Sergey Kadinsky

The race for the City Council seat representing Rego Park, Forest Hills, and Kew Gardens is a heated one. So far, seven candidates have thrown their hats into the ring, and that’s just the Democrats. Karen Koslowitz, a former councilwoman for this district has also hinted at running for her old seat. Mel Gagarin seeks to take President Obama’s message of change to the local level:

Here is my audio piece on Mel Gagarin’s candidacy

At this time, his funds pale in comparison to former Assemblyman Michael Cohen, attorney Lynn Schulman, and community activist Heidi Chain. Qhat Gagarin lacks in funds, he makes up by citing his work for Congressmen Jose Serrano, and Antony Weiner; as well as his current job at the NAACP, show considerable involvement in public affairs.

His former boss, Anthony Weiner, won his first seat- city councilman- at age 27. Weiner once worked for then-congressman Chuck Schumer at age 21, serving him for five years. Like Gagarin and Weiner, Schumer also entered politics at a tender age.

He was only 23 when he won his State Assembly seat. Neither of the three men come from political dynasties. A Schumer-Weiner-Gagarin chain would an accomplishment in itself, proving that youth is no obstacle in getting elected.

Even if Gagarin loses this race, don’t expect him to fade into the sunset. In 2005, immigrant advocate Bryan Pu-Folkes ran for City Council in Jackson Heights. His political experience includes work at the office of Alan Hevsi when he was a State Assemblyman. Though he lost to party-backed incumbent Helen Sears, he remains active in local public life as the founder of the 7 International Arts Express Jackson Heights Film & Food Festival.

Sunnyside resident Jimmy Van Bramer, 39, appeared in the public spotlight as a gay rights advocate. At 33, he led protests to demand that St. John’s University recognize a student-run gay rights organization. From there, he rose to become a reporter and editor at Gay City News. In 2001, he also ran against Helen Sears for City Council. At the time, he worked as manager of community affairs for the Queens Library.

Since then, he has risen to his current position as the library’s representative before community boards, organizing library advocacy groups in various Queens neighborhoods. After almost a decade of additional community organizing, Van Bramer is returning to politics, seeking to win this same City Council seat this November.

Gagarin may not have the support of the party bosses, but as the examples of Pu-Folkes and Van Bramer show, an upstart candidacy is just the beginning in a life of public leadership.