H H H H H H PRIMARY VOTERS’ GUIDE 2021 H H H H H H
TIMESLEDGER | QNS.34 COM | JUNE 4-JUNE 10, 2021
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District 26
Sunnyside, Woodside, Long Island City, Astoria and
Dutch Kills
Current Council Member: Jimmy Van Bramer (termlimited)
DEMOCRATIC PRIMARY Amit Bagga
Bagga, a native New Yorker
and the son of immigrants, has
worked in government for 14
years. Among some of his work
includes helping run New York
City’s first-of-its-kind census campaign. (www.
amitforcouncil.com) Jonathan Bailey
Bailey, a Woodside resident, is
an activist and former co-chair
of Queens DSA. Bailey worked
for Congresswoman Alexandria
Ocasio-Cortez’s first campaign
for office in 2018, and founded a workers’
organization at Amazon, Amazonians United.
(www.jonathanforqueens.com) Lorenzo Brea
Brea, who grew up Ravenswood
Houses in Astoria, is a
community leader. Brea worked
as an aide to former City
Councilman Rafael Espinal,
helping connect constituents in East New York
with necessary resources. (www.votelorenzo.com) Julia Forman
Forman, a resident of Dutch
Kills, is a former Bronx assistant
district attorney. She’s also
the treasurer for the Western
Queens Community Land Trust,
worked with mutual aid organizations during the
COVID-19 pandemic and assisted with the census
count. (www.votejulia.com) Glennis Gomez
Gomez, an Afro Latina and
NYCHA resident, previously
worked as chief of staff for
former-Assemblywoman
Gabriela Rosa and as a scheduler
for current Congresswoman Adriano Espaillat.
She currently works as a community coordinator
at the Department of Education. (www.
glennisforqueens.com) Denise Keehan-
Smith
A native of Woodside, Keehan-
Smith is a long-time community
leader, having served as chair
of Community Board 2 for four years after being
a member since 2012. Keehan-Smith is also the
district leader for the 30th Assembly District.
(www.denisekeehansmith.com) Badrun Khan
Khan, a Sunnyside resident, is a
first-generation immigrant and
the eldest daughter of Bengaliborn
parents. She currently
works as a financial controller,
is a member of Community Board 2 and was
elected president of Jalalabad Association. (www.
badrunkhan.com) Hailie Kim
Kim moved to Sunnyside
from Seoul, South Korea
with her parents right before
she started first grade.
She’s currently an adjunct
professor of English Literature at Hunter
College, and has volunteered at local food
pantries during the COVID-19 pandemic. (www.
hailiekimforcitycouncil.com) Jesse Laymon
Laymon currently lives in the
Dutch Kills section of Long
Island City with his wife and
1-year-old daughter. Laymon,
an activist, worked at the NYC
Employment and Training Coalition and was
the state director of the Vote Blue campaign in
Pennsylvania in 2020. (www.laymonforqueens.
com) Sultan Maruf
Maruf, an immigrant of
Bangladesh, is a resident of
Dutch Kills and has worked in
the political sector for many
years with a variety of roles
including as an employee for the census and
employee at the Small Business Administration.
He’s also president of the BMDD Lions Club and
UNA Queens. (www.sultanmaruf.com) Brent O’Leary
O’Leary is a longtime resident of
Sunnyside, is a lawyer and has
worked as a community leader
for the past 12 years. O’Leary
is currently the president of
Woodside on the Move and founded the Hunters
Point Civic Association. (www.olearyforcouncil.
com) Steven Raga
Raga is a former chief of staff of
Assemblyman Brian Barnwell
and currently works as the
Northeast Regional Manager
for Police and Advocacy for the
Susan G. Komen Foundation. He’s currently a
member of Community Board 2, sits on the board
of Woodside on the Move and Queens Pride, and
founded the Pilipino American Unity for Progress.
(www.ragaforqueens.com)
Emily Sharpe
Sharpe, who has been fighting
for New Yorkers since 2003, is
a public interest attorney and
long-time resident of Sunnyside.
Sharpe, a community activist,
founded the Stop Sunnyside Yards coalition.
(www.emilyforcitycouncil.com) Julie Won
Won, an immigrant from Korea,
is a resident of Long Island City
who works in technology. Won
is a community activist, serves
as a member of Community
Board 2 and holds positions in other community
organizations such as 696 Build Queensbridge.
(www.juliewon.com) Ebony Young
Young, a resident of Woodside,
spent most of her professional
career working for nonprofit
organizations. She worked at
the YMCA for two decades and
later worked at TF Cornerstone where she oversaw
the company’s corporate responsibility unit.
(www.youngforqueens.com)
District 27:
Cambria Heights, Hollis, Jamaica, St. Albans, Queens
Village, and Springfield Gardens.
Current Council Member: I. Daneek Miller (termlimited)
DEMOCRATIC PRIMARY Nantasha Williams
A southeast Queens native,
Williams is a project manager
for MWBE Compliance at JFK
Redevelopment Program. She
is also the executive director of
the New York State Black, Puerto Rican, Hispanic
and Asian Legislative Caucus. (nantasha2021.com) Jason Myles Clark,
Esq.
Clark has served as an assistant
attorney general in the Office
of NYS Attorney General Letitia
James. He has also served as president of the
Metropolitan Black Bar Association, helping to
organize know-your-rights trainings, legal clinics,
and registered voters for last year’s presidential
election. (jasonmylesclark.com) Leroy Gadsden
Gadsden is a criminal justice
professor in the CUNY system,
and served as president of the
Jamaica branch of the NAACP for
10 years. Additionally, he serves
as a deacon at Mt. Olivet Baptist Church in Hollis.
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