New York elections: more Latinos seek state assembly and senate seats in Queens and the Bronx

Although many legislative seats are uncontested in New York's primary elections on Tuesday, in several districts across the city, Latino candidates are actively encouraging voters to participate in an effort to increase this demographic representation in Albany.

In addition, these primaries will determine the Democratic and Republican nominees for the November presidential election, with President Joe Biden and Donald Trump leading in the polls, ahead of their official party nominations in the coming weeks.

While many districts are contested in the local election, the Bronx and Queens counties are also at the forefront, hosting two closely watched contests this cycle, according to an analysis by El Diario.

Housing, public safety, jobs, climate change, and transportation are the main issues driving the candidates' campaigns in this election.

In the 35th District, which is located in Queens and includes areas with a substantial Latino population, Hiram Monserrate, the first Latino elected to public office in Queens, is seeking the Democratic nomination following the retirement announcement of incumbent Jeffrion L. Aubry.

His opponent is Larinda Hooks, a community organizer who has garnered the support of some Latino political figures including State Senator Jessica Ramos, City Councilmember Francisco Moya, Congressman Gregory Meeks, Queens County Borough President Donovan Richards and the retiring Assemblyman.

Monserrate has been seeking a return to public office since his expulsion from the State Senate in 2010, when he was convicted of assaulting his girlfriend, and he also pleaded guilty to mail fraud during his tenure as a councilman, the outlet reported.

In Assembly District 37, Assemblyman Juan Ardila is running to retain his seat despite facing multiple allegations of sexual assault, which he continues to deny, and criticism from fellow party members who call him an ineffective politician. Community leader Claire Valdez, a self-described democratic socialist backed by the Working Families Party, is seeking to defeat him. Johanna Carmona, a Sunnyside resident and attorney, is also in the race to represent the Latino community.

Meanwhile, as per the article, Assemblywoman Jessica González-Rojas, one of Albany's most active political figures and a staunch advocate for immigrant and labor communities, is seeking re-election in the 34th Assembly District. She faces community leader Ricardo Pacheco from Jackson Heights and Elmhurst in Queens.

In Assembly District 69, which includes Morningside Heights and the Upper West Side, Assemblyman Daniel O'Donnell has decided not to seek re-election. Carmen Quiñones, a tenant organizer at the Frederick Douglass Houses, is seeking to become another Latina representative in Albany.