Mayor Michael Bloomberg delivers his 2012 State of the City address in the Bronx. AP Photo/Mary Altaffer

Mayor Michael Bloomberg proposed incentives, including merit pay, so the city can retain and recruit the best teachers during his State of the City address last Thursday in the Bronx.

The mayor also called on the state to pass minimum wage legislation so the pay is higher than federal standards.

“The single most important factor in a student’s progress is the effectiveness of the classroom teacher and we are going to find new ways to attract, reward and retain great teachers,” the mayor said.

Bloomberg said the burden of paying back student loans from top colleges sometimes causes those interested in teaching not to consider it as a career choice.

“But we need their talents in our classrooms,” the mayor said. “Our kids need them.”

Bloomberg proposed having the city pay off up to $25,000 in student loans from anyone who finishes in the top tier of his or her college class and wants to be a teacher.

“Our teachers deserve that and so do our children,” the mayor said.

Bloomberg also wants the city to offer top teachers a $20,000-a-year raise if they are rated highly for two consecutive years.

Any of the mayor’s suggestions outlined in the State of the City would need to be approved by the powerful United Federation of Teachers.

“Historically, teachers unions around the country have opposed rewarding great teaching through merit pay, but more and more teachers are asking, ‘Why?’ and we’ve seen how well this can work in other cities,” Bloomberg said.

The mayor said the city would back state Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver’s (D-Manhattan) proposal to raise the minimum wage in the state above the federal standard.

“Our city just cannot afford to wait for Washington,” Bloomberg said. “Not when it comes to illegal guns, not when it comes to climate change, not when it comes to creating jobs and not when it comes to raising the minimum wage.”

City Comptroller John Liu said it was “great to hear” Bloomberg talk about bumping up the minimum wage and said increasing it “would help eliminate the increasing income gap that New York has experienced in recent years.”

On immigration, Bloomberg said the city will “help lead the charge” for the New York State Dream Act, legislation modeled after a federal bill that would allow children who were brought to the country illegally to apply for state-sponsored college loans, grants and scholarships.

“We can’t blame them for being brought here as infants or teens,” the mayor said. “And since they are here to stay, it’s in New York City’s best interest to make sure they are able to become productive members of society.”

State Assemblyman Francisco Moya (D-Corona) praised Bloomberg for endorsing the state legislation.

“It is imperative that we work toward equal educational opportunities for all New Yorkers and to remove roadblocks that stand between youth and a productive future in this city and state,” he said.

City Councilman Daniel Dromm (l.) talks to City Comptroller John Liu (r.) while Assemblyman Francisco Moya looks on (c.) during a visit to a store selling Indian goods in Jackson Heights. Photo by Rebecca Henely

City Comptroller John Liu received an enthusiastic reception from Jackson Heights business owners when he visited the Indian and Bangladeshi commercial strips in the neighborhood last Thursday.

Liu was joined by state Assemblyman Francisco Moya (D-Jackson Heights), City Councilman Daniel Dromm (D-Jackson Heights) and a group of business owners as he walked into sari shops and Bangladeshi eateries on 73rd and 74th streets between 37th Avenue and 37th Road. He said he came to speak to businesses about their concerns and see what the city could do to help them.

“We need you to succeed here in New York City and it is my mission to make sure that that happens,” Liu told the business owners.

Although he said he spent a lot of time in the neighborhood when he was growing up, this was Liu’s second visit to the strips in an official capacity. He said he was glad to see many of the businesses that he saw on his first trip were still thriving.

“He’s very nice, a very nice guy,” said a woman who gave her name as Kiran and who works in a jewelry store on 74th Street. “It’s nice of him to stop by.”

Some concerns business owners brought up to Liu were the high rents coupled with lack of services.

Mohammad Pier, president of the Jackson Heights Bangladeshi Business Association, said the merchants want the city to help in making the city more colorful and vibrant.

“We call it the second Bangladesh here in America,” Pier said of Jackson Heights.

Liu said some problems he thought warranted consideration were fixing a broken sidewalk, additional parking in the area, getting rid of ticket blitzes and providing sanitation services now that money for the Doe Fund, which cleans streets, has been reduced.

“We need to support our local businesses,” Liu said. He said these small businesses would generate jobs for the city.

Dromm said Liu knows how important the South Asian community is to the city of New York.

“This district is probably the most diverse district in the world,” the councilman said.

Moya said he visited because elected officials need to add support to area businesses as well.

“To see firsthand what the issues are in the community,” Moya said.

For Liu’s visit, civic activist Mohammad Rashid said he had arranged volunteers to clean the streets of Jackson Heights for free. Local Imam Mohd Qayyoom also gave Liu a framed invitation to an Eid prayer event he is holding at IS 145, at 33-34 80th St. in Jackson Heights, at the end of this month.

State Sen. Jose Peralta has been named one of the co-chairman of the Democratic Senate Campaign Committee as well as the Democratic whip in the state Senate and the ranking member on the Senate Labor Committee. Photo by Christina Santucci

In the nearly one year that Jose Peralta has been a state senator representing western Queens, his star has surely risen.

Peralta was selected as one of four co-chairmen in charge of making sure Democrats recapture the Senate in 2012 and was chosen by Senate Democratic Leader John Sampson (D-Brooklyn) as Democratic whip – the fifth-highest leadership position among Democrats.

On top of the two posts, Peralta was also named the ranking member of the Senate Labor Committee by Sampson.

Meanwhile, state Sen. Malcolm Smith (D-St. Albans), who a year ago was the second-highest ranking Democrat in the Senate as temporary president of the body, was relegated to secretary of the Democratic Conference – the ninth-highest leadership position in the conference.

Newly minted Sen. Michael Gianaris (D-Astoria), who was appointed to lead the fund-raising arm of the Senate Democrats by Sampson, chose Peralta as one of four co-chairs of the Democratic Senate Campaign Committee.

“We are running offense and will have exceptional candidates in every region of this state and the funds to help them spread their message to voters,” Peralta said in a statement. “Election cycles come and go, but the failure of the Senate Republicans to protect working families has been a constant for decades. Sen. Gianaris is the right person to lead DSCC and I know my colleagues and I are hitting the ground running to elect new Democrats to the state Senate.”

As Democratic whip, Peralta will be in charge of counting votes for Senate Democrats on bills and in a statement he referred to the dysfunction plaguing Albany.

“The members of our conference bring different experiences and expertise to the Senate and I thank Sen. Sampson for recognizing that and elevating new members so we can more effectively represent our constituents,” Peralta said. “After decades of dysfunction, late budgets and members behaving badly, the taxpayers are desperate for fiscal discipline, greater ethical standards and a political system which serves and meets their needs.”

