26 CityAndStateNY.com
April 25, 2022
Outer borough Assembly challenges Whether first elected in 1992 or 2018, these incumbents are facing spirited primaries. By Jeff Coltin
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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
Assembly Member Tom Abinanti
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 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 TOM ABINANTI; ASSEMBLY; MARK GROCE/MTA NEW YORK CITY TRANSIT
T’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.
