Émilia Decaudin, pictured, a Long Island City resident, is aiming to become New York’s first transgender state legislator (Photo via Émilia for Assembly website)
July 11, 2023 By Michael Dorgan
A Long Island City resident is aiming to become New York’s first transgender state legislator, having announced a run for Assembly District 37, a seat currently held by embattled Assembly Member Juan Ardila, whose term has been shrouded with sexual abuse allegations.
Émilia Decaudin, 24, a transgender woman, launched the political campaign on July 11 on a Democratic socialist platform and is seeking to make New York more livable and inclusive. District 37 covers Long Island City, Maspeth, Ridgewood and Sunnyside.
Decaudin, who is a Democratic Party district leader, wants hundreds of thousands of more affordable housing units built across the state and is looking to bring down the cost of living. Decaudin would be the first transgender person to serve in the New York state Legislature if elected.
“New York cannot be the sanctuary it claims to be if people can’t afford to live here,” Decaudin said. “The high cost of living and the lack of political courage is failing thousands of New Yorkers every day. We must use every tool at our disposal to ensure that every one of us has access to high quality and deeply affordable housing.”
Decaudin is also calling for more social and publicly-owned housing to tackle the housing crisis, as well as eliminating barriers to constructing dense, mixed-income development.
Decaudin also says tackling climate change is a centerpiece of the recently launched campaign.
“We owe ourselves and future generations a world with clean air, safe temperatures, and dry homes,” Decaudin said. “New York state not only has the ability to become a leader in renewable energy production and environmental resiliency, but the duty to do so in an equitable and efficient manner.”
A city law called Local Law 97 will go into effect next year that requires building owners such as co-ops to cut their carbon emissions to a pre-determined amount or face hefty penalties. Some co-op owners say they fear paying massive costs to comply with the law,
Decaudin supports a bill by Assembly Member Edward Braunstein that would provide many co-op and condo buildings with tax abatements for capital improvements while trying to comply with Local Law 97.
Decaudin, who grew up in Westchester County to French immigrant parents, was elected to the New York State Democratic Committee in 2018.
The trans rights activist came out as transgender in 2019 and spearheaded a successful effort to amend the State Committee’s rules to allow for non-binary residents to run for committee slots, which had previously been restricted to male and female Democrats only.
Decaudin also worked to remove gender requirements for county committee positions at the Kings County Democratic Committee and helped introduce a State Committee resolution to formally censure then-Governor Andrew Cuomo in February 2021 for mishandling COVID-19 fatality data for long-term-care facility residents.
Decaudin is the Democratic District Leader for Assembly District 37. Decaudin and Melissa Sklarz are the state’s first trans district leaders.
Decaudin is looking to take Assembly Member Juan Ardila’s seat, although it is unclear if Ardila is seeking re-election.
Ardila has been accused of inappropriately touching one woman on a couch while she was intoxicated at a November 2015 party and forcing himself on another woman in the bathroom that same night. He initially offered an apology and said he took responsibility for his actions but then denied them after he released the details of a self-funded investigation into the incidents.
Ardila has effectively been shunned by his party and dozens of elected officials have called for him to resign, including Governor Kathy Hochul, Senate Majority Leader Andrea Stewart-Cousins and Congress Member Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez. Furthermore, the alleged victims have also called for him to step down, while Queens Community Board 2 passed a “no confidence” resolution on his ability to represent his constituents
Should Decaudin take the District 37 seat, it would be another big win for democratic socialists in western Queens, with state lawmakers Kristen González, Jessica González-Rojas and Zohran Mamdani already in office, as well as Astoria Council Member Tiffany Cabán.
The Democratic primary is set for June 2024, although a bill passed by the state senate and assembly would bring it forward to April, should Gov. Kathy Hochul sign the legislation.
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17 Comments
As someone whose family fled socialism, we will never vote for anyone that associates with the word “socialism” . We are proud defenders of Capitalism for giving us the opportunities we would never have back in our Home Countries.
As a long time resident of Sunnyside who was born and raised here and currently raising two young children here as well, all I can say is this is not it. I understand that times are changing and individuals need to express themselves and are finding themselves blah blah blah. However, this individual is not the answer to replace are current representitive. I get it Juan is a lying snake and needs to be replaced but this individual who identifies as a “women” but has a “*ick” is not it. I’m sorry if i’m being ignorant but this is a guy however you cut it. I do hope there is more representation for our community because this individual is not the clear cut diverse representation of our community, it’s another White male however you sugar coat it.
Several of the comments on this post are mean and disgusting and directed at things other than the issues the candidate is describing are important to her. I think it’s really unacceptable and cowardly to express intolerance of others as your ‘viewpoint’ or just what you ‘believe.’ It is a true shame that as we develop and seek to make more mainstream language related to **existing** identities, that would make people feel more inclusive and within the capacities of respect that **every** person deserves, that some/many react so poorly and choose to ridicule others based on that difference instead. I am very sorry that she has to read these.
He/she looks lije the guy from Harry Potter.
More dysfunction from the socialists
>>“New York cannot be the sanctuary it claims to be if people can’t afford to live here,” Decaudin said.
Go for it: Turn NYC into Venezuela.
Well, well, well – no surprise that Sunnyside Post once again did not post my comment. Sunnyside is not as “woke” as your idiotic “newspaper” has become. Your types represent a very small percentage of New Yorkers and any day now the majority of sane New Yorkers will bring back our once safe city!
It generally takes three tries to get a comment that doesn’t fit the Marxist agenda posted.
Ew.
The real GW has no comment other than I hope other candidates jump into the race.
The real GW also doesn’t approve of this candidate.
So boring.
Sunnysiders, please DO NOT vote for this wackadoodle. He has no substantial qualifications to serve in the Assembly and former gig was a paid activist on the Transalt payroll. The crazy left that has gone beyond insane, on a mission to take away our cars and other freedoms and choices. He does call himself a Socialist Democrat after all and has tweeted some vile stuff including telling someone who only disagreed with him to suck his “Girl Dick” whatever that is. Any Republicans or Independents running?
I believe that was also after he/she said they were annoyed they had to “do the work to look like a transgender” what does that even mean???? No one is making you look like one to identify as one. It’s offensive to those that actually have those feelings. It’s offensive to actual women. If it feels like a job for you then maybe it’s just not it for you.
Gives me “im just being a transgender for attention” vibes
Good luck to you. I will vote for you not because you are transgendered but if you do something about the number one issue here and in the city, rampant crime and unlicensed bikes of all king terrorizing people especially seniors as they cross the street.
Isn’t that precious! Another radical – no thanks! She did one good thing by going after Cuomo on nursing home death data and that was is. It is all about identity politics with Decaudin and she hates the police. She has made that clear. People are leaving the neighborhood because of poor conditions and she has no comment on that.
“New York cannot be the sanctuary it claims to be if people can’t afford to live here,” Decaudin said.
GO FOR IT! Make NYC Venezuela!