Melissa Sklarz continued her fundraising efforts yesterday with an event at the Excelsior bar in Park Slope, Brooklyn.
Sklarz is running against State Assemblymember Brian Barnwell (D-Sunnyside, Woodside, Long Island City, Maspeth) in the 30th Assembly District. This Democratic primary is Barnwell’s first as an incumbent after defeating Margaret Markey in 2016.
About 30 people attended to not only show their support, but also provide funds and volunteer time for the campaign. The Woodside resident took time to speak with several people, exchanging greetings, and talking about her campaign.
A few people offered introductions and thoughts about the campaign before Sklarz spoke. Daniel Tietz, a friend of Sklarz who worked with her in previous actions, praised her as a “genuine Democrat.”
Sklarz delivered a short speech that detailed her background in politics, over 20 years as she noted, and her positions in the primary.
“This is not a vanity project. I believe I’m the best person to represent the neighborhood and the community in Albany,” she said.
A few topics she covered in her speech include affordable housing and homelessness, the latter being “the issue of the 21st century.” She felt she could address, with knowledge of how politics works in Albany, these issues that residents often discuss.
“I want to be in Albany make sure that our people, the 30th Assembly District, have a place to live, that they’re safe, and they have the ability to travel.”
She also distinguished herself from the incumbent, citing his voting record on reproductive rights and immigration as examples of an “unimaginable” position.
“To vote no on women’s reproductive health and to vote no on immigrants in this era of Trump’s era is horrible,” Sklarz said.
Sklarz ended her speech asking for support from those in attendance ahead of a tough primary challenge.
The Democratic primary is set for Thursday, September 13.
