During the height of the pandemic, one-third all of COVID-19 patients were from Queens. Central Queens, dubbed “the epicenter of the epicenter,” has become synonymous with the toll the virus has wrought on New York City, where well over 21,000 people have died of the virus. Meanwhile, over 60 percent of the district’s residents were born outside of the United States, and its neighborhoods have large immigrant communities from countries in South America and South Asia.ĬOVID-19 hit the neighborhoods in District 34 especially hard. Over half of the district’s 114,500 residents are Hispanic, and over a quarter are Asian, according to the most recent American Community Survey data.
The district is one of the most diverse areas in the country, and some of the most important national issues of this election year - the pandemic, police accountability, immigration, access to health care and social services - impact residents in very personal ways. While primary day is June 23, early voting will take place June 13-21, and because of the coronavirus pandemic, the governor has ordered all voters eligible to vote by absentee ballot. Out of the four, Cruz is the only candidate who has not raised any money or spent any money in the campaign, according to New York State Board of Elections data.
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The race follows a larger trend that accelerated in 2018, with one or more challengers running from the left, and often promising to bring more diversity to government, against a more moderate Democratic incumbent.ĭenDekker’s challengers include former Manhattan prosecutor and local civic leader Nuala O’Doherty-Naranjo former National Latina Institute for Reproductive Health Executive Director Jessica González-Rojas Uber driver and organizer Joy Chowdhury and Angel Cruz. Assemblymember Michael DenDekker (photo: Queens State Assembly member faces stiff competition this primary election cycle, and for the first time in his 12-year legislative career.Īssemblymember Michael DenDekker, who represents parts of Jackson Heights, East Elmhurst and Woodside in Assembly District 34, is aiming to survive four Democratic challengers for his seat in this month’s party primary election.