For Immediate Release
Contact- Jake Oliver, jake@anatgerstein.com, 347 361 9983
Good government group backs Brent O’Leary, Grace Lee and Chris LeBron in races for open Assembly seats in Queens and Manhattan
To view Citizens Union’s Voters Directory, click here
New York, N.Y. (June 13, 2022) – Today, Citizens Union announced its preferences in 3 contested primary elections for State Assembly. After undertaking a rigorous evaluation of 17 candidates running for office, Citizens Union prefers Brent O’Leary (Queens- Hunters Point, Long Island City, Court Square, Sunnyside, Blissville, Maspeth, Ridgewood, Fresh Pond), Grace Lee (Manhattan- FiDi, Chinatown, Lower East Side, Little Italy, Two Bridges, Nolita, East Village) and Chris LeBron (Manhattan- Chelsea, Parts of Koreatown & Flatiron District, Theater District, Midtown Manhattan, Columbus Circle) in their respective Assembly races. All of these seats are open because incumbents have decided not to run for reelection.
“This year’s primary season will be one of the most chaotic in recent memory. With candidates running in recently redrawn districts and elections for different offices taking place on different dates, it is important that voters know who is running to represent them, and where candidates stand on important reform issues. Citizens Union is proud to support Brent O’Leary, Grace Lee and Chris LeBron in their respective primaries for Assembly. Each of these candidates 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 Democratic primary for Assembly District 37 (Queens- Hunters Point, Long Island City, Court Square, Sunnyside, Blissville, Maspeth, Ridgewood, Fresh Pond), which is currently represented by Catherine Nolan, Citizens Union prefers Brent O’Leary. O’Leary is a corporate lawyer and community organizer who supports Citizens Union’s reform agenda, and promised to focus on campaign finance reform and police accountability.
In the Democratic primary for Assembly District 65 (Manhattan- FiDi, Chinatown, Lower East Side, Little Italy, Two Bridges, Nolita, East Village), which is currently represented by Yuh-Line Niou, Citizens Union prefers Grace Lee. Lee is a small business owner and community activist who strongly supports Citizens Union’s agenda, and is committed to demanding accountability and ethics oversight in Albany.
In the Democratic primary for Assembly District 75 (Manhattan- Chelsea, Parts of Koreatown & Flatiron District, Theater District, Midtown Manhattan, Columbus Circle), which is currently represented by Richard Gottfried, Citizens Union prefers Chris LeBron. LeBron is a former City Council staffer, and tenant and political advocate. He supports Board of Elections reform and independent redistricting.
Election Day for Assembly races is June 28, with Early Voting running from June 18 to June 26. Citizens Union is continuing to evaluate candidates for State Senate and will offer preferences in State Senate races in advance of the primary election that has been rescheduled for August 23.
Citizens Union June 2022 preferences:
Assembly District 37 (Queens- Hunters Point, Long Island City, Court Square, Sunnyside, Blissville, Maspeth, Ridgewood, Fresh Pond)
- Brent O’Leary
Assembly District 65 (Manhattan- FiDi, Chinatown, Lower East Side, Little Italy, Two Bridges, Nolita, East Village)
- Grace Lee
Assembly District 75 (Manhattan- Chelsea, Parts of Koreatown & Flatiron District, Theater District, Midtown Manhattan, Columbus Circle)
- Chris LeBron
For follow up, please contact Jake Oliver at Anat Gerstein, Inc. at
jake@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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