What State Senator Jose Peralta says he brings to the borough president race is almost a decade of experience in politics and representing the strong diversity in the borough.
“I have the track record, the proven track record over the last 10 years that I can point to and say, ‘these are my accomplishments, these are the issues I have tackled that affect Queens and brought results,’” he said.
Peralta kicked off his campaign for borough president on Monday, October 22 at the Novo Lounge in Jackson Heights. He is the second potential candidate to officially launch a campaign for the November 2013 election.
Former Councilmember and former Assemblymember Melinda Katz began her campaign with an official event on Wednesday, October 10.
Peralta said understanding the diversity of Queens, the most of any other in the city, was crucial to the borough presidency – saying his district was the most diverse of any in the senate.
“Queens is the united nations of all boroughs,” he said. “I happen to represent the most diverse district in the New York State Senate. It uniquely positions me to run for Queens Borough President.”
He served in the assembly for seven years, representing communities with high Hispanic populations in neighborhoods including Corona, Elmhurst and Jackson Heights.
He won the seat in a March 2010 special election after the senate voted to expel Hiram Monseratte as he faced assault charges.
Peralta’s tenure in the assembly and senate includes pushing for development at Willets Point. In May, he wrote an open letter to Governor Andrew Cuomo to appeal for consideration of Willets Point — or a nearby area — for a potential convention center, citing a high number of construction and permanent jobs for the area. He has recently, along with colleague Assemblymember Francisco Moya, supported a potential Major League Soccer stadium in Flushing Meadows-Corona Park.
Continued development to Queens is something Peralta says he would work on if elected borough president, but “we need to make sure it’s responsible; it’s a responsible impact where both the community and Queens as a borough benefit.”
Other Beep potentials include Councilmembers Peter Vallone and Leroy Comrie, who have both said they’re still considering a run. Incumbent Borough President Helen Marshall is set to leave Borough Hall in December 2013 because of term limits. Neither Marshall, nor the borough’s Democratic Party is expected to endorse a candidate at this time, and it’s still unknown when a primary would take place.
