For Immediate Release
Contact- Lauren Mannerberg, lauren@anatgerstein.com, 929 553 7702
Good government group backs candidates Mathylde Frontus, Iwen Chu and Toby Ann Stavisky, for State Senate in races for open Senate and Assembly seats in Brooklyn and Queens
To view Citizens Union’s Voters Directory, Click Here
New York, N.Y. (October 25, 2022) – Today, Citizens Union announced its preferences in 3 contested seats in the general elections for State Senate and Assembly. After a rigorous evaluation of 6 candidates running for office in Brooklyn and Queens, Citizens Union has endorsed Mathylde Frontus for Assembly (AD 46, Brooklyn), and Iwen Chu (SD 17, Brooklyn) and Toby Ann Stavisky (SD 11, Queens) for State Senate.
“After one of the most chaotic and long primary seasons, the time has come for the general election. Voters should take this opportunity to know who is running to represent them, and where candidates stand on important reform issues. Citizens Union is proud to support a few key legislative candidates in Brooklyn and Queens who are deeply committed to advancing a strong reform agenda in Albany,” said Betsy Gotbaum, executive director of Citizens Union.
Candidates were evaluated based on the following criteria:
- alignment with Citizens Union’s reform agenda specifically views on ethics, election reform, and police accountability;
- ability to advance their agenda once in office;
- knowledge of the needs of their constituents; and
- ability to wage an effective and competitive campaign.
In the general election for Assembly District 46 (Brooklyn- Bay Ridge, Fort Hamilton, Dyker Heights, Bath Beach, Gravesend, Coney Island, and Brighton Beach), Citizens Union endorses Mathylde Frontus. Mathylde Frontus has served in the state Assembly since 2018 and currently chairs the subcommittee on minority mental health. Frontus has introduced several bills on reform issues, including creating a public database of government projects, extending early voting, and requiring local government meetings to be live streamed for public access. Citizens Union endorses Frontus in this race because of her reform-minded approach in Albany and her relationship-building capacity with her colleagues in the legislature.
In the general election for Senate District 17 (Brooklyn- Bensonhurst, New Utrecht, Bay Ridge, Sunset Park and Greenwood heights), Citizens Union endorses Iwen Chu. Iwen Chu has served as Assemblymember Peter Abbate’s chief of staff for the last ten years. Prior to that, she had a career in journalism, where she worked for Chinese newspapers that focused on south Brooklyn’s Asian community. In this campaign, her top priorities are increasing language access, improving public safety and fully funding public education. On language access, Chu wants to “provide interpreters in additional languages at polling sites, so that voting becomes easier and accessible to everyone.” SD 17 is a new district that was created to give the Asian-American community an opportunity to elect a candidate of their choice. If elected, Chu says she would be the first Asian-American state Senator from Brooklyn. Citizens Union endorses I Wen Chu in this race because of her deep ties to the district and her experience navigating the state legislature.
In the general election for Senate District 11 (Queens- Glen Oaks, Douglaston, Terrace Heights, Hollis, Hillside, Windsor Oak, Little Neck, Whitestone, College Point, Steinway, Rikers Island), Citizens Union endorses Toby Ann Stavisky. Toby Ann Stavisky has represented Queens in the state senate since 1999 and currently, she serves as Vice Chairwoman of the Democratic Majority Conference and chair of the Committee on Higher Education. Stavisky has introduced legislation to allow 16-year-olds to serve on community boards, require Braille for all who need it on absentee ballots, and improve language assistance at the Queens Board of Elections (BOE). In this campaign, her priorities are reducing gun violence, protecting women’s reproductive rights, and reducing tuition at CUNY and SUNY. Citizens Union endorses Toby Ann Stavisky because she is an effective and experienced lawmaker.
Citizens Union list of November 2022 endorsements:
Assembly District 46 (Brooklyn- Bay Ridge, Fort Hamilton, Dyker Heights, Bath Beach, Gravesend, Coney Island, and Brighton Beach)
- Mathylde Frontus
Senate District 17 (Brooklyn- Bensonhurst, New Utrecht, Bay Ridge, Sunset Park, and Greenwood heights)
- Iwen Chu
Senate District 11 (Queens- Glen Oaks, Douglaston, Terrace Heights, Hollis, Hillside, Windsor Oak, Little Neck, Whitestone, College Point, Steinway, Rikers Island)
- Toby Ann Stavisky
For follow up, please contact Lauren Mannerberg at Anat Gerstein, Inc. at
lauren@anatgerstein.com or 347-361-9983
About Citizens Union
For 125 years, Citizens Union has been a force for transparency, accountability and ethics in New York’s City and State governments. A nonpartisan organization, some of our current initiatives include a new agenda for police accountability, monitoring the City Council’s redistricting process and increasing civic engagement. Learn more at www.citizensunion.org.
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