NY's First Openly Trans Democrat Seeks LIC Assembly Seat

LONG ISLAND CITY, QUEENS —Émilia Decaudin, a 24-year-old Democrat, raised more than $5,000 in just five hours after announcing Tuesday her bid to represent the 37th Assembly District as the first openly transgender party member.

Decaudin officially announced her candidacy for the 2024 Democratic candidacy for the district, which is currently run by Juan Ardila and encompasses Long Island City, Sunnyside, Maspeth and Ridgewood.

Decaudin's bid to unseat Ardila comes after the Assembly member was accused in March of sexually harassing two women while they were intoxicated in 2015. Several lawmakers, including Gov. Kathy Hochul, have asked Ardila to resign.

The 24-year-old told Patch that creating more affordable housing and tackling climate change through union-backed jobs are among her top priorities.

"The representation we have here is not doing any of those things," Decaudin said. "He's unable to be an effective advocate for us. Not only do I feel motivated because of the needs of this district, but because we're not even getting the bare minimum from our incumbent assemblymember."

Decaudin was elected as the youngest-ever member of the New York State Democratic Committee in 2018. A year later, she came out as a transgender woman, becoming the first openly transgender party official in New York State.

Decaudin was elected as one of the two first openly transgender Democratic District Leaders in New York City in 2020, representing the 37th Assembly District in Queens. She is also a member of the Communication Workers of America.

The 24-year-old helped write the Gender Inclusive Ballot Act, a bill that removes the binary requirement for state party candidates to select “male” or “female” when running for county committee, district leader, or state committee member.

The bill was signed into law by Governor Hochul in June of 2022.

Decaudin was born and raised in Yorktown, New York, to a family of French immigrants. She graduated from the City University of New York’s City College and Macaulay Honors College.

THE CITY first reported on Decaudin's candidacy Tuesday morning, and she has raised over $5,000 as of midday Tuesday.

"I'm feeling very confident. I've already won campaigns and elections in this district," Decaudin told Patch.

"It's not just a matter of having the right policies, but being someone people trust to follow through on those things.