Ex-Espinal staffer announces bid for Queens Council seat

Photo courtesy of Lorenzo Brea

By David Brand

A former aide to ex-Councilmember Rafael Espinal has announced his own bid for city council, less than a week after the legislative body laid him off.

Lorenzo Brea, a native of Ravenswood and Maspeth, is running for a seat in Council District 26, which includes Long Island City, Sunnyside and parts of Woodside and Astoria. The position is held by Councilmember Jimmy Van Bramer, who is term-limited next year.

Brea, 21, was fired by the Council on June 25, five months after Espinal left his position representing East New York and Bushwick to take a job as head of the Freelancers Union. The termination of Brea and the only other remaining staffer has left the district without representation.

Brea said living doubled up with family members as a child informed his interest in politics and his decision to run for office.

“My grandmother still lives in the same 2-bedroom apartment in Ravenswood. “We fit 11 people in there when I was a kid, because that’s what my parents had to do to save money,” he said. “Land use, affordability, working conditions — these aren’t just bullet points on a platform. They’re intersectional issues that weigh on the lives of my family and my neighbors.”

Brea said he has specific concerns about the impact of the Sunnyside Yards development project, a plan to deck to over a massive train yard in Sunnyside and create a new neighborhood above the platform. He has also criticized efforts to privatize NYCHA management through the Rental Assistance Demonstration, or RAD, program.

He also cited his experience in constituent services to bolster his candidacy. Brea said he assisted Northern Brooklyn residents, particularly low-income people of color, who face eviction and homelessness, police brutality and domestic violence, and immigration issues.

“I’ve seen what works in the City Council, and what doesn’t,” he said. “Progressive politics have brought a lot of attention to critical issues, but we need to take the next step and address the systemic problems.”

At least eight other candidates have expressed their intentions to run for Van Bramer’s seat, including his Chief of Staff Matthew Wallace, political adviser Sultan Maruf, former Bronx prosecutor Julia Forman, CUNY professor Heajin Kim, community leaders Brent O'Leary and Giselle Burgess, business consultant Tavo Bortoli and Community Board 2 member Bianca Ozeri.

Brea positioned himself as part of New York City’s growing progressive movement, which is strongest in Western Queens.

“Rent is too high because real-estate owns our politicians. Small businesses are closing because big business lobbyists control legislation,” he said. “In Queens, we’re seeing a new wave of leaders address the roots of these problems.”