OUTER BOROUGHS

Outer borough Assembly challenges

Whether first elected in 1992 or 2018, these incumbents are facing spirited primaries.

By Jeff Coltin

IT’S NOT ALL about Manhattan. There are primaries across the state worth keeping an eye on. Here are a few Assembly incumbents facing challenges, way off Broadway.

ASSEMBLY MEMBER

TOM ABINANTI

First elected: 2010 Current district: 92, parts of Westchester County, including Tarrytown New district: 92, largely the same

Reported cash on hand:

$96,484

Challenger:

MaryJane Shimsky

The six-term legislator Tom Abinanti has had his differences with colleagues and activists further to the political left on issues such as a COVID-19 relief fund for undocumented people. That could help Shimsky, the current majority leader of the Westchester County Board of Legislators, in this campaign. Shimsky, who reported $65,544 on hand in May, has said she planned to attack Abinanti on that issue as well as “good cause” eviction and his past comments on vaccines. Her campaign got a boost from Westchester Democrats in February when they voted to support her primary challenge against Abinanti, who claimed it was all just political hijinks ahead of the June primary. Shimsky’s also getting support from progressives, including the WFP. Abinanti beat a primary challenger last year by a comfortable margin.

Assembly Member Tom Abinanti Assembly Member Jeffrion Aubry

ASSEMBLY MEMBER JEFFRION AUBRY

First elected: 1992 Current district: 35, East Elmhurst and Corona in Queens New district: 35, largely the same

Reported cash on hand:

$124,444

Challenger:

Hiram Monserrate

Hiram Monserrate was kicked out of the state Senate more than a decade ago after a domestic violence arrest and later served prison time on corruption charges arising from his City Council campaign. He may have been forgiven by mainstream Democrats by now if he didn’t keep challenging incumbents. He lost to Aubry 65%-35% in 2020 and is seeking political redemption again this year – for the sixth time. But Monserrate isn’t a joke – he’s won district leader races, and the majority Hispanic district’s demographics favor him. He’s hoping to paint Aubry as the picture of Albany dysfunction. Aubry has run a quiet campaign and hasn’t posted a campaign finance report since January. And even then, he didn’t report raising a single dime after the first days of November. Monserrate didn’t file his required disclosure

Assembly Member Jose Rivera

Assembly Member Mathylde Frontus

either – but reported $44,314 in the bank in January.

ASSEMBLY MEMBER MATHYLDE FRONTUS

First elected: 2018 Current district: 46, Coney Island and parts of Bay Ridge in Brooklyn New district: 46, largely the same

Reported cash on hand:

$25,614

Challenger:

Dionne Brown-Jordan elected by a razor-thin margin in 2018 – but the wounds from that race never healed, and she has been in a behind-thescenes battle with former City Council Member Mark Treyger and other Brooklyn Democratic Party insiders ever since. That’s resulted in some unflattering stories about high turnover in her office and more. Frontus’ challenger, Dionne Brown-Jordan, is a district leader and a party favorite, but has gotten criticized – and heat from the district attorney – for apparently signing up unwilling Brooklynites for county committee, including dead people. A month out, Brown-Jordan had about as much money to spend as Frontus, reporting $24,870 on hand.

ASSEMBLY MEMBER

JOSÉ RIVERA

First elected: 2000, after a previous stint in the Assembly Current district: 78, parts of the western Bronx, including Belmont New district: 78, largely the same

Reported cash on hand:

$70,788 Challengers: George Alvarez, Emmanuel Martinez

José Rivera, the longtime veteran of Bronx politics, won his last primary in a landslide. He might have thought he would avoid a tough race this year, too, when progressive Shanequa Charles failed to make the ballot. But Emmanuel “Manny” Martinez, chair of Bronx Community Board 7, is putting up a spirited fight – with a lot of outside help. Moving New York Forward, a super PAC funded by a Wall Street trader, has spent more than $200,000 supporting his campaign and getting Martinez’s name out. And Rivera may not be able to count on the establishment to save him this time considering all that trouble he’s gotten into with Assembly leadership after leaking a recording of a private meeting. George Alvarez, a perennial candidate who came in third place in the 2020 primary for a neighboring Assembly district, is also running, and reported having $18,351 in the bank in May, after spending $25,362 since January. Martinez hasn’t filed since January, when he reported having nearly $37,000 – most of that his own money. And who knows what shape Rivera’s campaign is in – he hasn’t reported raising a single dollar since October 2020.