QUEENS, NY — Community activist Albert Baldeo is running for State Assembly in District 24, Queens, which includes Richmond Hill, Hollis, Queens Village, Jamaica Estates, Briarwood, Fresh Meadows, Bellerose, Floral Park, Jamaica and Glen Oaks.
Baldeo is hoping to unseat Assemblyman David Weprin.
A press statement issued by Baldeo’s campaign, stated, “Due to Baldeo’s efforts, voters now have a chance to ensure their diversities are represented for the first time in the primary set for June 23, 2020. Voters can also vote now by absentee ballot without going to go to the poll sites, by filling out and returning the absentee applications and ballots being sent out by the Board of Elections.”
Those who did not receive an absentee ballot in the mail, can apply for one online at nycabsentee.com.
According to the press release, in support of Baldeo’s candidacy, the United Communities Democratic Alliance, a large, broad-based organization that consists of diverse members of the district, noted, “Everyone, including our leaders, want Albert Baldeo in our State Assembly seat! Albert has always fought for us! We need him! He is our hero, champion and fighter. He has given us a choice we never had before. In previous elections, every challenger was kicked off the ballot by the machinery, and voters never had a choice.”
Baldeo’s press release stated, “Albert Baldeo is a veteran fighter. He has received numerous proclamations from Presidents, including Bill Clinton, Barak Obama, Dr. Cheddi Jagan, the US Congress (four times), Governors, Mayors, the UN and from many other prestigious and grassroots organizations in our community, for his community, labor and legal advocacy.”
According to the press release, the Queens Justice Center said, “Albert Baldeo is a beacon of hope, a profile in courage, the embodiment of triumph of good over evil, and a hero who has, and will always, fight for us. He is tried and tested, and is our fighter for any crisis, a man for all seasons!”
The Interfaith Alliance, another community group, in supporting Baldeo, was quoted in the press release as saying that, “When the Republican State senators sponsored racial profiling legislation, Albert Baldeo nipped it in the bud, and led the fight to vote them out of office, ensuring that we remain patriotic and united, as proud Americans. Albert has stood up to President Trump and exposed the failed Republican policies. When the banks started to squeeze homeowners out of their homes, he fought for legislation to protect the American dream of home ownership, and assisted tenants against slumlords, forcing them to effect repairs, eradicate rodents, provide heat, and stop harassing tenants, notably Rochdale Village. When the MTA tried to close our subways, bus and students’ metro cards, Albert fought back and defeated them, and got the first subway elevator installed at the Lefferts/Liberty Avenue stop.”
The Business Leaders Network of the district, led by Tony Shafiek, are supporting Albert Baldeo’s candidacy, according to the press release. “When the City tried to close our firehouses, high schools, close senior centers, slash library hours and school funding, senior centers and parks, Albert Baldeo led the fight to defeat that injustice. When the DOT wanted to close/restrict Liberty and Hillside Avenues and other commercial routes, Albert Baldeo told them that it would stifle the local economies, forcing them to keep them open. In this crisis, Albert Baldeo is the man we need for this job,” they emphasized, according to the release.
The press said many other religious, business, social and political groups, seniors, youths and working families, including Bengalis, Sikhs, Guyanese, Indians, Punjabis, Latinos, African-Americans, and Caucasians are supporting Baldeo’s candidacy.