Peralta was elected to the Senate last year in a special election for the seat previously occupied by Hiram Monserrate, who was expelled from the body after being convicted of misdemeanor assault for slashing his girlfriend, Karla Giraldo, in the face with a glass.

Peralta easily won the election and Monserrate then turned his attention to Peralta’s up-for-grabs state Assembly seat, where he was defeated by Assemblyman Francisco Moya (D-Corona).

Francisco Moya of Corona and Aravella Simotas of Astoria will be the newest members of the Assembly from western Queens come 2011.

When the state Assembly opens its 2011 legislative session in January, two new faces from western Queens will be seen on the floor. Democrats Francisco Moya of Corona and Aravella Simotas of Astoria, both of whom had no opponents in the general election, stepped into seats left open by officials moving on to the state Senate.

“I feel really honored and humbled by the vote of confidence that took place in the primary as well as the general,” Moya said in an interview.

Moya is now assemblyman-elect for the 39th District, which covers Corona, Elmhurst and parts of Jackson Heights and has had a vacancy since March. Democrat Jose Peralta left the position after winning the East Elmhurst Senate seat in a special election, which was open after former Sen. Hiram Monserrate was ousted after being found guilty of an assault charge against his girlfriend Karla Giraldo.

Monserrate ran against Peralta in the March special election as well as against Moya in the primary elections in September. Moya ran unopposed in the general election after the Republican candidate, Humberto Suarezmotta, was kept off the ballot for failing to hand in a cover sheet with his campaign signatures.

Moya said he had nothing to do with Suarezmotta’s ballot problems and had not challenged his signatures. He called Suarezmotta a “nice guy” and said he hoped they could work together in the future.

“I wish him nothing but the best,” Moya said.

To the west, Simotas will be the assemblywoman for the 36th District, which covers Astoria and Long Island City, including the Queensbridge and Ravenswood public houses. She will be replacing outgoing Assemblyman Michael Gianaris, who won the seat of outgoing Sen. George Onorato (D-Astoria) in the general election. Simotas had no Republican opponents and her two Democratic opponents, attorneys John Ciafone and Jeremiah Frei-Pearson, dropped out before the primary election.

Simotas, who volunteered on Gianaris’ original campaign for the Assembly 10 years ago, said taking over for the assemblyman is “very thrilling.”

“I know I have very large shoes to fill, but I’m going to work very hard to make the community proud,” Simotas said.

Moya said he wanted to work hard in the Assembly for the community he will represent.

“The real work begins now. We’re going to have a tough, tough budget coming up,” he said.

Moya said he also wanted to work on stimulating the economy through bringing back manufacturing jobs to the district and protecting small businesses. Another goal is to help clean up the crime and gang violence along Roosevelt Avenue.

Simotas said that after visiting with constituents throughout the campaign, she will try to work in Albany on ensuring constituents get affordable access to health care. She said the area needed a bigger hospital.

“We have a lot of young, new families that are coming in with children,” Simotas said.

She said she also hopes to get on committees to work on the environment and education in the Assembly. She said she wants to examine how money is spent on education in the district, try to keep funding for after-school programs and work on the air quality in the district since the neighborhood is home to multiple power plants, LaGuardia Airport and major highways.

“We live in the epicenter of a lot of pollution going on,” Simotas said.

Moya thanked his future constituents.

“I want them to be assured that nobody will be working harder for them than me in Albany,” Moya said.

Simotas said she was grateful for the messages of support and congratulations from her constituents.

“Each and every one of them is my boss,” Simotas said. “I have a debt to them and I look forward to going to Albany and advocating on their behalf.”

Mark Ferran of the United Fire Officers Association and U.S. Rep. Joe Crowley campaigned with state Assemblywoman Marge Markey outside IS 73 in Maspeth. Photo by Rebecca Henely

Despite a reported anti-incumbent, anti-Democrat mood across the nation, all the seated Democrats won another term in the state Assembly races in western Queens this year, according to unofficial election results from NY1.

Assembly members Andrew Hevesi (D-Forest Hills), Margaret Markey (D-Maspeth), Catherine Nolan (D-Ridgewood), Michael Miller (D-Woodhaven) and Audrey Pheffer (D-Rockaway Beach) beat their Republican rivals Tuesday. Community activist Francisco Moya also stepped into the Elmhurst-Corona Assembly district seat and lawyer Aravella Simotas was unopposed on the Democratic ticket to fill the seat vacated by Assemblyman Michael Gianaris (D-Astoria).

Hevesi, who has been in the Assembly’s Forest Hills seat since 2005, squeaked ahead in a tight race with 54 percent of the vote, beating out law school graduate Alex Powietrzynski, who earned 40 percent of the vote and Independent Joseph Tiraco, who earned a little less than 6 percent, with 100 percent of precincts reporting. The young Republican had called for Hevesi to step down in light of the controversy surrounding Hevesi’s father Alan, who had once held Andrew’s Assembly seat and pleaded guilty recently to corruption in his role as state comptroller.

Andrew Hevesi pushed his record on environmental legislation and touted his support for reform in Albany. Powietrzynski focused on job creation, lowering taxes, Metropolitan Transportation Authority reform and crime reduction.

In a contentious race, Markey, an assemblywoman for Maspeth since 1998, won with 60 percent of the vote over Maspeth businessman and Community Board 5 member Tony Nunziato, with 89 percent of precincts reporting.

Nunziato had accused Markey of not being a presence in the community in the run-up to the election, and they had clashed at a news conference over a plan to reroute trucks in the community. In his campaign, Nunziato focused on job creation, capping government spending, cutting taxes, fiscal responsibility and school vouchers. Markey’s campaign had emphasized her record and working to improve quality of life and creating a viable commercial district.

In nearby Ridgewood, 26-year Nolan defeated actor and bartender John Kevin Wilson by a wide margin with 85 percent of the vote, with 92 percent of precincts reporting. Miller, who won his Woodhaven Assembly district seat in a special election in 2009, netted his first full term and defeated Republican Donna Marie Caltabiano, executive director of the Forest Park Senior Center, with 69 percent of the vote when 93 percent of the precincts were counted. In Rockaway Beach, Pheffer, who has been in office since 1987, beat opponent Dr. Harold Paez, an administrator at a Brooklyn hospital, with 68 percent of the vote in a race where 64 percent of precincts had reported.

In addition, Moya took the vacant 39th Assembly District seat, which covers Elmhurst, Corona and part of Jackson Heights. The seat had been left vacant after previous holder Jose Peralta won the East Elmhurst seat in a special election for the state Senate. Moya initially had a Republican opponent in community activist Humberto Suarezmotta, but he was thrown off the ballot for failing to hand in a cover sheet with his signatures.

