Last Friday, WE ACT for Environmental Justice (WE ACT) and the Marcus Meets Malcolm nonprofit hosted a packed 70th State Assembly District candidates’ forum featuring Craig Schley, Shana Harmongoff, Joshua Clennon, Maria Ordoñez, and Jordan J. G. Wright.
The forum was held outdoors on West 120th Street, which was partially closed off for the event, with a great showing of community members. Marcus Meets Malcolm also partnered with Indivisible Harlem, the Mount Morris Park Community Improvement Association, and the NAACP Mid-Manhattan Branch.
The candidates took questions from youth moderators and the audience about education, senior citizens, mental health, crime and public safety, housing, economic development, small Black-owned businesses, battling climate change, and environmental justice legislation, such as the New York HEAT Act.
Here’s a recap of the candidates’ stances on environmental issues and the race at large.
Craig Schley
“The 70th Assembly District belongs to the people,” said Schley, an attorney with a commitment to public service and defending small businesses who is originally from Philadelphia. “It doesn’t belong to any family. It doesn’t belong to any group of folks. It cannot be bequeathed nor can it be inherited.”
After the petitioning season closed in April, Schley initially qualified for the ballot, but his petitions were challenged by Wright’s camp, according to the elections board ledger, and he was subsequently kicked off the ballot. However, the New York County Supreme Court decided to “unanimously reverse” his invalidated petitions this month, which Schley enthusiastically posted about in a social media post. He dreams of building a federally funded entertainment hub in Harlem.
Schley would:
- Negotiate across party lines if necessary to garner support for the NY HEAT Act.
- Invest in more nursing staff for senior care during a heat wave.
Shana Harmongoff
“I am passionate about service,” said Harmongoff, a Harlem native who is passionate about elevating senior issues and promoting mental health. “Do you want to vote for someone who just does the talking, or do you want to vote for someone who delivers? I am a deliverer. Harlem, I am asking for your vote on June 25th.”
Harmongoff has juris master and juris doctorate law degrees, and has worked in the state senate directing community affairs for former Senator and Lieutenant Governor Brian Benjamin, who was forced to resign due to an indictment in a bribery scheme in 2022.
Harmongoff:
- Is determined to mobilize community support, work with organizations, and bring in colleagues in government to create awareness of the environmental and economic benefits of the NY HEAT Act.
- Would expand cooling stations and extend hours of operation for high-risk areas in the district.
- Review and reduce low-income resident electricity bills, especially for seniors.
Joshua Clennon
“I plan to leverage my diverse set of experiences in the New York State Assembly to finally deliver the transformative change that we as a community have been starving for,” said Clennon, a native Harlemite who lost his father to an act of gun violence and has served on the community board and worked in the affordable housing arena for several years.
Clennon is one the younger candidates in the race. He has taken some anti-establishment stances and has clashed with the Wright and Ordonez campaigns, both of which challenged his petitions and got him temporarily kicked off the ballot.
Clennon:
- Finds the NY HEAT Act to be important legislation, and wants to build public awareness and support to sway “career politicians” to vote on and pass the bill.
- Would invest proactively in climate resiliency, cooling centers in the community, and expanding green spaces to absorb emissions and carbon.
- Would make NYCHA and public housing a center for clean energy by using solar panels and creating green jobs, green rooftops, and gardens.
Maria Ordoñez
“For too long, our elected officials have been failing us,” said Ordoñez, an avid tenants rights organizer and considers herself a Progressive in the race. “This is why I’m running: because we need change now.”
Ordoñez grew up in Harlem, but believes in moving away from the “old guard” of Democrats who have held power in the district for decades.
Ordoñez:
- Wants to organize community groups around the climate crisis to push support for the NY HEAT Act.
- Would create more green spaces and rooftops.
- Develop heat resilience plans for low-income communities, especially NYCHA residents.
Jordan J G Wright
“You go further together than we do separately,” Wright said, who served on the community board and was a successful campaign manager and is currently chief of staff for City Councilmember Yusef Salaam. “I look forward to working with Councilmember Salaam while he’s on the city level and I’m on the state level to bring about a real transformative movement in the district.”
Wright is the youngest candidate in the race at 29 and comes from a family legacy of public service. His grandfather was State Supreme Court Judge Bruce Wright and his father is Manhattan Democratic Party Boss Keith Wright.
Wright has come under fire for his family connections and endorsements from the old guard of Harlem, such as Assemblymember Inez Dickens, who’s slated to retire. However, Wright has a strong community backing, turning in a record number of designating petitions on the first day of filing.
He’s also well-funded. In March, he had $54,634 in campaign contributions. A solid chunk of his donations came from small individual donors in the district, along with some big donors, like real estate and affordable housing mogul Craig Livingston, according to New York State Public Campaign Finance disclosure reports.
Wright:
- Would rally private sector and nonprofit sector stakeholders around the NY HEAT Act.
- Is committed to making cooling stations accessible within walking distance of highly vulnerable areas in the district, and that buildings are green-energy efficient.
- Wants to plant more trees.
[updated Tues, May 28]
Ariama C. Long is a Report for America corps member who writes about politics for the Amsterdam News. Your donation to match our RFA grant helps keep her writing stories like this one; please consider making a tax-deductible gift of any amount today by visiting https://bit.ly/amnews1.