By Sadef Ali Kully
Alicia Hyndman, Democratic candidate for William Scarborough’s state Assembly seat, is one of the first contenders to announce her campaign for the special elections.
Hyndman, a 43-year-old mother of two daughters, is former president of the Community Education Council in District 29 and has been leading the education dialogue in southeast Queens for almost a decade.
A Laurelton resident, she took interest in education after struggling with getting her daughters into a good school.
“I missed the deadline for the school’s lottery process. I hated that feeling, I felt powerless and it really motivated me to get involved,” she said.
Raised in southeast Queens, Hyndman has already gained the support of such Democratic leaders as state Sen. Leroy Comrie (D-St. Albans) and Councilman I. Daneek Miller (D-St. Albans), as well as district leaders from the area and the Queens County Democratic Organization.
She is currently collecting petitions for her ballot across the district.
The seat for Assembly District 29—which covers Hollis, Jamaica, St. Albans, Laurelton and Rosedale—recently became open when Scarborough resigned in May after pleading guilty to state and federal corruption charges.
The economic issues facing southeast Queens, such as foreclosures, and the troubled state of city schools are two issues that Hyndman wants to focus on. “We have more homeowners, but our schools are not doing too well,” Hyndman said.
She is also concerned about the lack of minority women-owned businesses in the area.
“Women in leadership positions, in political parties, or businesses, that is the key,” she said.
Hyndman also intends to focus on the environment by continuing the efforts that Scarborough made on flood resiliency projects.
In terms of the recent rise in gun-related crimes, she said she would work to bring back initiatives like the Gun Buy-Back program.
“Seniors and women need to feel secure,” Hyndman said. “I want to bring back resources for the district and address the issue of gun violence.”
Hyndman earned a bachelor’s degree with a double major in communication media and black studies from SUNY New Paltz, where she also played as a forward on the Hawks basketball team and belonged to the Delta Sigma Theta sorority.
Reach Reporter Sadef Ali Kully by e-mail at skull