Simotas, meanwhile, stepped into Gianaris’ 36th Assembly District seat, which includes Astoria, Long Island City, Ravenswood and Queensbridge, as Gianaris left to run for outgoing state Sen. George Onorato’s (D-Astoria) seat.

Assemblymen Jeffrion Aubry (D-Corona) and Michael DenDekker (D-Jackson Heights), who had no opponents, also won another term this year.

Humberto Suarezmotta (l.), Republican candidate for the 39th Assembly District, was kicked off the ballot for failing to put a cover sheet on his signatures submitted to the city board of elections. Photo courtesy Suarezmotta

The Republicans’ candidate for the open state Assembly seat in Corona, Humberto Suarezmotta, has been booted from the ballot for failing to file his signatures with a cover sheet, a decision he says he may dispute in federal court.

“I do not have anything from the city of New York saying I am not on the ballot,” Suarezmotta said.

The 39th District Assembly seat has been vacant since March 16 when its former occupant, Democrat Jose Peralta, won his East Elmhurst state Senate seat in a special election. Suarezmotta no longer being on the ballot means Democratic candidate Francisco Moya is running unopposed. Peralta is up for re-election for his Senate seat this year.

A representative from the office of Valerie Vasquez, spokeswoman for the city Board of Elections, said Suarezmotta is not on the ballot for failing to file a cover a sheet when he handed in his signatures. Suarezmotta, a community activist from Corona, had filed to run for the Assembly seat, which covers Corona, Elmhurst and parts of Jackson Heights.

Suarezmotta said he filed for the race with Richard LaSalle, a Republican lawyer who is running for Peralta’s current state Senate seat, July 15. Suarezmotta said he had accumulated almost 1,000 signatures.

He said he did not receive anything further from the city board until Sept. 20, when the city BOE sent him a letter asking how he wanted his name to appear on the ballot in Chinese. He also said he was included on a list of candidates the state Board of Elections published Sept. 27.

But when Suarezmotta called the city board in response to the letter about his name, he found out he was not on the ballot.

“It doesn’t make any sense what’s happened, but it’s happened,” Suarezmotta said.

Vazquez’s office said Suarezmotta had been sent a non-compliance notice July 19 for failure to send in a cover sheet for his petitions. The letter asking him how he wanted his name to appear on the ballot in Chinese was sent to him by mistake.

Suarezmotta went to the Manhattan office of the BOE and had a hearing last Thursday at State Supreme Court in Jamaica on the issue, but was not reinstated to the ballot. He said he is considering taking the issue to federal court.

A recent list of candidates from the state Board of Elections did not list Suarezmotta as a candidate for the 39th Assembly District. LaSalle is still on the ballot for the 13th Senate District.

Suarezmotta once attempted to run against Peralta as a Democrat in 2004, and accused Peralta in 2009 of misusing in-kind contributions from a now-defunct nonprofit, the Corona-Elmhurst Center for Economic Development, which shared a space with Peralta’s former campaign office in a building owned by Peralta’s mother.

Peralta called the allegations a “smear tactic” at the time.

Hiram Monserrate campaigns for himself at 37th Avenue during Primary Day in September.

Former state Sen. Hiram Monserrate surrendered this week to federal prosecutors on charges he misused city funds meant for a failed nonprofit in Corona to finance his own political campaigns, the U.S. attorney’s office in Manhattan said.

Monserrate, who was expelled from his Albany seat in February after receiving a misdemeanor conviction for assaulting his girlfriend, allegedly used more than $100,000 he allocated as a city councilman to the Corona-based Latino Initiative for Better Resources and Empowerment Inc. for his Senate campaign, according to a two-count indictment unsealed in federal court in Manhattan Tuesday.

The indictment charges Monserrate with one count of conspiracy to commit mail fraud and one substantive mail fraud count.

U.S. Attorney Preet Bharara also charged Monserrate with using workers from LIBRE to collect signatures to help Monserrate get on the ballot in 2006 as well as to canvass voters during his bid for the Council in 2005.

“As we move into the heart of the political season, today’s indictment of Hiram Monserrate should serve as a reminder,” Bharara said. “No campaign should ever be funded by fraud. Moreover, worthy nonprofits are supposed to have access to public money because they are meant to be a resource for communities, not a piggy bank for politicians. Public officials who act like they are above the law may get away with it for a while, but eventually we will find you and we will prosecute you.”

Joseph Tacopina, Monserrate’s attorney, said the former lawmaker intended to plead not guilty to the charges.

“He will fight the charges,” Tacopina said.

LIBRE ran English classes, immigration assistance, job placement programs and health education services. It shut down in 2008 after auditors from the city Department of Youth and Community Development began investigating it. Monserrate “played an important role in selecting LIBRE’s staff and the members of its board of directors,” from about 2005-07, according to the indictment.

Monserrate allocated $300,000 in Council discretionary funds to LIBRE, about $109,000 of which he allegedly used to finance his failed Senate campaign in 2006, Bharara said.

Monserrate in 2006 ran against then-Sen. John Sabini, a fellow Democrat, but lost by about 200 votes for the seat representing the 13th District, which covers East Elmhurst are surrounding areas.? In 2008, he ran unopposed.

Prior to serving in the Senate, Monserrate represented the 21st Council District, now represented by Councilwoman Julissa Ferreras (D-East Elmhurst). Ferreras was listed in a 2005 tax return as LIBRE’s chairwoman. ?Ferreras has not been charged with any wrongdoing.

“I am aware of the indictments against Hiram Monserrate,” Ferreras said in a statement. “I have been cooperating with the authorities from the very beginning. Given the fact that this is an ongoing investigation, it would be inappropriate to comment any further.”

According to the indictment, LIBRE used the discretionary funds allocated by Monserrate to conduct a voter registration drive in the 13th Senate District in August 2006. At Monserrate’s direction, LIBRE created a database containing the names and contact information of the individuals in the voter drive and provided this information to Monserrate’s Senate campaign office, the court papers said.

Bharara said LIBRE also used discretionary funds to pay workers to gather signatures of registered voters on petitions to help Monserrate get on the ballot in 2006.

LIBRE also helped Monserrate when he ran for re-election for the Council in 2005, according to the indictment. Monserrate paid LIBRE workers about $5,000 to canvass residents of the Council district, it said.

“An indictment of a former elected official should be a rare and remarkable moment,” city Department of Investigation Commissioner Rose Gill Hearn told a news conference at federal court in Manhattan Tuesday. “In fact, this is the third time in little more than a year that DOI and the U.S. attorney’s office for the Southern District of New York have announced that a former or current city councilman has been charged with defrauding the taxpayers by abusing the discretionary funds.”

