Crown, Prospect Heights Election Guide: What To Know In Assembly Races

CROWN HEIGHTS, BROOKLYN — Voters in Crown and Prospect Heights will get the chance to choose their assembly candidates next week.

The Democratic Primary is set to kick off on June 28 across New York City, including in newly-drawn districts that include the two neighborhoods. Crown and Prospect Heights span districts 43, 44, 55 and 57 in the new maps.

Voters can use this tool to see which assembly district they live in and where to vote. A map of all the new district boundaries can be found on this site.

The assembly races will be the only primaries held on June 28 given an ongoing court battle over redistricting maps. Both the congressional and state senate races in New York have been postponed to August 23 due to the redistricting.

Patch sent a questionnaire to all candidates in the Crown and Prospect Heights districts. Here's a look at who is running in each district, including responses from those who responded to the questionnaire:

(Districts 44 and 56 will not appear on the ballot as the incumbents are running unopposed)

District 55

• Latrice Walker: Walker has been in office since 2015 in the 55th District.
• Tracey Cashaw: Patch could not find any campaign website for Cashaw.

District 57

• Phara Souffrant Forrest: Forrest has been in office since 2021 in the 57th District.
• Olanike Alabi: Alabi has worked in New York City Council, a district manager of Community Board 2, various healthcare unions and in the Department of Environmental Protection.

District 43

The District 43 race comes a few months after a special election was held to replace Assembly Member Diana Richardson, who left her 43rd District seat to become the deputy borough president under newly-elected Borough President Antonio Reynoso.
The general primary will include incumbent Brian Cunningham, who beat out two candidates in the special election. One of those opponents, Jelanie Deshong, will appear on the ballot Tuesday, along with two new candidates. Click on each name to learn more:

• Brian A Cunningham
• Pierre Albert
• Jelanie Deshong
• Tim Hunter

Here are Albert's responses to Patch's questionnaire:

Name

Pierre Albert

Campaign website

https://www.palbert43.com/

NYC neighborhood of residence

Prospect Lefferts Gardens

Office sought

State Assembly

District, if applicable

43rd Assembly District

Party affiliation

Democrat

Education

Master's Degree-Public Policy, Bachelor's Degree-Political Science

Occupation

Senior Program Manager-Governor's Office of Storm Recovery. Worked at this office for 7 years.

Family

Wife-Dr. Ranae Hedman-Resident OBGYN

Does anyone in your family work in politics or government?

No

Age

31

Previous public office, appointive or elective

No

Why are you seeking this office?

I am seeking the office of NYS Assembly to give my community representation from someone who understands what it means to live and work in the 43rd. I was born in the 43rd and grew up in this district, so I know firsthand what our neighbors mean when they say they’re tired of nothing changing. I want to create greater opportunities from Housing to Education and Criminal Justice Reform. Part of my platform also includes encouraging residents to be a part of the political process. I believe our community deserves a fresh start led by someone who has worked to improve the quality of life for the community even before elected office. I am not driven by power, status, money or influence. I want to represent the 43rd District of Brooklyn because I love this neighborhood and I want to make sure it is given all the resources it needs to flourish.

Please complete this statement: The single most pressing issue facing my constituents is ___, and this is what I intend to do about it.

The single most pressing issue facing my constituents is the Affordable Housing crisis and this is what I intend to do about it. I will fight to keep luxury developers from pricing out residents out of their own neighborhoods, pressing against any tax breaks and their prioritization over community-oriented developers and organizations. To that same end, I will work with Non-Profit and Community Based organizations ensuring the increase in truly affordable housing units, as well as fight for the preservation of Down Payment Assistance programs. We must win this battle on both fronts; securing cost effective rental spaces and enabling residents of the 43rd to own their homes.

How would you address ongoing concerns about public safety in New York City?

Public safety will always be a priority for any neighborhood in New York City, and the 43rd District is no exception. In combatting the rise in violence and gun related crimes, I believe we can engage in a large-scale solution on two ends. We can root out the problem at its source by investing in comprehensive youth and mentoring programs that create a safe environment and keep our children from turning to gang life for support. I would also encourage collaboration with local law enforcement that provide intervention services and push for increases in penalties for gun traffickers.

