On Thursday, May 7, the Ridgewood Property Owners and Civic Association held two candidate forums for the 37th Assembly District and New York’s 7th Congressional District at Ridgewood Older Adults Center, located at 59-14 70th Ave. A field of six hopefuls answered questions and presented their positions on issues regarding property taxes, housing affordability and community safety.
The three candidates seeking to replace Assembly Member Claire Valdez — one of the congressional candidates — for the 37th District are Samantha Kattan, Melissa Orlando and Pia Rahman. Following their forum, three candidates for the 7th Congressional District seat are Brooklyn Borough President Antonio Reynoso, Council Member Julie Won and Public Defender Vichal Kumar. The subsequent forum aimed to occupy the seat of U.S. Rep. Nydia Velázquez, who announced her retirement after a three-decade spanning career.