Martha Flores-Vazquez, a Democratic district leader in Flushing and a friend and supporter of Monserrate, said she did not believe the charges.

“At the end of the day, who’s behind this will come to light and I don’t think that will be Hiram,” she said. “I don’t know him the way that they’re depicting him.”

Additional reporting was contributed by Philip Newman and Connor Adams Sheets.

Community activist Francisco Moya leaves St. Leo’s church in Corona after voting. Moya defeated former state Sen. Hiram Monserrate in the Democratic primary for the 39th District Assembly seat. Photo by Christina Santucci

Community activist Francisco Moya bested former state Sen. Hiram Monserrate nearly two-to-one in last week’s Democratic primary, but was his win due to voters liking Moya or disliking Monserrate?

Michael Krasner, political science professor at Queens College, said it was most likely a combination of both.

“I think Moya is also perceived as a good soldier,” Krasner said. “Someone who does good work, has good positions on the issues.”

Moya, a former secretary to the Senate under Gov. David Paterson, took 67 percent of the vote in his race against Monserrate for the empty 39th Assembly District seat, which had been left vacant after Sen. Jose Peralta (D-East Elmhurst) won Monserrate’s old seat in the Senate in a March special election.

Monserrate was ejected from his Senate seat in February after being convicted of misdemeanor assault for dragging his girlfriend, Karla Giraldo, through the lobby of his apartment building.

Moya will face Republican Humberto Suarezmotta in the general election.

Krasner called Moya’s win against Monserrate “very much expected,” saying Monserrate seemed to be thoroughly discredited with many because of the assault, except for his die-hard supporters. He also said Moya had the county party support. Moya picked up numerous campaign contributions and endorsements from elected officials, including state Attorney General and gubernatorial candidate Andrew Cuomo.

“Moya had the backing of County, which still counts a lot in elections that matter,” Krasner said.

Yet Monserrate still received a third of the vote, which Krasner said could be partly attributable to his race. Monserrate is of Puerto Rican heritage and was the first Latino elected to public office in Queens.

“There are probably some Puerto Ricans who stuck with him because of ethnic loyalty,” Krasner said.

He also said some voters may have done so because Monserrate helped them during his time in office, either in the Senate or City Council, which he was a part of from 2002-08.

“Any incumbent builds up followers,” Krasner said. “Any incumbent does favors.”

Conversely, race may have also been a factor in Moya’s win, Krasner said. As an Ecuadorian, Moya most likely received support from that community as well as broad Hispanic support.

Krasner said Moya also seemed to be an honorable person in general.

“My understanding is that Moya has some history as an activist in the community and I think that probably put him in good stead as well,” Krasner said.

About 17 percent of registered Democrats in the 39th Assembly District, covers Corona, Elmhurst and parts of Jackson Heights, according to the state Board of Elections.

Krasner said the turnout, the highest among the borough’s contested races, according to a TimesLedger analysis, was about average for a primary election, with 10 percent or less being a bad turnout and 20 percent being a good turnout.

Francisco Moya signs in to vote with help from poll worker Carmel Carucci. Photo by Christina Santucci

Strike two for Hiram Monserrate.

Community activist Francisco Moya bested the controversial former state senator in the Democratic primary for the 39th Assembly District seat, earning 67 percent of the vote, according to unofficial election results.

“Change has finally arrived, and we did it in a resounding way,” Moya said.

This is Moya’s second major campaign, having once run unsuccessfully against Julissa Ferreras (D–Corona) for City Council.

Mike Nieves, campaign manager for Monserrate, said the candidate has no plans at the moment and will be taking some time to sit back and consider the results of the contest.

“We ran a race. We hoped that the results were different,” Nieves said.

Nevertheless, he had good things to say about the election.

“The people are in good spirits. The candidates are in good spirits. And that’s what happens in this game: some people win, some people lose,” Nieves said.

This was the second race Monserrate had lost this year after being defeated in a landside by state Sen. Jose Peralta (D-Jackson Heights) in March when the two of them ran for the seat Monserrate had been forced to give up. He was found guilty of assaulting his girlfriend, Karla Giraldo, which got him thrown out of the State Senate in February.

The seat Monserrate and Moya were vying for was Peralta’s old one.

Poll workers in the district said the turnout was higher than normal.

Maria Faro, coordinator for polls at the Renaissance Charter School in Jackson Heights, said there was a continuous flow of voters coming to the site and at noon Tuesday more than 200 people had been there to vote.

“At 6 o’clock there were people and they have not stopped,” she said.

Faro also said the turnout was mixed, with voters of multiple ethnicities and ages at the polls.

Garjit Badhan, a poll worker at St. Leo’s Church in Corona, said the voter turnout had been far larger than in last year’s primary election. Last year the polling place had 10 to 15 people all day, but this year they had 50 people by the morning.

Moya ran on a number of issues, including fighting gangs, creating jobs, bringing industry back to Queens, combating school overcrowding and childhood obesity and fighting to return control of the rent laws to the city.

Hiram Monserrate (c.) leaves the Renaissance Charter School, walking with Eduardo Giraldo (l.). Photo by Christina Santucci

Monserrate also put job creation at the center of his campaign choosing, “Let’s Get Queens Back to Work” as his slogan. He also said he hoped to bring more sanitation services to the district.

Monserrate’s campaign for the 39th Assembly District was plagued by controversy. Often in the campaign, Moya and his workers accused Monserrate of dirty politics. In June, Moya’s campaign manager, Nathan Smith, said Monserrate petitioners harassed Moya and his father while they were taking petitions at St. Leo’s, and Moya and other politicians clashed with Monserrate when he showed up uninvited at a street renaming in Corona July 31.

Much of the campaign message from Moya was centered around portraying his candidacy as a positive contrast to Monserrate’s controversies.

“We’re going to be the shining example of everything Hiram Monserrate is not,” Smith said in July.

Monserrate, in turn, accused Moya of being backed by special interests, and cited Moya’s occupation as a government affairs officer for Cablevision. He also criticized the campaign contributions Moya had received from Albany officials.

“I believe I have a lot more to offer this community,” Monserrate said during the campaign, “more than my opponent does.”

Moya claimed clashes between his people and Monserrate’s had occurred throughout Primary Day, but could not name any specifics.

Campaigners working for both Monserrate and Moya outside St. Leo’s Church on 104-19 49th Ave. in Corona and Renaissance Charter School in 35-19 81st Street in Jackson Heights said around midday that they had not seen any problems in their area and that the other side had been respectful.

Faro said when Monserrate voted at Renaissance in the morning, he was respectful.

“He came, no problem,” Faro said. “He was very gracious.”

