Chuck Park on March 14 kicked off his grassroots field campaign for New York’s 6th Congressional District with a community rally and canvass launch at MacDonald Park in Forest Hills that drew dozens of supporters, volunteers and families from the neighborhood.
Park, who was recently endorsed by the New York Progressive Action Network, is challenging incumbent U.S. Rep. Grace Meng and U.S. Army veteran Yan Xiong in the Democratic primary this June.
In addition to NYPAN, Park is endorsed by the 504 Democratic Club and Forest Hills Indivisible.
During the kickoff event, attendees gathered around a bodega food truck while families and volunteers prepared campaign signs and canvassing materials.
Following the program, volunteers began the campaign’s first coordinated field activities, including petitioning and neighborhood outreach.
Park is a former U.S. Foreign Service Officer who resigned in protest of Trump-era immigration policies, and he said he refuses to accept corporate PAC and lobbyist donations.
He is running on a platform that includes Medicare for All, universal childcare, safer streets and modernized public transit.
During the event, Park spoke about his personal story as the child of immigrants and the need to rebuild the promise of economic security and dignity for working families.
“My parents’ first job in this country was street vending,” Park said. “Like so many families, they believed in the promise that if you work hard and contribute, this country will give you a home and a chance at a decent living.”
He argued that too many Americans feel that promise slipping away, which is why in November he announced his campaign running against Meng, a seven-term incumbent who has spent more than a decade in Congress as part of what Park described as a “long-tenured, entrenched Democratic establishment.”
Park, a resident of Jackson Heights, said immigrants’ stories are under attack. Despite the U.S. boasting itself as the richest country in the world, he said politicians keep telling their own constituents that there is never enough money to take care of them.
“Our leaders broke that promise,” Park said. “And it’s not just Republicans — it’s the political establishment from the left. Too many of them are working for their donors, for corporate interests, for lobbyists and for powerful groups who fund their campaigns. They are working to get re-elected — not working for us.”
He also emphasized the importance of challenging the deep-rooted, political establishment that has long held power in Congress.
“That’s why we have to organize,” Park told the crowd. “And we have to organize at the local level at the grassroots.”
The event featured speakers including community leaders and organizers from across Queens, such as Maria Kaufer of Central Queens Independent Democrats, who highlighted Park’s willingness to challenge corporate influence and advocate for bold policy ideas.
“We need our representatives to actually stand up, fight for us, be independent, and not beholden to big corporate and special interests,” Kaufer said. “Chuck is running a bold campaign — he’s actually saying, ‘Abolish ICE!’ He’s saying, ‘Tax the rich; invest in our working families.’”
The community rally also featured remarks from advocates representing local civic and progressive organizations.
Community organizer Fulton Hou, for example, highlighted Park’s support for community efforts opposing casino development at Flushing Meadows Corona Park.
Other attendees and speakers included visual artist Fan Kong and Japneet Singh of the South Asian and Indo-Caribbean Democratic Club of New York.
Park closed his speech by emphasizing Queens’ diversity and the role the community plays in shaping the country’s future.
“We are here in Queens — the World’s Borough, the most diverse place in the world,” Park said. “People from every corner of the globe live here, work here, and build their lives here.”
