State Senator Alessandra Biaggi Announces Congressional Bid

BAYSIDE, QUEENS — State Senator Alessandra Biaggi is running to represent New York's recently-reconfigured 3rd Congressional District, which includes parts of Bayside.

In a statement announcing her campaign, Biaggi said that she hopes to bring "progressive and honest leadership" to Washington on behalf of "hard working families of Westchester, Long Island, the Bronx, and Queens."

Biaggi's progressive campaign marks a shift for the district, which has been represented by centrist Democrat Thomas Suozzi since 2016, and was Republican controlled throughout the early aughts.

During that time, however, District 3 solely included Long Island and northeast Queens. The new district, by contrast, has lost almost all of its (more conservative) Queens voters, instead gaining constituents in parts of Westchester and the Bronx — most of whom are more progressive, and some of whom are already represented by Biaggi, whose made a name for herself as a progressive voice in Albany.

Still, the State Senator will need to win over some voters in Bayside and many on the north shore of Long Island in order to represent New York in Washington, a feat that many experts have said will be challenging.

Biaggi herself said that she expects the race "will not be easy," but is gearing up for a "people-powered" fight that centers issues relevant to constituents, like property tax deductions and shoreline protection (issues long championed by Suozzi, especially on behalf of Long Island constituents).

While some of her lefty language has been toned down from previous campaigns, Biaggi is still running a campaign on progressive issues, like universal pre-K for all and abortion access.

Biaggi is entering a relatively crowded primary field, with a handful of candidates aiming to take over Suozzi seat (the incumbent is running for governor), but the State Senator has political experience and name recognition on her side.

That could change in upcoming days, though, as Republican mayoral candidate Curtis Sliwa toys with the idea of entering the race.

Related Article: Conservative Northeast Queens Areas Divided In New District Maps