Councilwoman Julissa Ferreras (front) has accused her former boss, ousted state Sen. Hiram Monserrte (rear) of threatening and harassing her. The two appeared along with numerous other elected officials at an Ecuadorian heritage celebration earlier this summer. File photo/Christina Santucci

A spokesman from the office of City Councilwoman Julissa Ferreras (D-East Elmhurst) said her tires have been slashed and she has received vulgar notes — harassment which her office alleges is from Hiram Monserrate, her former boss when he held her seat.

“It’s kind of a desperate time for him and he’s trying to get elected,” said Seth Barron, a spokesman for Ferreras, “and essentially he’s a bully.”

Mike Nieves, campaign manager for Monserrate, who was running for the state Assembly, denied any harassment.

“We have nothing to do with that,” Nieves said. “And quite frankly it’s an abuse of city resources to protect someone who has no need of protection.”

Monserrate was ousted from his state Senate seat in February after receiving a misdemeanor conviction for assault against his girlfriend, Karla Giraldo, with whom he later reconciled. Before becoming a senator, Monserrate was a member of the Council and Ferreras worked as his chief of staff and campaign manager.

Barron said for at least last three weeks Ferreras and her office have been harassed. He said Ferreras’ tires have been slashed and vulgar notes have been left on her car. The office also has received a number of calls from people who immediately hung up and dog feces have been left outside the office, Barron said.

Barron said the chief of security for the Council has changed the locks at Ferreras’ office, and there has been a police presence monitoring Ferreras’ house and office as well as watching out for the councilwoman when she attends events.

“We’ve just monitored who comes in and out,” Barron said of security at the office. “We’ve been careful.”

The office believes Monserrate or people working for Monserrate are behind the threats because of an incident July 31 when Monserrate showed up uninvited to a street renaming in Corona presided over by Ferreras, Barron said.

“Hiram Monserrate and his people came and were very aggressive,” Barron said.

Nathan Smith, campaign spokesman for the primary campaign of Monserrate’s Democratic opponent, Francisco Moya, condemned the harassment.

“This is not a one-time incident — it clearly reflects a pattern of behavior that endangers all women who come into contact with him, even as strong an advocate for women’s safety as Councilwoman Ferreras,” Smith said. “Yet Hiram Monserrate continues to refuse to accept responsibility for his actions.”

Nieves said Ferreras should know from her time working for Monserrate that he does not threaten the opposition.

“It’s not our style. She knows better than that,” Nieves said.

Francisco Moya. Photo by Rebecca Henely

As he runs for the Assembly seat in the 39th District, community activist Francisco Moya said he believes the people in the neighborhood know they need to turn the page on the past.

“We’ve had too much scandal. We’ve had too much corruption in this community,” Moya said. “We need a change.”

Moya, 36, is one of two candidates running in the Sept. 14 Democratic primary for the open Assembly seat, which was left vacant by its former holder, state Sen. Jose Peralta (D-Jackson Heights), in March after Peralta won the post from former state Sen. Hiram Monserrate.

Monserrate, who was removed from the Senate in February after he was found guilty of a misdemeanor in a non-jury trial for dragging his girlfriend through the lobby of his apartment building, is the other Democratic contender for Peralta’s old seat. The district covers Corona, Elmhurst and parts of Jackson Heights.

“We need to get people who are serious about turning this community around,” Moya said.

While he has not held office, Moya said he has worked in public service for his entire career. Born and raised in Corona, Moya formed the Corona Gardens Neighborhood Association when he was 15. Beginning with seven people and growing to 100, the association removed graffiti and plant trees around that community.

“It was that activism that led me to go to D.C.,” Moya said.

In 1997, Moya began a career in the nation’s capital as a legislative aide, working first for U.S. Rep. Nydia Velazquez (D-Ridgewood), then for U.S. Rep. Brad Sherman (D-Calif.). When he returned home in the early 2000s, he worked in business development for the Elmhurst Hospital Center. While there, he helped build the first women’s clinic and the first senior care center in the area in a bid to bring preventive health care to residents in the area.

The year 2003 saw Moya return to working in politics when he became secretary to the state Senate under Gov. David Paterson, then the minority leader.

“I spent a lot of time working on issues not only in the state of New York, but in the area,” Moya said.

Moya currently works as the public affairs/government affairs person for cable company Cablevision.

If elected assemblyman, Moya wants to help small businesses, particularly those from 37th Avenue to Roosevelt Avenue, through tax breaks that would enable them to stay open in the poor economic climate.

“We’ve seen a lot of mom-and-pop stores who have been here for years closing down,” he said.

Another plan is to combat school overcrowding. He said Corona has an overcrowded district and its students do not get as many services as students at high schools outside the city.

“That fundamental formula [for determining school funding] has to change,” Moya said. “Kids can’t be learning in trailers or in former storage closets.”

Moya said he also hoped to stimulate the economy by encouraging manufacturers to return to Queens, potentially in green industries. He said his plan to do this is to get abandoned plants and buildings retrofitted for new industries.

“We need to make sure that we can bring that back and we’re not outsourcing outside New York City,” he said.

Finally, he said he is hoping to appeal the Urstadt law, which puts rent control in the hands of the state Legislature instead of the City Council.

“So we can make sure people here are not being out-priced in their community,” Moya said.

Moya said he has been campaigning by going around the community and making subway stops, trying to drive people to get out and vote.

“There’s a lot of people who believe in this candidacy,” Moya said. “There’s a lot of people who believe this is the change that Albany needs.”

Hiram Monserrate

When Democratic voters in the 39th state Assembly District head to the polls Sept. 14, former state Sen. Hiram Monserrate asks that they vote based on what he has done in the state Legislature, not the scandals of the past two years.

“I think when you judge someone, you have to judge them on the totality of the career and their life,” Monserrate said in an interview last week.

Monserrate, 43, was ousted from the Senate in February for an incident in December 2008 in which his girlfriend, Karla Giraldo, ended up with a slashed face and he was eventually convicted of misdemeanor assault for dragging her through the lobby of his apartment building.

At first, the courts placed a full order of protection on Giraldo, preventing Monserrate from having any contact with her. The order of protection was reduced in July at both parties’ request, allowing them to see each other. They have since reconciled.

“I’ve made mistakes,” Monserrate said. “I apologize for those mistakes. I’ve apologized to Karla, to the community, to the women of this community.”

Monserrate is one of two Democratic candidates running for the 39th Assembly District seat, which encompasses Corona, Elmhurst and parts of Jackson Heights and has been left vacant after its former holder, Sen. Jose Peralta (D-Jackson Heights) ran for Monserrate’s old seat and won, beating out Monserrate. Community activist Francisco Moya is also running for Peralta’s vacated seat.

