She’s on to the next challenge.
State Sen. Toby Stavisky beat a primary opponent who dipped into his own deep pockets for a pricey campaign two years ago.
Now her new opponent, S.J. Jung, has another advantage: He’s Korean-American in the heavily Asian-American Queens district.
About 40% of voters are Asian, according to the 2010 Census. But ethnic politics may not tip the scale in favor of Jung, 50, a businessman and former executive director of the nonprofit Minkwon Center.
Stavisky said her 15 years of experience in the legislature make her the best candidate, noting she has supported efforts to cut middle class taxes and raise the minimum wage.
The 76-year-old is also the State Senate’s only female member from Queens.
“I believe that important legislation, such as the Women’s Equality Act, will only become law if we have strong women willing to take on the Republicans in Albany,” Stavisky said.
While Jung’s candidacy has energized some groups of Asian-American voters, he said he wants to appeal to all residents in the sprawling district, which includes Oakland Gardens, Flushing, Forest Hill, Elmhurst and Woodside.
“I constantly hear on the campaign trail, ‘S.J., we need to clean up Albany,’ but that will only happen if we elect new leaders who have the courage and conviction to shake things up,” Jung said.
“I’m running as a reformer, who refuses to accept politics as usual, and as a longtime community advocate who will bring vibrant leadership and a long-term vision to this district,” he added.
Stavisky is close with Assemblyman Ron Kim and Rep. Grace Meng, who often join her at legislative and campaign events.
Stavisky also hopes to benefit from her close ties with Gov. Cuomo, who visited Flushing over the weekend to campaign on her behalf.
