You are reading

Candidate Forum Scheduled for April 7, Meet The Democratic Candidates Vying for Western Queens Council Seats

(Unsplash)

March 24, 2021 By Christian Murray

The Queens Post in conjunction with Sunnyside Community Services and Jacob A. Riis Neighborhood Settlement is hosting a virtual forum for the city council candidates of District 22 and District 26.

The candidates will be face to face at the live event that will take place at Sunnyside Community Services on April 7. There will be no live audience participation at SCS, given COVID-19. The event will be streamed LIVE via Zoom, Facebook and YouTube.

The first forum kicks off at 5 p.m. and will feature the six Democratic candidates running for District 22, which covers Astoria and parts of East Elmhurst, Jackson Heights and Woodside.

Leonardo Bullaro, Tiffany Cabán, Catherina Gioino, Evie Hantzopoulos, Nicholas Velkov and John Ciafone have all confirmed their attendance.

The second event features the Democratic candidates running for Council District 26, which covers Sunnyside, Long Island City, Woodside and portions of Astoria and Dutch Kills.

Sixteen candidates have confirmed their attendance for the April 7 event. Due to the number of candidates, they will be split into two randomly selected sessions. Viewers can tune in from 6:30 p.m. to 8:45 to hear from the 16 candidates.  The District 26 forum will include an informational session on rank choice voting.

The moderators will include Christian Murray and Czarinna Andres– co-publishers of the Queens Post–and Judy Zangwill, the executive director of Sunnyside Community Services.

“We are pleased to open our space and partner with Riis and the Queens Post to welcome the candidates for these two city council primaries,” Zangwill said. “Sunnyside Community Services prides itself as being a hub in the community.”

“While it is still not safe to host an audience in person, we hope community members will gather with us virtually on Zoom, Facebook or YouTube to learn more about the candidates.” Zangwill added.

Meanwhile, Christopher Hanway, executive director of Jacob A. Riis, added:

“The city elections this year are going to be extremely consequential,” he said. “We serve four public housing developments [in western Queens] and we want to make sure that we provide residents with an opportunity to be informed.”

The candidates will be asked a series of questions by the moderators. There will also be lightning rounds requiring “yes” or “no” answers. Additionally, the moderators will select two questions submitted by the public.

Another forum for District 26 and District 22 is likely to take place later this year prior to the November general election. That forum will feature the Republican and independent candidates as well as the winners of the Democratic primaries.

The public is asked to send questions for the forum to info@scsny.org by April 5th.

The Democratic candidates who have confirmed from District 26 are: Amit Bagga, Brent O’Leary, Julie Won, Jesse Laymon, Hailie Kim, Julia Forman, Denise Keehan-Smith, Ebony Young, Sultan Maruf, Badrun Khan, Emily Sharpe, Steven Raga, Lorenzo Brea, Jonathan Bailey, Glennis Gomez, Micah Peterson.

The event will be screen live via the following YouTube channels

(please subscribe)

(please subscribe)

You can also view it live on Facebook. Please sign up on event page.

The public will also be able view the forums live via Zoom (link to come) and it will be on QPTV.

For more information on the candidates visit Queens2021.com.

email the author: news@queenspost.com

2 Comments

Click for Comments 
King Eddie

Sad, it’s very sad that these people got to find a job the city jobs so they can make money

1
1
Reply
Thomas Muccioli

I’ll be voting for JULIE WON as my top choice. I’m confident Julie will champion a fair and just recovery from the covid19 crisis.

1
2
Reply

Leave a Comment
Reply to this Comment

All comments are subject to moderation before being posted.

This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.

Recent News

May races in Queens: JFK Airport 5K, Forest Park trail classic and a Queensborough 5K

May. 16, 2025 By Paulina Albarracin

The energy of May is on full display across Queens, with a lineup of local races that invite runners of all levels to hit the pavement and the trails. With mild temperatures and sunny skies setting the stage, it’s the perfect time to take advantage of the spring weather before the summer heat sets in. From the Forest Park 4 Mile Road and Trail Classic to the festive Great Hawaiian Luau 5K at Flushing Meadows-Corona Park, these events offer more than just a workout—they foster community spirit and personal growth. Don’t forget to apply sunscreen before lacing up and heading out. Whether you’re a seasoned runner or new to the sport, these May races offer a chance to challenge yourself and connect with others in motion.

Mayor Adams marks one year of ‘Padlock to Protect’ with pizza and progress in Queens

Mayor Eric Adams marked the one-year anniversary of the launch of the city’s “Operation Padlock to Protect” initiative at a pizzeria on the Rego Park and Middle Village border on Wednesday and touted the significant progress in shutting down more than 1,400 illegal smoke shops across the five boroughs and seizing more than $95 million in illegal product since last May.

“The city was fed up. We heard it at every town hall. This time last year, there were thousands of illegal smoke shops plaguing our city with unlicensed cannabis endangering our children,” Adams said. “One year later, we are proud to announce that we have turned the tide. Thanks to the tireless efforts by our city’s law enforcement officers, we’ve padlocked thousands of illegal shops and created safer streets for children and families. But we’re not stopping there.”