“I believe I have a lot more to offer this community, more than my opponent does,” Monserrate said.

Monserrate pointed to his political experience in explaining why he wanted to be a part of the Assembly. His political career began in 2001, when he was elected to the City Council, becoming the first Latino to be elected from Queens. Before taking public office, Monserrate had been a member of the U.S. Marine Corps Reserves and a city Police Department officer for 12 years.

Since he was elected soon after the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks that destroyed the World Trade Center, he said he has experience dealing with a budget in difficult fiscal times and electing him would mean the public would have an assemblyman who does not need on-the-job training.

“Hiram Monserrate has been there and has done that and he will go back to Albany and do that again,” he said.

Job creation is an essential issue of his campaign, Monserrate said, calling lack of employment opportunities one of the biggest problems facing the community. He said he has encouraged economic development in the past, helping foster the creation of Citi Field, the new stadium for the New York Mets completed in 2009, and advocating for $100 million in capital projects from the Port Authority of New York & New Jersey. He said this goal is encapsulated in his campaign slogan, “Let’s get Queens back to work.”

Monserrate’s other focus in his campaign is what he calls the lack of sanitation services around Roosevelt Avenue and Junction Boulevard.

“We can see that it’s just completely out of control, the amount of garbage and rubbish and paper being posted everywhere,” Monserrate said.

He hopes to solve this through securing state funding to pay for clean-up operations and an educational campaign for store owners and the community.

“There are a lot more people living here than the government thinks there are,” Monserrate said.

Monserrate said he believes he still has a base in the district. He said he had been an active legislator as a politician, and believed they would vote ‘the right way’ in the primary election.

“I’m not making promises,” Monserrate said. “I’m pointing to my record of real accomplishment.”

“I am proud to support one of Queens’ finest young men and give him my full endorsement in his campaign for the Assembly,” Cuomo said in a release. “Francisco Moya has been working hard for his community for two decades. He has led the fight to improve access to quality and affordable health care and clean up the streets of Corona by taking on gangs and starting an after-school program for the most vulnerable children. I am inspired by all that he has done in his community – he has never given up and never lost hope.”

Moya is running for the seat against former state Sen. Hiram Monserrate, who once had the seat now held by Peralta, but was ousted in February after a misdemeanor domestic violence conviction for dragging his girlfriend, Karla Giraldo, through the lobby of his apartment building.

“I am deeply honored to have the strong support of Attorney General Andrew Cuomo,” Moya said in a release. “Many of us are running to fix Albany and create a state government we can be proud of, so to have the support of Attorney General Cuomo, who has already done so much to fight corruption and dysfunction, is a particular honor.”

This is the second of only two endorsements the Queens-born Cuomo has made so far this election season. The other is for Edward Braunstein, who is running for outgoing State Assemblywoman Ann-Margaret Carrozza’s (D–Bayside) seat against Democrats Steve Behar, Elio Forcina and John Duane and Republican Vince Tabone.

For the borough’s congressional races, the union has backed incumbent U.S. Reps. Gary Ackerman (D-Bayside), Anthony Weiner (D-Forest Hills), Carolyn Maloney (D-Astoria) and Joseph Crowley (D-Jackson Heights) for their reelection campaigns. However, the union did not give an endorsement to U.S. Rep. Gregory Meeks (D-Jamaica) or his Republican opponent Asher Taub.

For state Senate races, DC 37 backed state Senators Shirley Huntley (D-Jamaica), Frank Padavan (R-Bellerose) and Toby Stavisky (D-Whitestone) for their reelection bids, but did not issue endorsements in the races of incumbents Jose Peralta (D-Jackson Heights), Malcolm Smith (D-St. Albans) or Joseph Addabbo (D-Howard Beach), or in the race to replace George Onorato (D-Astoria), in which Assemblyman Michael Gianaris (D-Astoria) is running unopposed.

The union also gave endorsements to several state Assembly candidates including incumbents Audrey Pheffer (D-Rockaway Beach), David Weprin (D-Little Neck), Margaret Markey (D-Maspeth) and Jeffrion Aubry (D-Corona), as well as candidate Francisco Moya, who is facing Hiram Monserrate in a Democratic primary for the 39th Assembly District seat that was vacated by state Sen. Jose Peralta (D-Jackson Heights). The winner of that primary will face Republican Humberto Suarezmotta.

The union did not make endorsements in several Assembly races, including District 26, where there is a Republican candidate and a crowded Democratic primary field vying to replace departing Assemblywoman Ann-Margaret Carrozza; District 28, currently held by Assemblyman Andrew Hevesi (D-Forest Hills), who is facing Joe Fox in a Democratic primary and a Republican opponent, Alex Powietrzynski; District 34, where incumbent Barbara Clark (D-Queens Village) is being challenged in a Democratic primary by Clyde Vanel; District 37, in which incumbent Cathy Nolan (D-Ridgewood) is facing a Republican challenger, John Malone; and District 38, where incumbent Michael Miller (D-Woodhaven) faces a Democratic primary with Nick Comaianni and Republican opponent Donna Marie Caltabiano.

Representatives for DC 37 were not available to comment Friday on why they declined to endorse candidates in certain Queens races.

Former state Sen. Hiram Monserrate (l.) lags far behind in campaign financing in his race for the Democratic primary against community activist Francisco Moya (r.).

Former state Sen. Hiram Monserrate faces an uphill battle in restoring his public image after being ousted from the Senate in February for assaulting his girlfriend, but he is also far behind his opponent, community activist Francisco Moya, in campaign financing as he prepares for the Sept. 14 Democratic primary for the Assembly.

From April to Aug. 13, Monserrate raised about $33,500 for his Assembly campaign — a pittance compared to Moya, who raised more than $124,000 in the same amount of time and more than $150,000 since the beginning of the year.

Monserrate has long been a magnet for scandal. He was booted out of the Senate in February after being convicted of misdemeanor assault against girlfriend Karla Giraldo in October 2009 for a December 2008 incident in which he slashed Giraldo’s face with a broken glass and pulled her through the lobby of his apartment by her hair.

The courts reduced a full order of protection for Giraldo against Monserrate to a limited order of protection last month and the two have reconciled. Monserrate also faces scrutiny from his fellow politicians, who did not approve his impromptu appearance at recent Ecuadorian events in Queens, and from the Senate leadership, who want him to return his Senate-issued parking placard.

Monserrate’s campaign finances from January to March cannot be considered contributions for his Assembly race since he ran in the special election for his old Senate seat March 16, which he lost to Sen. Jose Peralta (D-Jackson Heights). Peralta formerly held the Assembly seat for which Moya and Monserrate are now battling.

