New York State’s 2026 election is heating up, with Manhattan’s Lower East Side 65B Democratic district leader Jacky Wong announcing on the 22nd his candidacy for New York State’s 65th Assembly District, holding the first volunteer training session on Saturday (21st) in preparation for the Democratic petition drive starting on Tuesday (24th). The atmosphere at the event was lively, with many volunteers attending to learn the process and election rules, gearing up for grassroots mobilization.
Representing downtown, State Senator Carvanna unexpectedly announced his retirement three weeks ago, causing a stir in the political arena. Former State Assemblyman Lee Wing Yan and former Assemblywoman Niu Yulin immediately declared their bid for the Senate seat, resulting in a vacancy in Lee Wing Yan’s original Assembly seat. Despite the time constraints, this attracted six candidates to enter the race, quickly intensifying the election. Wong said this is a fiercely competitive election and a crucial moment for the community to voice its opinions.
Chinatown Democratic District leader Yu Jinshan of 65D pointed out that this election is particularly lively, with the district covering core communities such as Chinatown, Soho, Lower East Side, Two Bridges, Grand Street, and the Financial District, where a large number of Chinese and Asian residents live. “We can’t miss this opportunity.”
Another 65D district leader, Li Yanjuan, emphasized that the Chinese community has had limited influence in state-level policy discussions and resource allocations for a long time. The community must unite and seize this critical opportunity to enhance the representation and impact of the Chinese in public decision-making in Lower Manhattan and Chinatown.
Wong introduced that although his candidacy was unexpected, he will go all out. He mentioned that State Assembly candidates must collect at least 500 valid Democratic member signatures to qualify; to avoid challenges to invalid signatures, most people will collect around 1500 as a safeguard. Volunteers will start petition drives by zones from Tuesday, going deep into residential estates, commercial establishments, and community locations to introduce their ideas to voters and collect signatures. With six candidates running this year, each Democratic member can only sign for one candidate, and he urged supporters to verify the target before signing to avoid errors.
On policy positions, Wong has been actively involved in community affairs in recent years, taking a stand on various issues, including opposing the excessive establishment of homeless shelters in Chinatown, opposing the relocation of prisons to Bowery, advocating for social service resources to flow to more grassroots organizations, supporting increased affordable housing supply, and ensuring food vouchers. Since the federal government intensified immigration enforcement last year, he has also held several government building immigration law seminars with legal professionals, assisting families and the elderly in understanding their rights and available resources.
Wong stated that running for office is not only an important step in his political career but also an opportunity for the community to collectively voice their opinions. “We should not passively accept policies after they are implemented but should participate in discussions before their formation to ensure that the needs of immigrant communities are heard and valued.”
Yu Jinshan also emphasized the inadequate representation of Asian immigrants in the formulation of New York City and state policies, calling for the cultivation of more new generation leaders willing to take on public responsibilities and open the door for the next generation to participate in public governance and decision-making.