State Assembly District 37 candidates (clockwise from top left) Juan Ardila, Jim Magee, Brent O’Leary and Johanna Carmona (Photos courtesy of respective campaigns)
May 12, 2022 Staff Report
Four candidates are running in the Democratic primary June 28 in their quest to represent the 37th Assembly district.
The Queens Post in conjunction with Sunnyside Community Services will be hosting a forum on May 24 where all four candidates—Juan Ardila, Johanna Carmona, Jim Magee and Brent O’Leary—will be in attendance.
Christian Murray from the Queens Post and Judy Zangwill, executive director of SCS, will be the moderators.
Each candidate will be asked a series of questions by the moderators and questions will be asked that are submitted by the public.
Candidates will be running to represent the 37th Assembly District. This is a map of the district boundaries–after this year’s redistricting (Source: RedistrictingandYou.org)
The district is currently represented by Cathy Nolan, who is stepping down at the end of the year after being in office since 1985.
The geography of the district has undergone some change with this year’s redistricting—although much if remains unchanged.
The district covers Sunnyside, Ridgewood, Maspeth and the Hunters Point section of Long Island City.
The event will be held at Sunnyside Community Services, located at 43-31 39th St., and will take place at 6:30 p.m. The forum will be in front of a live audience, with there being room for 100 attendees. Attendees are required to register in advance and masks will have to worn throughout the event.
“This forum is likely to be extremely informative and we are excited to host it,” Murray said. “Unlike the 26th Council race where 18 candidates ran, we only have four in this Assembly race–and are therefore likely to learn a great deal about each of them.”
This is the fourth year the Queens Post and Sunnyside Community Services are collaborating in bringing candidate forums to the public.
“Candidate forums allow voters to hear directly from candidates about issues that impact the community and the lives of residents. I’m proud that Sunnyside Community Services is hosting the May 24 forum and offering a welcoming place for residents to learn about the candidates and engage in our democracy,” Zangwill said.
The forum will also be streamed online. Click here for more information.
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27 Comments
It’s debate week. Let’s get ready to talk ideology, strategy, left, right, centrist, pro or anti bike lane. They should really bring up bike lanes as a topic. Down with all bike lanes
Here’s hoping that the three moderates don’t divide the vote so that we get extremist Ardila by default. Let’s hope that after the debate, we can decide on a frontrunner.
Juan?? How can anyone support someone who spoke out against the LBTQ community and made derogatory remarks. Just because he deleted these tweets when it was convenient for him to run for public office. Juan should speak out about his past and not hide from it, yes we do all make mistakes but we should all answer for our past actions no matter how bad it may be.
Juan Ardila was with antifa at a rally in early September 2020 there was about 40 of them – I think if people actually researched about him you’ll find he to be not voter attractive.
I hope that as the only women and a women of color Ms. Carmona will be given the respect and most importantly the time to respond to any question coming her way. I do hope all the candidates are respectful with one another and the moderators don’t favor one particular person over another. I believe in Ms. Carmona and I know she will be a great fit for this community. The rest of these candidates don’t have the same roots as this candidate.
Councilwoman Tiffany Cabán endorsed Juan Ardila, along with a growing coalition including State Senator Jessica Ramos, Assemblywoman Catalina Cruz and the Working Families Party. As a voter in this district, I’m excited to vote for Juan. We need someone who will expand protections for tenants, deliver investments in resilient, green infrastructure, support gig workers and low-wage laborers and better our public schools.
Juan is a clown with a deep racist past that they keep trying to hide. I just know that had it been everyone else with such a history of hate, you all would be demanding he step down…but I guess Juan gets a free pass.
https://nypost.com/2021/04/25/queens-city-council-candidate-deletes-racist-anti-gay-tweets/
Sorry what he said as a teenager wasn’t PC enough for you, but this isn’t about identity politics.
so far the only candidate I’ve heard talk about anything in detail is Magee. The others such say the usual politician talk, but I will keep searching for any real details from any of them. Of course the progressive is out of the running that has been a disaster.
Magee is not really running. He’s just there to split the Irish vote… He should drop out.
Somebody should tell my wife, my kids and all of my campaign donors this. They will wonder where I am all day everyday.
I am REALLY running. I am running because the bail reform law is a disaster and no other candidate in this race is saying that.
Maybe because I am the only one who practices criminal law here.
I’m running on Irish Whiskey!
Please get your own posting name and quit posting garbage under mine. Magee is running, and happy to see him pushing back. Cmon SSP, where’s your moderator?
You are a virtue signaling, sad little person. I will use it as I please.
Let’s have a candidate who is for everyone in the district not just for poor people or people of color. Everyone counts. I’m tired of these progressives who don’t represent my interest.
Woman, queers, the poor and minorities will no longer be silent!! Our votes count and we will continue to vote for people who will serve the working class and poor.
Ridiculous. They are supposed to serve EVERYBODY…including home owners, business owners, the tech workers that live in LIC…everyone
Jim Magee is the future for this district. He definitely has my vote, the only candidate I would say that is really out there in the streets touching base with the constituents. I wouldn’t have it no other way. This debate is gonna be must watch virtually. Get your popcorn ready Jim is gonna sweep this debate easily.
Juan Ardila, Johanna Carmona, Jim Magee, where have you been? Brent has been active in Sunnyside actively helping residents for years.
Waking up one day and hoping to be the next AOC is not enough to get my vote.
Vote for a guy that goes where the wind blows! He’s the next one to be in the AOC pocket, a common sense candidate? He vowed to defund the police 1 billion dollars! Wants to take safety out of schools as well! Pure phony!
Housing- “Defunding” the police is a buzzword. Protect police overtime. https://www.gothamgazette.com/city/9475-defund-the-nypd-whats-in-new-york-city-police-department-budget-de-blasio
“Structural” and “systemic racism” are also buzzwords. So this article you cite much like your comment, mean nothing.
Thanks for playing.
Stealing Gardens Watcher’s name is not a good way to campaign or support your candidate. GW is leaning Carmona, but I’d like to hear anybody but Ardila.
https://sunnysidepost.com/progressive-council-candidate-comes-under-fire-for-racist-facebook-posts-made-10-years-ago
Ardila disqualified himself years ago, as pointed out in linked article.
Even Cathy “let me hold the bag” Nolan weighed in. Wow – why did she wake from her real estate loving stupor?
Nolan endorsed Carmona. Why haven’t Ramos, Cruz, and especially the self-described “Queer Latina” Cabán addressed Ardila’s past racist and homophobic tweets?