Monserrate’s largest contributor was Crossroads to Better Life Inc., which gave $6,000 to the candidate June 17. Crossroads’ address is listed on the state Board of Elections website as 110-36 Ditmars Blvd. in East Elmhurst, although calls to the address revealed the organization no longer resides there. The company did not appear in Internet searches or in searches of area nonprofits.

Monserrate also received contributions of $3,500 from Beverly’s Home Care Agency in Rego Park, $2,500 from Atlas Construction of New York Inc. in Astoria and contributions of $1,500 each from A&A Kathy’s Day Care in Jackson Heights, Firstline Printing in Woodside, K & G Risk Management Services Corp. in Flushing and Sarman Food Corp. in Corona. Ruben Diaz for State Senate also donated $1,000 to his campaign.

Moya’s most recent large contributions have come from the Mason Tenders District Council of Greater New York Political Action Committee, which contributed $6,000. Moya received $3,800 each from both JF Contracting in Brooklyn and NY Hotel and Motel Trades Council Committee in Manhattan. The 1199 SEIU New York (United Healthcare Workers East) also contributed $3,000.

Other elected officials who have contributed large sums to Moya’s campaign in the last two months include Assemblyman Michael Den Dekker (D-Jackson Heights), who gave $2,500; Democratic Assembly candidate Jeremiah Frei-Pearson, who gave $2,000; and Peralta, who gave $1,000.

Monserrate has spent about $17,000 since April, most of which has gone to wages for his staff and consultation services. The largest expenditure was $5,000 to Jesus Ocasio of the Bronx for consulting.

Moya has spent about $55,000 since the beginning of the year and about $46,500 since April. His most recent large expenditures were also for consulting services: He has given about $23,000 to Brooklyn-based Red Horse Strategies, $9,000 to Mirram in Manhattan and $1,250 to Juan Antigua of the Bronx. He has also spent money on promotional events, spending $1,425 on the Colombian Parade of New York, which took place in July, and $1,300 on the Ecuadorian Civic Committee.

Humberto Suarezmotta has filed as a Republican candidate in the race, although he has not filed any contributions or expenditures as of Aug. 13.

The union, which represents 90,000 freelancers, consultants, independent contractors, temps, part-timers, and self-employed workers in New York state – including 80,000 in New York City – named priority candidates as well as general endorsements.

For state Senate it endorsed incumbent Toby Ann Stavisky (D-Whitestone) in the 16th District, incumbent Joseph Addabbo (D-Howard Beach) in the 15th District, and Democrat Tony Avella in the 11th District. For state Assembly the group endorsed Democrat Francisco Moya in the 39th District, Democrat Aravella Simotas in the 36th District, incumbent Jeff Aubry (D-Corona) in the 35th District, incumbent Andrew Hevesi (D-Forest Hills) in the 28th District, Ed Braunstein in the 26th District, and incumbent Rory Lancman (D-Fresh Meadows) in the 25th District. It endorsed Democrat Andrew Cuomo for Governor, Democrat Eric Schneiderman for state Attorney General and Democratic incumbent Thomas DiNapoli for state Comptroller.

“Freelancers Union is growing a powerful political operation to give New York’s freelancers a strong voice in Albany,” Sara Horowitz, executive director of Freelancers Union who founded it as Working Today in 1995, said in a statement. “Independent workers are a third of the workforce, but without unemployment insurance and nonpayment protection, they’re getting left behind. This election season we’re working to change that by mobilizing New York’s massive network of plugged-in ‘twitteratti’.”

The reference to Twitter, the ubiquitous Web site, refers to the group’s plans to utilize social networking, as well as “traditional on the ground strategies, as well as viral and guerrilla marketing tactics” as a means to help the candidates it supports.

“The new workforce needs champions, and these candidates are those champions. We look forward to working hard for them on the campaign trail, so they can work hard for us in the state capitol,” Horowitz said.

The state Senate has asked former Sen Hiram Monserrate to return his parking placard, which he has had since he was ousted from his seat in February. Photo by Christina Santucci

The state Senate is considering contacting the state police if ousted Sen. Hiram Monserrate, who is running for an Assembly seat, does not return his Senate-issued parking placard.

Monserrate, who formerly represented the Jackson Heights area in the Senate as a Democrat, was expelled in February after he was convicted of misdemeanor assault against his girlfriend, Karla Giraldo.

Travis Proulx, spokesman for the Senate Democratic Conference, said the Senate has notified Monserrate twice in writing — once in February and once in May — since he had been expelled asking him to return the placard, which allows members of the state Legislature to park in metered spaces without paying tolls or in no-standing areas.

Proulx said both notices have been ignored and the Senate is planning to write him again. It has been more than six months since Monserrate was last in office.

“Monserrate has no right or privilege to be using this placard in New York or anywhere for that matter,” Proulx said.

Proulx said the parking placards are 8 inches tall and 10 inches wide. He said he did not know if Monserrate was actively using the placard, as it is hard to track who is driving any vehicles with placards.

“We really rely on people to act in good faith,” Proulx said.

The Senate is willing to get the police involved, but they want Monserrate to mail the placard back.

“He is not using it in any way that benefits the public,” Proulx said. “It only benefits himself.”

Mike Nieves, campaign manager for Monserrate, said he had no comment on this issue.

Monserrate is running for the Jackson Heights Assembly seat left open after Sen. Jose Peralta (D-Jackson Heights) ran for Monserrate’s Senate seat and won. Monserrate also ran for his former Senate seat in a bid to get re-elected in March. Monserrate’s competitors for the open Assembly seat include Democrat Francisco Moya and Republican Humberto Suarezmotta.

Nieves said Monserrate is mounting a traditional campaign, made up of knocking on doors, going to events, canvassing for votes and doing phone drops.

“All we have to reiterate is the good work he’s done as a city councilman and a state senator,” Nieves said.

Nieves said that while Monserrate lost the Senate election, he drew 4,100 votes, which Nieves sees as a good base.

“Hiram is the guy who everybody loves to hate, but he’s not the guy the voters love to hate,” Nieves said. “The system hates him because he’s anti-establishment.”

Nieves said he had no comment on Moya’s campaign.

“I never run a race caring about what the other side does,” Nieves said. “I run a race caring about what my side does.”

Monserrate was convicted of misdemeanor assault in October 2009 following a December 2008 incident in which he slashed Giraldo’s face and pulled her through the lobby of his apartment by her hair. The courts placed a full order of protection against Monserrate to prevent him from seeing Giraldo, which was reduced last month.

Monserrate and Giraldo have reconciled.

