By Bill Parry
Corona resident Ari Espinal, 30, will head to Albany after she won a special election to represent the 39th District in the state Assembly Tuesday, capturing the seat vacated when her former boss Francisco Moya was elected to the City Council last year.
Moya was present at Espinal’s victory celebration held after the April 24 election at Tony’s Pizzeria in Corona, where she thanked supporters from the neighborhoods she served as a district leader.
“I am so honored to have the opportunity to represent Corona, Jackson Heights and Elmhurst in the Assembly,” Espinal said. “I grew up in this community, and I am ready to fight for my neighbors when I get to Albany. This is a responsibility that I take very seriously, and I will work hard every day for the working families that call central Queens home. From securing funding for our schools, to supporting immigrants in our community, to fighting for more affordable housing and smart development. I am excited to get to work.”
Espinal captured 90.7 percent of the vote with 741 votes, according to the city Board of Election. The Queens GOP didn’t run a candidate on their party line.
“I would not be here today without the hard work and support of my parents who came to this country from the Dominican Republic and gave my sister and me the foundation we needed to succeed,” Espinal said. “I also must thank City Council member Francisco Moya, for giving me my first job in government and being my mentor. I learned so much while serving in your office, and I am ready to use this knowledge and experience to build on your legacy.”
Espinal will face a Democratic primary challenge from Jackson Heights attorney Catalina Cruz on Sept. 13. Cruz served as Julissa Ferreras-Copeland’s chief of staff before she retired from the City Council, clearing the way for Moya to take her seat.
Ferreras-Copeland and former City Council Speaker Melissa Mark-Viverito joined Cruz at La Estrella del Caribe in Corona Monday night and endorsed the candidate. Cruz, a Colombian native who moved to New York in 1992 with her single mother, will be the first Dreamer to run for office in New York and, if elected, would become only the third Dreamer to take public office in the United States.
“I am humbled to receive the endorsements of two incredibly accomplished Latinas from whom I have learned so much about advocation and legislating,” Cruz said. “I am running for the state Assembly because Albany can do much better by electing grassroots candidates with proven track records. I am focused on solving the tough problems our communities face like fixing the MTA, helping seniors afford to stay in their homes, and ending the overcrowding crisis in our schools.”
Cruz currently serves as the president of the Latino Lawyers Association of Queens County.
“Catalina Cruz is exactly the leader we need in Albany to advocate for our community,” Ferreras-Copeland said. “I have worked closely with her for years and I know she will be a powerful force for justice in the state Assembly. For decades, Catalina has been a leader for our community and someone who has fought hard to keep people in their homes and keep families united.”
Reach reporter Bill Parry by e-mail at bparr
