Ardila Archives - Queens Ledger

Ardila wins Primary bid for Assembly

webadmin on June 30, 2022

Maspeth native Juan Ardila is one step closer to claiming the open seat in the 37th Assembly District, left vacant by soon-to-be retired State legislator Catherine Nolan, who has represented the community for the last 38 years.

The 28-year-old progressive candidate won the 2022 Democratic Primary on June 28, based on unofficial results provided by the State Board of Elections.

Ardila finished the race with approximately 42 percent of the vote—receiving 3,355 votes out of nearly 8,000 local residents who cast their ballots—in a four-way race to represent parts of Long Island City, Maspeth, Sunnyside, Woodside, and Ridgewood.

Opposing candidates: Brent O’Leary, Johanna Carmona, and Jim Magee each put up a valiant effort, taking a combined 54 percent of the vote, but in the end came up short of victory.

O’Leary, a Hunters Point Civic leader and board president of Woodside on the Move, finished second in the election with just over 25 percent of the vote. The 52-year-old attorney previously ran for the New York City Council seat occupied by Jimmy Van Bramer, finishing in third among 15 candidates.

Considering himself the “FDR Democrat” in the race, O’Leary received endorsements from Citizens Union, Voters for Animal Rights, the Asian American Chamber of Commerce and the Stonewall Democrats.

Carmona, an attorney and former Nolan staffer finished the race just short of O’Leary, taking 19 percent of the vote. A political newcomer, her campaign focused on improving the quality of life for residents and educational endeavors including college access programs.

The 32-year-old candidate also carried the Queens County Democratic Party nod, with Congressman Gregory Meeks and Nolan’s endorsement, among others.

Magee, a prosecuting attorney from Sunnyside, finished last with nearly 10 percent of the vote. The former assistant district attorney ran a campaign focused on restoring judicial discretion over bail, wealth disparity, and improving public transportation.

“I thought the district was more concerned about crime than it apparently is,” Magee told The Queens Ledger.

The lifetime Democrat said he reached out to Ardila on Tuesday night and wished him the best.

“I wish Juan the best,” Magee added. “I’ll make myself available to him if he wants to talk.”

Expecting a low turnout at the polls, only 18 percent of the 43,456 registered Democrats living in the district cast their ballots on Tuesday, according to the New York State Board of Elections. The tally also included 252 blank ballots, 28 void ballots, and 10 write-in candidates.

In his previous run for City Council in 2021, Ardila came up short against incumbent Robert Holden, but the overlapping neighborhoods of Maspeth and Ridgewood in the newly-redistricted 37th Assembly district brought out some 2,000 voters who had voted for him in the prior race.

Ardila was endorsed by the Working Families Party, Congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, State Senator Jessica Ramos, Assemblywoman Catalina Cruz, City Councilwoman Tiffany Caban and Councilwoman Jennifer Gutierrez, and Borough President Donovan Richards.

On election night, all four candidates held watch parties within a half-mile radius of each other in Sunnyside, as canvassers with each campaign made their eleventh hour pitch to any last-minute voters outside the polling site at I.S. 125.

Ardila declared victory roughly an hour and 15 minutes after the polls closed at 9 p.m., celebrating with a group of supporters at Bar 43, on 43rd street in Sunnyside.

“You all believed in something that was inclusive, beautiful, and diverse,” Ardila said. “And that’s what we fought for.”

In his remarks, Ardila said it had been a dream to see progressive representation in Maspeth.

“Let the record show, on June 28, 2022, Maspeth voted for progress,” Ardila said.

He then thanked the other candidates in the running, saying that he remains hopeful to work with them in the future.

“Everybody stuck to their message, even if we didn’t agree on the issues.”

In the days leading up to Tuesday’s primary election, Ardila came under fire for traffic violations and tickets reportedly issued to a vehicle he has been seen driving around in.

Ardila told The Queens Ledger that he and his team opted to take the high road, deciding to stick to keeping a tight ship and getting their message across to voters.

“I spoke with my team and we decided not to engage in negative campaigning,” Ardila said.

Thanks to some timely advice from Assemblywoman Catalina Cruz, who encouraged running and ultimately winning the race with grace, Ardila managed to pull ahead of the competition without stooping to such tactics.

Ardila pulls ahead in online poll

webadmin on June 22, 2022

The Queens Ledger’s online poll is now closed and a winner has been declared.

In a four-way race for the 37th Assembly District, which encompasses the Long Island City, Sunnyside, Woodside, Maspeth, and Ridgewood communities, Democratic candidate Juan Ardila has pulled ahead as the front-runner with 63 percent of the overall vote in our poll.

