Linda Lee, a second-generation Korean-American and leader of a nonprofit organization, has thrown her hat in the ring for City Council in District 23.
On Tuesday, she released a new campaign video announcing her bid for elected office.
Currently represented by Councilman Barry Grodenchik, the eastern Queens district includes the neighborhoods of Bellerose, Douglaston, Floral Park, Fresh Meadows, Glen Oaks, Hollis, Hollis Hills, Little Neck, Oakland Gardens and Queens Village.
Lee, an 11-year resident of Oakland Gardens, is president and CEO of Korean Community Services of Metropolitan New York (KCS). She is also a member of Community Board 11 and the School Leadership Team at her son’s school. She is also a former commissioner of the New York City Civic Engagement Commission.
If elected, Lee, the mother of two young children and daughter of immigrant small business owners, would be the first Korean-American elected to the City Council, and the first woman to represent the area.
“Eastern Queens has always been overlooked and too often ignored,” she said. “We deserve better.”
Under her leadership, KCS provided programs in the areas of education, senior care, mental health, health care access, economic and workforce development, and immigration services.
In 2014, KCS was named a “Champion of Change” by the White House for its work in the Korean community.
Earlier this year, Grodenchik announced he will not run for re-election. Already, 10 candidates are lining up to be his successor, including lawyer Steve Behar, DSA-endorsed activist Jaslin Kaur and CB2 district manager Debra Markell.