>b>Do you think the NYPD's response to the recent surge in crime will affect efforts at police reform and, if so, how?

Creating an effective form of community policing is an ongoing and imperfect process. In the past, New York City has had to learn from experience what does and doesn’t work in our neighborhoods. However, I believe the Mayor has made measurable progress in addressing the surge in crime without negatively impacting communities who have dealt with police misconduct and incidences of brutality.

What is one policy you would support to make housing more affordable in New York City?

One policy I would support to make housing more affordable in New York City, particularly in our district, is the passage of the Good Cause Eviction law to protect tenants throughout the area from excessive rent hikes and protect the right to remain for New Yorkers in good standing.

Should officials do more to encourage New Yorkers to return to work in person? If so, how? If not, why not?

No, I don’t believe officials should do more to encourage New Yorkers to return to work in person. One positive result of quarantine that we all have benefited from is the virtual workspace. Companies are benefitting from increased productivity while New Yorkers are experiencing an unprecedented level of freedom and work life balance. There are conclusive studies that support increased productivity for work at home positions across industries. Our economic resurgence will come and there are several avenues we can explore to push it forward, but it should not come at the expense of New Yorker’s quality of life.

What are the major differences between you and the other candidates seeking this post?

I have lived, worked and served the community in the 43rd District. I am the only candidate who has routinely participated in local Community Board and Precinct Council meetings prior to this election cycle. I am the only Candidate to be a Tenant Leader, truly understanding the needs and actively working on solutions for the tenant community. I am community focused and not driven by party, special interest groups or institutions.

If you are challenging an incumbent, in what way has the current officeholder failed the community?

The issues facing our community are myriad, and it is going to take time to construct legislation that effectively works to start rebuilding our community. That being said, I am confident that I can execute these tasks in a more inclusive and participatory manner where residents truly feel involved in the political process.

What other issues do you intend to address during your campaign?

As mentioned, there are a plethora of challenges we are facing as a community. My campaign addresses several of these. We must work towards closing the academic achievement gap for our students, which we can address through increasing early access to college courses for high school students as well as introducing high school curriculum into middle school classrooms. We must also invest in our community’s small business owners, which we can achieve through setting up Business Incubators within the district to foster and support entrepreneurship as well as increasing State Agency contracting opportunities for Minority and Women Owned Business through the 43rd. While there is no one size fits all solution for criminal justice and police reform, we can attain measurable progress if we can reform minimum sentencing guidelines, increasing training hours for Police Academy recruits and maintaining Cash Bail for non-violent offenses.

To that same end, we can start solving Gun Violence early through the expansion and protection of after school programs and mentorship opportunities. This is not an exhaustive list by any means, and it is my hope that in working with my neighbors here in the 43rd, we can address these concerns and many more.

What accomplishments in your past would you cite as evidence you can handle this job?

My current role as Senior Program Manager for the Governor’s Office of Storm Recovery has prepared me considerably for the tasks I’d be undertaking as the Assemblyman. I’ve gained a great understanding of the inequity in affordable housing and housing insecurities impacting families on the local level. Furthermore, I have past experience working as the Community Relations Director for previous Assemblymember Karim Camara, so I am no stranger to this community by any means.

What is the best advice anyone ever gave you?

The best advice that I have received is to never compromise my values or belief. I interpret that to mean never compromise my standard of integrity and honesty.

Is there anything else you would like voters to know about yourself and your positions?

I want voters to know that their involvement in the political process does not need to end with this election. You can and should be able to depend on the representatives you elect to office, regardless if it is myself or the other candidates. I have dedicated my campaign towards empowering those around me, communicating with residents and trying to involve as many as I can into the decision-making processes both in Albany and in Brooklyn. The 43rd District deserves someone who will not forget them once they are elected into office, someone who will continue to show up for them and will fight for the problems impacting their daily lives. I am that candidate and I will be that Assemblyman if elected.