Three Flushing candidates with histories of failed bids for office are now eying another election.
Democrat John Scandalios and Green Party candidate Evergreen Chou will try their luck at unseating incumbent Councilmember Peter Koo in the 20th District in this year’s City Council election.
Republican Sunny Hahn, a retired city human rights specialist, said she is contemplating a run but has not decided. She is the only one so far to register a campaign committee with the state’s Board of Elections.
“I was not sure what I was doing last year. So many things went wrong,” said Hahn, 60. “I really did not do my best.
That’s what I realized afterward. This time, if I decide, I’d do everything I can and really try to win the election.”
Hahn and Scandalios were among several candidates to lose their Assembly bids last year to Assemblymember-elect Ron Kim. Chou has had three unsuccessful runs for higher office, including his recent congressional loss to now-Congressmember Grace Meng.
But the three say they have honed their campaign techniques.
“I started thinking seriously that I could do this,” said Scandalios, 50, a former comic book store owner. “Frankly, I felt I get a lot of nothing from elected officials. We really need elected officials that work for the people.”
Scandalios did not even make it to the primary in the most recent 40th Assembly District race. He had an insufficient number of signatures and was bumped off the September 13 ballot.
Chou ran as a Green Party nominee in 2009 to replace then-Councilmember John Liu and also against ex-Assemblymember Jimmy Meng in 2002.
The 53-year-old ultrasound technician said he wanted to see more affordable housing and jobs in Flushing.
“These are basic rock-bottom issues that the people in Flushing need, and we’re not getting it from the major parties,” he said. “To me, it’s been like an ‘economic Sandy.’ We’re not helping the people that are in need.”
James McClelland, Koo’s political advisor, said candidates were welcomed to join the race.
“More people in the race give people more of a choice,” he said. “But the councilman is confident that his record and community support will allow him to be victorious in the primary and in the general election.”
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