’s time to get creative. It’s not about us versus them fighting over bread crumbs, but all of us together for a stronger, better NYC. Let’s do the hard work of sitting down, recognizing the humanity and potential of everyone here, and creating pathways that work for all of us.

How can housing become more affordable and not just for low income candidates?

Affordable housing isn’t just about helping the most vulnerable—it’s about stabilizing the entire system. When housing is unattainable for middle-income earners, the pressure on emergency services skyrockets. People are forced into ERs because they can’t afford preventive care, or worse, they end up on the street, turning their housing crisis into a healthcare crisis.

I support initiatives that increase housing supply across all income levels. This includes mixed-use, mixed-income developments that ensure middle-income earners aren’t squeezed out of the city. It also means adaptive reuse of vacant commercial properties—like empty storefronts and office spaces in Midtown—into housing that meets the needs of a broader range of New Yorkers. The secret to solving the healthcare crisis is providing housing, ensuring safe neighborhoods, and increasing the strength of our struggling middle class.

New York has always been a city of opportunity. It should stay that way, whether you’re a nurse, a teacher, a small business owner, or a newcomer trying to find your footing. Affordable housing shouldn’t be limited to any one group; it should be accessible and equitable to everyone who calls this city home.

How would you address homelessness and mental illness in NYC?

From my experience as an ER doctor, I can tell you that homelessness and mental illness are not isolated issues. They are interconnected and both require a compassionate, coordinated response from us every day in our emergency rooms and urgent care centers in order for us to do our job effectively — and that means the same beyond our safety net.

First, we need to expand supportive housing (including options for restorative facilities outside of NYC) with conditions such as mandatory integrated services like job training, mental health treatment, and addiction support. Creating more of these facilities — especially by converting unused commercial properties mostly in areas like Midtown Manhattan — would reduce the pressure on our ERs and ensure people receive the help they need before their conditions worsen.

Second, we need mobile, locally based mental health response teams that can intervene early and offer care directly in the communities and at the doorstep where it’s needed most. This approach has proven effective in cities that have implemented similar models, and it’s far more humane and efficient than waiting for people to hit rock bottom and end up in the ER.

My vision is a city where we don’t treat mental illness and homelessness as problems to be pushed aside, but as challenges to be met with compassion, creativity, and preventive care coordination.

How would you support the Murray Hill Neighborhood Association?

I deeply appreciate the dedication of community groups like the Murray Hill Neighborhood Association. You are the people who keep our neighborhoods vibrant, livable, and welcoming. As Manhattan Borough President, my goal would be to empower you with the resources, partnerships, and attention you deserve.

I would work with MHNA to ensure your concerns about traffic safety, pedestrian access, and air quality are heard and addressed. I want to make sure you feel listened to. That includes advocating for the hardened bus and bike lanes, wider sidewalks, and improved congestion pricing that would make 2nd and 3rd Avenues safer and more enjoyable for everyone.

Additionally, I would make sure that your voices are considered in discussions around housing, healthcare access, and other quality-of-life issues that directly impact your neighborhood. I see myself as a bridge-builder, connecting the expertise of local groups like yours with the broader policy solutions that can make a real difference.

Bio

Calvin D. Sun, MD, is a board-certified Emergency Medicine physician, clinical assistant professor, author, speaker, and small business owner who was born, raised, and remains in Manhattan, New York City. He is running for Manhattan Borough President to address a public health emergency rooted in systemic failures in healthcare, housing, and mental health that he has witnessed firsthand in New York’s emergency rooms.

Dr. Sun graduated from Columbia University and SUNY Downstate College of Medicine, serving as Vice President and President of his classes, respectively. During his time at Columbia, he hosted MTVu’s The Freshmen from 2004-2008 and became an award-winning independent filmmaker. His research and contributions on body image have been featured in numerous publications, including The American Beauty Industry Encyclopedia.

Following his college graduation, Dr. Sun led the Columbia College Young Alumni, overseeing the largest growth period in its 12-year history. As a member of the Board of Directors of the East Coast Asian American Student Union (ECAASU), the nation’s oldest and largest ethnic-interest collegiate organization, he became its longest-serving director in its 40-year history.

During medical school, Dr. Sun founded The Monsoon Diaries, transforming his solo travel blog into a global travel community where he has personally taken thousands of people to over 190 countries in the past 15 years—nearly every country in the world. The Monsoon Diaries has been featured on BBC, ABC, MSNBC, National Geographic, TED, Huffington Post, and USA Today, and inspired a memoir published by HarperCollins.

He completed his Emergency Medicine residency at Jacobi and Montefiore Medical Centers, where he also served as the Director of Resident Wellness. Since 2018, Dr. Sun has served as the Chief Medical Officer and Lead Physician at the NYC Marathon’s finish line, practicing emergency medicine at various locations and events across the city.

During the COVID-19 pandemic, Dr. Sun provided critical firsthand reporting from New York City emergency rooms, chronicling his experiences in part of his memoir, The Monsoon Diaries. He remains one of the most active public speakers at colleges and medical schools across the country, recognized for his insights on healthcare, resilience, and leadership.

Now, Dr. Sun is running for Manhattan Borough President to bring the same dedication, compassion, and adaptability that he demonstrated on the frontlines to public office. With a proven record of leading in crisis, he is committed to addressing the current public health crisis in healthcare, housing, public safety, and mental health facing New Yorkers.

https://sunfornyc.com/