QUEENS, NY – Steven Raga has made history and officially qualified for the NYC City Council Election Ballot for the Democratic Primary Election from Woodside, making him the first Filipino American ever to accomplish the feat. If Raga wins, he will be the first Filipino American in the history of New York State to win a full-time elected office, let alone New York City.

After delivering hundreds of petition signatures above the requirement to the Board of Elections, Raga now is officially on the ballot for the June 22 Democratic Primary Election. “We could not have made this history without the support of all our volunteers”, he added “Now the real work begins. We need to get our campaign’s message of Resilience, Rights, and Renewal to all the voters of our district. We’re picking up steam and now is the perfect time to join us in the campaign”. District 26 includes the neighborhoods of Woodside, Sunnyside, Astoria, and Long Island City.

Jasmin Frankel, Raga’s Deputy Campaign Manager stated that “Woodside and Sunnyside have a high population of Filipino Americans who add to the vibrancy of Queens and New York City. It’s about time they get involved in politics as well. Come join us!”

Raga’s legislative priorities include comprehensive tenant and homeowner protections, small business reform, transportation reform, safe staffing for healthcare workers, and supporting immigrant New Yorkers. He is a member of the NY Advisory Committee for the United States Commission on Civil Rights whose recent advocacy centers around Housing Discrimination, Education Reform, Police Reform, and Prison Reform.

Raga who is currently the Northeast Regional Manager of Policy & Advocacy for the Susan G. Komen Foundation, is a longtime Woodside resident, a member of Queens Community Board 2, and serves the board of local non-profit organizations such as Woodside on the Move and Queens LGBT Pride. He also sits on the Board of the National Federation of Filipino American Associations and is the Founder of Pilipino American Unity for Progress (UniPro).

Currently, Raga is completing his MBA/MS in Healthcare Leadership, a dual program between Cornell University’s SC Johnson College of Business and Weill Cornell Medical School. He also holds an MPA, an MPP, and is a graduate of the Senior Executives in State & Local Government program at Harvard Kennedy School of Government. He also completed a certificate program in Philippine Studies from the University of the Philippines.

Follow Steven Raga via @ragaforqueens on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram

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