Assembly District 37| Queens: Hunters Point, Long Island City, Court Square, Sunnyside, Blissville, Maspeth, Ridgewood, Fresh Pond
Brent O’Leary ★ Preferred Candidate
Age: 51
Occupation: Attorney, President of Woodside on the Move
Education: Trinity College, (B.A.), Boston University (J.D.)
Candidate Website: https://brentfornyc.com
To read this candidate’s responses to Citizen Union’s questionnaire, click here.
Brent O’Leary is a corporate lawyer and community organizer in central and western Queens. He founded two community groups in Woodside and Hunters Point, was involved in local mutual aid relief during the pandemic, and has fought to keep overdevelopment out of Queens. His top priorities include increasing public safety, better training for police officers, and passing the New York Health Act. He says he will continue the outgoing assembly member’s work on education. O’Leary supports Citizens Union’s reform agenda, and promised to focus on campaign finance reform and police accountability. Citizens Union prefers O’Leary in this race because of his record of community service and history of grassroots organizing in this district. We believe he will be committed to a strong reform agenda in Albany.
Juan Ardila
Age: 26
Occupation: Know Your Rights Coordinator at the Legal Aid Society of New York
Education: New York University (M.P.A.)
Candidate Website: https://www.juanforthepeople.com
To read this candidate’s responses to Citizen Union’s questionnaire, click here.
Juan Ardila has been a community organizer in Queens for much of his adult life. He is a coordinator at the Legal Aid Society of New York City and previously served as a staffer for former Council Member Brad Lander. Ardila’s top priorities include promoting affordable housing in his district, enacting Good Cause legislation, legalizing Accessory Dwelling Units and basement and attic apartments, and aiding pandemic recovery by improving healthcare access. Ardila is supportive of all of Citizens Union’s reform agenda. In his interview, he said he would “lead by example” in relation to ethics reform and called for the expansion of voting access to hold politicians accountable. Citizens Union appreciates Ardila’s commitment to grassroots work and his support of needed reforms in issues like redistricting and election administration.
Johanna Carmona
Age: 32
Occupation: Senior Associate Attorney at Slater Slater Schulman LLP
Education: New York University (B.A), Seton Hall University (J.D.)
Candidate Website: https://johannacarmonaforassembly.com/
To read this candidate’s responses to Citizen Union’s questionnaire, click here.
Johanna Carmona, an attorney and former Assistant District Attorney in Brooklyn, is running to replace her former boss, Assembly Member Cathy Nolan, who offered her to run for this seat. The daughter of Colombian immigrants, Carmona was born and raised in Sunnyside and now serves on the local Community Board. She is running to help families and “rebuild our city and state” after the pandemic. Carmona differs from Citizens Union over large parts of the reform agenda. She opposed key goals in Board of Election reform, including reducing implementing open hiring; objected to lowering contribution limits for registered lobbyists and those who do business in the state, citing first amendment concerns; and opposed reforming the process of filling vacancies in the legislature. In her interview, she said she would need more information on such topics before taking a position.
James Magee
Age: 41
Occupation: Attorney, James Magee Esq. LLP
Education: Fordham University (B.A.), Saint John’s University (J.D.)
Candidate Website: https://magee4queens.com</span
To read this candidate’s responses to Citizen Union’s questionnaire, click here.
James (Jim) Magee is an attorney specializing in criminal defense, personal injury, civil rights, and civil litigation. He previously served as a prosecutor at the Kings County District Attorney’s Office. Raised in Sunnyside, he now provides pro bono legal mediation for community members. Magee says he decided to run for office after seeing the failure of both legislative houses to fix bail reform and raise taxes on the rich. If elected, he would push to restore judicial discretion on bail, strengthen progressive income tax, as well as to create the Inter Borough Express train line. Magee says he is committed to increasing police accountability and improving relationships between law enforcement and the community. Although he promises to “make voting convenient to everyone” on his platform, he stated his opposition to most issues on the Citizens Union reform agenda, including proposed reforms to campaign finance, election administration (BOE), and ethics oversight. However, during his interview, he acknowledged he was unfamiliar with those issues.