By Madina Toure
Flushing resident S.J. Jung, a Democrat and former president of the MinKwon Center for Community Action, announced that he would be running for the second time against state Sen. Toby Stavisky (D-Flushing).Tuesday morning.
]Stavisky fended off a primary challenge from Jung in 2014. The district includes parts of Flushing, Bayside, Whitestone, Elmhurst, Woodside, Rego Park and Forest Hills.
Jung said he plans to fight for a more transparent and fair budgetary process and pursue quality education as an equalizer, noting that schools must keep up with technology and expand opportunities for all New Yorkers.
“I enter this race as a reformer who refuses to accept politics as usual. I am determined to help our communities’ seniors and schools, small businesses, increase affordable housing, and much more,” he said in a statement Tuesday. “But we must first clean up our house. Greater transparency, accountability, and integrity will only happen in Albany when we elect new leaders who have the conviction and courage to make real change.”
Jung, who is Korean, has served on the New York Immigration Coalition’s board of directors. He also served on the advisory board for Latimer Gardens and has worked closely with the Bland Houses Resident Association. He lives in Flushing with his wife, Yeonhee Jung.
After starting out as a volunteer, he served as MinKwon’s executive director from 1989 to 1994, has been a board member since 1994 and served the organization as president from 2006 to 2014.
In 2010, Sung was elected district leader in Flushing.
Stavisky said she will launch her campaign once she has fulfilled certain legislative goals.
“Senator Stavisky will announce her re-election campaign in due time, but right now she’s focused on the job her constituents have hired her to do by working to pass a state budget that will give Queens classrooms the resources they need, assist small businesses, promote growth and prosperity for the middle-class and create meaningful ethics reform so we can clean up the dysfunction in Albany,” her office said in a statement.
Reach reporter Madina Toure by e-mail at mtour