Ardila is a community advocate whose experience working with The Legal Aid Society and the Department of Education, has given him the foresight to help local constituents and the wherewithal to effectively delegate the expansion of universal Pre-K programs. While he is the more progressive of the bunch, his platform focus on housing, climate and healthcare aligns with the voting populace in the district.

Brent O’Leary, who pulled an early lead in the online poll, came in second with 20 percent of the vote. O’Leary is a moderate with an extensive resume as a civic leader in Long Island City. He is running on a platform that aims to increase community policing, maintain Mayoral control of city schools and create a system that would promote home ownership over more traditional forms of affordable housing.

Jim Magee, a defense attorney with a campaign focus on wealth disparity and revising the 2019 bail reform, came in third with 10 percent of the overall vote. Magee is the more conservative of the four, who has a local support base in the Sunnyside community.

Johanna Carmona, a young attorney who previously served as a Hispanic community liaison for outgoing Assemblywoman Cathy Nolan, polled just behind Magee with a 7 percent margin of the vote. A moderate like O’Leary, her campaign focuses on public safety, education and affordable housing.

With the Democratic Primary elections less than a week away, it appears Ardila is favored to win amongst the online polling community, but in the end it is up to local voters to show up at the polls on Tuesday, June 28, when they will have the opportunity to select one of the four candidates for New York State Assembly District 37.

Queens Ledger News Group Endorses Juan Ardila for Assembly

webadmin on June 22, 2022

Correction: Eugene Noh does not work as campaign advisor for O’Leary. O’Leary also did not hire Won’s team of field operators in his run for AD37.

The 2022 Democratic primary elections are right around the corner. On June 28, voters in Long Island City, Sunnyside, Woodside, Maspeth, and Ridgewood, will head to the polls to cast their ballots for one of four political newcomers in the race for Assembly District 37.

Only one will win the chance to claim the Assembly District seat, previously occupied by outgoing Assemblywoman Catherine Nolan, which has been up for grabs since February. This election day, voters will have the opportunity to choose from one of four candidates in the running for the State Assembly.

Brent O’Leary has an impressive resume as a civic leader with several years of experience. As a moderate, O’Leary is running on a platform that aims to increase community policing, maintain Mayoral control of city schools, and create a system that would promote homeownership over more traditional forms of affordable housing.

He previously lost his bid for office in the 2021 primary elections to Julie Won, finishing third among 15 candidates running for the New York City Council seat formerly occupied by Jimmy Van Bramer.

Brent has done a great deal of civic work for his community, but his current stance on increasing police enforcement contrasts with previous statements made during the 2021 election, where he openly stood in favor of cuts to the police budget, focusing resources instead on the community through affordable housing, education, health care, youth, and employment services.

Johanna Carmona, a young attorney who previously served as a Hispanic community liaison for Nolan, says she is running to help give her community more substantive representation in Albany. Carmona is also running a more moderate-leaning campaign platform focused on public safety, education, and affordable housing.

While she has been very accessible throughout the campaign, there is some concern that she could look to emulate some of the machine-aligned politicians who’ve endorsed her, including Nolan herself, who has been inaccessible low these past 5-6 years.

Jim Magee, a defense attorney who previously helped manage the campaign for Patrick O’Malley against Nolan in 2000, is running with the primary goal of revising the 2019 bail reform legislation. He also hopes to address wealth disparity and public transportation in the district.

Standing firm on his campaign goals to make it more difficult for violent offenders to get off bail, Magee is running a more conservative-leaning campaign than the other three candidates and runs the risk of facing an uphill battle when it comes to negotiating with members of the Democratic-led State Legislature.

Juan Ardila is a young community advocate whose experience working with The Legal Aid Society and the Department of Education, has given him the foresight to help local constituents and the wherewithal to effectively delegate the expansion of universal Pre-K programs.

As the more progressive-leaning candidate of the four, Ardila is running a platform that focuses on housing, climate, and healthcare. He is also in favor of legalizing accessory dwelling units and is a supporter of the proposed “good cause eviction” bill.

Ardila previously came up just short of unseating incumbent City Councilman Robert Holden in the 2021 Democratic primary. Obtaining 45 percent of the vote, he fell just 926 votes short of victory.

Although his campaign falls far left of the other three candidates, the fact that he says he won’t align with the Democratic Socialists of America and has stated his intentions to work with both sides of the aisle, in our eyes, makes him a more viable candidate in the Assembly race.

Based on the aforementioned reasons and the fact that his goals align with much of the voting populace in the district, our news organization endorses Ardila as the Democratic nominee in the race.

