Election Day for the primaries is tomorrow, June 25. In our overwhelmingly blue district, the winner of the Democratic primary is all but guaranteed to win the general election in November.
Voter turnout in New York City has been low over the past few years, so your vote really counts.
Tomorrow, Greenpointers can vote for who they want to represent them in the State Assembly, State Senate, and the party’s District Leaders. We interviewed several candidates running for office to help you determine who aligns most with your views and values.
You can look up your polling site and its hours here.
State Assembly
Gallagher was first elected to the office in 2020. Most recently, she’s passed legislation surrounding landlord transparency and requiring new construction buildings to run on electric power instead of gas. She has the support of all the North Brooklyn elected officials, Democratic Socialists of America, the Working Families Party, several labor unions such as the AFL-CIO, 1199 SEIU United Healthcare Workers, and Planned Parenthood.
Simpkins is a first-time candidate who has worked in non-profits for nearly 30 years. She has the support of Keep McGuinness Moving and has been endorsed by the Uniformed Fire Officers Association Local 854, District Council 9—International Union of Painters and Allied Trades, and Theatrical Teamsters Local 817. Her campaign priorities are education, housing, and constituent services.
Attorney Andrew Bodiford has also launched a campaign for State Assembly. You can find more about him on Ballotpedia and Instagram.
State Senate
Gonzalez was first elected in 2022. She’s helped pass legislation like the Build Public Renewables Act and laws surrounding the use of artificial intelligence. Like Emily Gallagher, she also has the support of all the North Brooklyn elected officials, the Democratic Socialists of America, the Working Families Party, several labor unions, and Planned Parenthood.
Gus Lambropoulos
Gus Lambropoulos did not follow through with a scheduled interview with Greenpointers. To learn more about him, visit his campaign website.
District Leader
A district leader is a volunteer position. Generally, they help run the local branch of their party. Their specific duties are limited (nominating judges, for example), but they can act as strong advocates for their community. New York politics has a fairly antiquated tradition of having a male and female district leader who generally run joint campaigns.
They’ve been endorsed by the current incumbent, Assemblymember Emily Gallagher, and the New Kings Democrats. Ohlson has worked as an organizer with Transportation Alternatives, and Bimbi is co-executive director of the New York Birth Control Access Project.
Averianna Eisenbach and Everton A. Smith
Eisenbach is an organizer with Keep McGuinness Moving. According to his LinkedIn, Smith is a long-serving City Council staffer, most recently working as a legal operations specialist. This slate has been endorsed by the Brooklyn Democratic Party.