Karla Giraldo (r.) proclaims her Ecuadorian heritage. Photo by Christina Santucci

Former state Sen. Hiram Monserrate showed up to two community events honoring the Ecuadorian community over the weekend as tension and arguments erupted between himself and elected officials and his Assembly primary opponent, Francisco Moya.

Monserrate attended the renaming of a Corona street Saturday that honored the Ecuadorian community with since reconciled ex-girlfriend Karla Giraldo at his side, although the former legislator was not invited to the event.

Before the sign was unveiled, chants of “Hey hey, ho ho, Hiram Monserrate has got to go!” rang out, with state Sen. Jose Peralta (D-Jackson Heights) among the chanters.

Peralta replaced Monserrate in the Senate after Monserrate was kicked out of the body by his colleagues last year following his misdemeanor assault conviction for slashing Giraldo’s face with a broken glass.

Giraldo, who is Ecuadorian, screamed, saying the elected officials were disrespecting her heritage.

Earlier at the event, City Councilwoman Julissa Ferreras (D-East Elmhurst) was also the subject of protest as several picketers criticized her over a payment dispute involving a former intern.

Moya spokesman Nathan Smith said the intern’s uncle, Charlie Castro, was a former Monserrate staffer and accused Monserrate of encouraging the protest to disturb the ceremony.

“We are running a non-confrontational campaign,” Smith said. “Sometimes it’s difficult to run a non-confrontational campaign when Hiram’s involved, as witnessed by the street renaming.”

At the Ecuadorian Parade in Jackson Heights Sunday, Monserrate again showed up with Giraldo.

Moya’s brother, Edgar Moya, attempted to prevent Monserrate from marching in the parade, arguing he did not have a permit to participate, Monserrate spokesman Mike Nieves said.

Smith said Edgar Moya was not involved in the dispute and that Monserrate requested to march with his campaign banner next to elected officials, but Nieves denied that took place.

After speaking with police officers and the president of the parade, Monserrate was allowed to march behind another Assembly candidate, Anthony Miranda.

Monserrate told Francisco Moya that he should act like a gentleman and the two argued over who was being a “gentleman.”

“You’re not a gentlemen,” Moya said. “If you were a gentleman, it would be completely different.”

Nieves said Moya and the elected officials “can act however they want to act.”

“We’re in harmony with the Ecuadorian community,” Nieves said. “We don’t want this to be anything other than that.”

State Sen. Ruben Díaz (l.), seen here celebrating with Hiram Monserrate's father after Monserrate was acquitted of felony charges in his 2009 domestic violence trial, has urged Christians to support Monserrate because of his opposition to gay marriage. Photo by Christina Santucci

Political action committee Fight Back New York recently condemned state Sen. Ruben Diaz (D-Bronx) for his support of ousted state Sen. Hiram Monserrate, who is running for a vacant assembly seat in 2010, as well as other Queens senators who voted against gay marriage.

In a release today, Fight Back NY called Diaz’s support of “a convicted domestic abuser like Hiram Monserrate” disgusting, and cited it as a reason why Diaz was “totally unfit for office.” Monserrate was ousted from his seat in February after he was convicted of misdemeanor assault for dragging girlfriend Karla Giraldo out of his apartment by her hair in December 2008.

In a letter, which was later posted on Capital Tonight’s State of Politics blog, Diaz asked Christian constituents to pray for and vote for Monserrate, as well as state senators Shirley Huntley (D-Jamaica) and Frank Padavan (R-Bellerose).

“The homosexual community has targeted the three of them and put candidates – funded with money from the homosexual community – so their candidate can vote for gay marriage next year.

“Therefore, I am counting on all of you to not only pray for Senators Shirley Huntley, Frank Padavan and Hiram Monserrate, but to also offer them all of the support and help that you can give during their re-election efforts or elections to another position.”

Diaz, along with Monserrate and Sen. Pedro Espada (D-Bronx), helped precipitate the leadership crisis in the state Senate last year by briefly defecting to the Republican camp in an effort to win concessions from Democratic leaders.

Assembly hopeful Francisco Moya organized a graffiti cleanup targeting gang signs in Corona. Photo by Rebecca Henely

It looked like a scene out of a Mark Twain novel, with community activist and Assembly candidate Francisco Moya painting a paneled enclosure around a construction site at the intersection of 104th Street and 47th Avenue in Corona Thursday. But unlike Tom Sawyer, Moya said he wants the job of cleaning up graffiti — and the gangs who create it.

Along with Corona district leader Jim Lisa and a handful of supporters, Moya claimed fighting gang violence as a focus in his campaign for the Jackson Heights assembly seat, which is open because the previous officeholder, Jose Peralta, vacated it earlier this year when he won a special election to replace ousted state Sen. Hiram Monserrate, who was ejected by his fellow Senators after his conviction on a domestic violence charge.

Monserrate and Republican Humberto Suarezmotta are also running for the open Assembly seat.

“I’m someone who grew up in this community, loves this community and will fight to defend it,” Moya said.

Moya said he has a six-point plan to clean up gang violence in the community. This plan includes increasing funding for the Gang Crimes unit in Queens, increasing the amount of lighting in streets where gangs or violence are 30 percent higher than anywhere else in the community and increasing the amount of street corner cameras and foot patrols. He also proposed measures to prevent kids from getting into gangs, such as removing graffiti — the symbols and territory markers of gangs — building a community center in Corona and creating a youth mentoring program.

“Youth in this community need an outlet,” Moya said.

As part of his announcement, Moya and his supporters cleaned up wood paneling surrounding a construction site that had been defaced with the signs MS-13, a violent transnational street gang of mostly Central Americans that began in Los Angeles and has spread throughout North America.

Moya’s father Edgar, who was present at the event, said the clean-up was inspired by the recent murder of Corona resident Jose Cortez.

“Based on the last incident, I think this is very serious,” Edgar Moya said.

Two other Corona residents, Juan Paucar and Brandon Perez, have been charged with manslaughter after they allegedly beat Cortez outside of a bar on Northern Street on July 24, investigators said. However, police sources said the incident was based on a dispute between and was not gang-related.

Nathan Smith, a consultant for Moya’s campaign, said the incident was nevertheless indicative of the violence that has grown in the community.

“It’s an incredibly violent neighborhood, and this murder has shocked people and woken up the community,” Smith said.

Alex Rosera, 41, a supporter of Moya who has lived in Corona for most of his life, said the community has changed for the worse over the years.

“This neighborhood has done this incredible 180 from where you could leave your bike out on the streets and now we’re covering gang signs with paint,” he said.

Rosera, who came with his 11-year-old nephew, also said he was worried for the children in the neighborhood, especially as PS 16Q and St. Leo’s School are both on 104th Street.

“If this gets root in the neighborhood, there’s a lot of social consequences,” Rosera said.