In a race that has been rocked by alleged death threats and gay marriage squabbles, the conversation keeps coming back to the important issues at hand.
Senator Shirley Huntley and Lynn Nunes are embroiled in a heated competition for the State Senate in district 10, and both candidates are ratcheting up their efforts heading into the primary on September 14.
Nunes, a real estate agent and mortgage broker, lost to the late Councilmember Thomas White by a mere four votes in last year’s election. Galvanized by this strong showing, he decided to run for senate this year because he believes new leadership is needed in southeast Queens.
“If you look at the different statistics – graduation rates, healthcare access, foreclosures – they indicate why I wanted to run in the first place,” said Nunes. “I know we can do better, and we can move these numbers in a positive direction.”
However, Huntley thinks that Nunes is fooling himself if he thinks he can just walk in and change everything – Huntley said that experience tells her to focus on her constituents and their best interests.
“Lynn Nunes has to remember that there will be 32 other democrats in Albany when he goes there with delusions of grandeur,” said Huntley. “I’ve been behind a number of successful bills. I work for my constituents and pass bills that they are interested in – if it’s doable, I will do it.”
Both candidates cite jobs as being more than just doable – they see it as an imperative need that crosses political ideologies. The Aqueduct Racino needs to be built so that the people of southeast Queens have a viable job option, according to both Huntley and Nunes.
“We need job creation sooner rather than later,” said Nunes. “We need to have the Racino project expedited. If we can get that off the ground, people from the community will be hired to build – and that will positively affect a lot of people.”
Huntley called the Racino an important job creator with the ability to “heal a community.” She also made note of the lack of healthcare services in south Queens – a fundamental need in any community.
“Richmond Hill has no medical facility. Even if they sprain a finger, they have to go all the way to Jamaica,” said Huntley. “They need a walk in clinic and I will work to expand healthcare access throughout the area.”
Nunes said that hospitals provide more than just healthcare to the community, they also act as a social hub and yet another place for job creation.
Since he’s focusing on this race, Nunes said that he has not thought about the city council seat vacated by Thomas White – however, he is not ruling it out either.
“After the dust settles, we will see where we are and work from there,” he said. “But right now we are steadfastly focused on winning this race.”
