In a final debate before the start of early voting, candidates for the upcoming special election to replace Mayor Zohran Mamdani in the 36th Assembly District presented an almost united front on a range of policy issues, from taxing the rich to protecting immigrant communities.
Diana Moreno, the Queens Democratic Party nominee, joined Mary Jobaida and Rana Abdelhamid — two progressive candidates who will appear on the ballot after collecting the required number of signatures — at the Hellenic Cultural Center in Astoria for a debate hosted by the Old Astoria Neighborhood Association on Jan. 22. The debate proved to be one of the more mild-mannered electoral forums, with all three candidates agreeing on a number of issues and engaging in civilized discussion free from personal attacks.
