Morshed Alam and his supporters held a protest to call opponent Rory Lancman a bigot for challenging South Asian petitions, which he had no hand in himself. As councilman, Monserrate went up against the mayor and successfully rolled back Sunday parking meter regulations. He has also been very active in issues regarding veteran’s rights, immigrant’s rights and privacy. Sabini, elected to the Senate in 2002, represents parts of Jackson Heights, Corona, East Elmhurst, Elmhurst and Woodside, one of the State Senate’s most ethnically diverse districts, with more than 200 countries of origin represented. A lifelong resident of Jackson Heights, Sabini has made it his mission to improve the quality of life in his community. This calling began at the early age of 16, when Sabini won election to the Community Advisory Board at Elmhurst Hospital. At 19, he was appointed to Community Board No. 3, where he served until his election to the Council, which he was forced to leave in 2001 due to term limits. 22nd Assembly District When Jimmy Meng said he was stepping down from his Assembly seat after only one term, the unexpected opening became quite alluring to leaders in Flushing, even Meng’s own daughter Grace. Meng, a local attorney, signed up for a whirlwind campaign alongside former Assemblywoman and City Councilwoman Julia Harrison, newcomer Ellen Young and former aide to the City’s past mayors Terrence Park. When their campaigns kicked off it looked to be an interesting race, each candidate vocal on their own issues. Meng, a community activist and counsel to the incumbent, worked on issues that affected workers and working families. Young, proud of her time as an auxiliary police officer, spoke out on crime and even strengthened her position on unifying a diverse Flushing. Harrison, with her ingrained passion for education, always touched back on the issue of class size and fiscal equity in debates. And Park, who became well known for his interesting posting of campaign signs, expressed his concerns with traffic and development in Downtown Flushing. On the morning of Aug. 7 Meng stepped off the campaign trail because of a discrepancy between her stated home address and her actual home, yet she vowed to continue to fight for Flushing, its residents, and its interests. Park found himself kicked off the ballot, but not through an opponents challenge, rather by an administrative ruling, due to a clerical error on his petition cover sheet. As soon as he sorted it all out, however, Park was back on the ballot in time for a debate on Aug. 23 between Young and Harrison which highlighted his respect for Harrison and their rift with Young. Harrison, who in the past had called the Asians of Flushing “invaders,” said she welcomes the diversity of Queens, and was a clear winner in a recent debate held by the Citizens Union and the Queens Civic Congress. 25th Assembly District Shortly after Assemblyman Brian McLaughlin announced that he was going to walk away from the State Legislature, District Leader Rory Lancman stepped up throw his hat in the ring for McLaughlin’s district, which cuts a wide swath through Queens, from Flushing down to Richmond Hill. Banking on the growing diversity of the district, perennial candidate Morshed Alam stepped forward. Having given Sen. Frank Padavan a run for his money, and having taken 40 percent of the vote from him in 2000, Alam decided to take a shot at the Assembly district. Both sides seemed to be gaining strength, garnering endorsements from unions and elected officials, but it soon came out that some of Alam’s stated endorsements were not on the level, with one union and a Councilman both saying that though they wished him well in his campaign, they did not endorse him. At around the same time, Alam held a rally to condemn the petition challenge of himself and other South Asian contenders by the Queens Democratic Party. The rally, however, turned into a personal attack on Lancman, leveling accusations of bigotry against the man who was endorsed by his co-District Leader Uma Sengupta and other South Asian groups. Alam refused to condemn the statements made by his campaign manager, but then, a few weeks later, sent a letter to the Tribune saying Mohan had been fired from his position. Lancman, in the meantime, had won the endorsement of former Mayor Ed Koch and other regular Democrat officials. 39th Assembly District Incumbent Jose Peralta (D-Jackson Heights) is being challenged for his seat by Carmen Enriquez, a local schoolteacher. Both are Latinos, and both are vying for a seat representing the district with the fewest number of voters of all assembly districts. The district, created for Latinos in Queens, is one of the most heavily immigrant populated communities in the nation. Enriquez slowly came onto the scene toward the end of the summer campaign season. A schoolteacher and long-time resident of Elmhurst, she is one of the founders of the Elmhurst Neighborhood Watch. Enriquez and her campaign have mostly received recognition for being at war with Peralta. Numerous incidents, some skirmishes and criminal complaints of harassment have been the attention-grabber in Enriquez’s campaign, rather than the issues. Peralta first gained widespread recognition for being the first Latino to be elected to State Assembly, and for doing so at the young age of 30. Raised and educated in Queens, Peralta’s involvement in politics began to take its current shape while he served as Latino Student Body Vice President at Queens College. After college, Peralta began working with Assemblyman Brian McLaughlin as a community liaison. While at McLaughlin’s office, he was able to work for the Corona, Jackson Heights and Elmhurst communities on immigrant causes and community improvements. Peralta’s said his focus in Albany has been on providing affordable health care coverage to his district and fighting for the community’s share of health care dollars for the local hospitals and clinics.

[Feature Archives]