Unlike his opponents, Ardila said he wants to address the spike in violent crimes at the root of the problem by funding more programs for youth. He also has taken a stance on the local impact of air pollution, and the creation of a single-payer health care system statewide, bridging the unaffordability gaps that plague so many low and middle-income families in the district.

We feel that if elected Ardila will do his personal best to try and protect the community, remain accessible to constituents, and pass/write sensible legislation in concert with the concerns of his district up in Albany.

Queens BP endorses Juan Ardila for Queens Assembly seat

Evan Triantafilidis on April 27, 2022

State Assembly candidate Juan Ardila has earned the endorsement of Queens Borough President Donovan Richards.

The Borough President’s endorsement is the latest for Ardila’s campaign, which also holds the endorsements of State Senator Jessica Ramos, State Assemblymember Catalina Cruz, City Council members Tiffany Caban and Jennifer Gutiérrez, as well as former Speaker Melissa Mark-Viverito.

Ardila, a progressive running for the 37th Assembly District in Queens, is looking to replace Cathy Nolan, who announced her retirement after 36 years earlier this year.

“Juan Ardila has always been a passionate advocate for the community,” said Borough President Donovan Richards. “He is a leader who understands the need for protecting tenants, expanding healthcare access, and fixing the climate crisis here in Queens. I’m excited to support Juan for Assembly because I know he will be a strong champion for progress in Albany.”

The 37th State Assembly district includes the diverse neighborhoods of Long Island City, Maspeth, Ridgewood, Sunnyside and Woodside.

Ardila’s campaign also has the support of the Working Families Party, DC37, New York Immigration Action, Make the Road Action, Open New York, Community Voices Heard (CVH), Churches United For Fair Housing Action (CUFFH) and local Democratic leaders including Emilia Decaudin, Jesse Laymon, and Derek Evers.

“I’m honored to have the support of a dedicated public servant like Borough President Richards. He works hard every day to help educate our kids, keep our community safe, and he has a plan for addressing climate change,” Ardila said. “It is wonderful to have the backing of the people who understand the needs of our community and the challenges we face.”

Ardila announced the launch of his campaign earlier this year, as the Maspeth native is looking to garner enough votes in a crowded field of candidates including Johanna Carmona, Jim Magee and Brent O’Leary. Last year, Ardila fell in a tight race against City Council member Robert Holden in the 30th Council District, garnering 45 percent of the vote.

The Democratic primary for the open seat will be held on Tuesday, June 28th.

Ardila to make bid for vacant Assembly seat

Evan Triantafilidis on February 23, 2022

Nolan retiring after serving for the last 38 years

BY EVAN TRIANTAFILIDIS

Juan Ardila is running for State Assembly.

The Maspeth native will enter the June 28th Democratic Primary to replace Cathy Nolan, who is retiring after 38 years of service. The 37th District includes the neighborhoods of Long Island City, Maspeth, Ridgewood, and Sunnyside

“Queens residents deserve affordable housing, improved public transit, and a plan to combat climate change,” said Ardila. “Growing up in an immigrant family, I have experienced how important it is to have representation that understands how government can impact our lives.

“In Albany, I will be a champion for our seniors, our workers, and our tenants,” he added. “I am excited for a better future for all New Yorkers.”

Ardila is a first-generation American, the son of a Columbian father and Honduran-Cuban mother. After seeing his mother nearly deported and watching other family members face persecution from gang violence in Honduras, Ardila began his journey to public service.

He earned a B.A. in Political Science from Fordham University and a master’s degree in Public Administration from NYU. He attended St. Adalbert Catholic Academy in Elmhurst before going to high school in Briarwood at Archbishop Molloy High School.

Ardila previously served as a staffer in the office of Brad Lander when he was in the City Council. He also worked at the International Rescue Committee in Manhattan and as a consultant at the city’s Department of Education.

He currently works at the Legal Aid Society.

Last year, Ardila challenged Councilman Robert Holden in the Democratic Primary. He fell 926 votes short of defeating the incumbent, garnering 45 percent of the vote.

Ardila’s Assembly bid has already earned the endorsements of State Senator Jessica Ramos, Assemblywoman Catalina Cruz, and Councilwoman Jennifer Gutierrez.

“Juan draws on his experience in providing legal representation for all New Yorkers, and will bring his unwavering dedication to listen to working families,” said Ramos, “to organize his community around key priorities such as housing infrastructure, increased access to public transportation, and a more inclusive public education system.”

Ardila’s also has the backing of Make the Road Action and Churches United for Fair Housing Action.

“Juan Ardila is a fighter for his community who has stood with immigrant, LatinX, Black, and working-class members of his community in the fight for respect and dignity,” said Theo Oshiro, co-executive director of Make the Road Action. “We were proud to support him before, and we’re proud to support him again.”