My name is Tim Hunter, and I am an organizer, educator, and activist that is running for public office to ensure that the people of the 43rd Assembly district have true progressive representation in Albany.
Introduction
My name is Tim Hunter, and I am an organizer, educator, and activist that is running for public office to ensure that the people of the 43rd Assembly district have true progressive representation in Albany. I am a lifelong resident of Brooklyn, born to Jamaican parents that migrated to the borough in pursuit of a better life. My mother is a public school educator at Dr. Gladstone Atwell Middle School 61, and a 2-time public university graduate, getting her Bachelor’s degree from CUNY’s Medgar Evers College, and her Master’s degree from SUNY New Paltz. Growing up, I always looked up to my mother and admired her strength and resilience. I remember watching her work 2-3 jobs throughout my youth just to make ends meet, and no matter how tired she was, she always made time to help us with our homework and encouraged us to pursue higher education. My mother’s leadership led me to follow in her footsteps as an educator, and in 2016 after graduating high school at 17 years-old I started my first job as an architectural drafting high school teacher in the NYC Department of Education.
Organizing Roots
I realized quickly that so many of the students in the schools that I taught in came from similar backgrounds as me, and a lot of them were battling food insecurity and housing instability all while trying to stay focused on their studies. These issues weighed heavy on my mind on my long train rides from work to school as I too was still a student, taking night classes at CUNY’s New York City College of Technology pursuing my Bachelor’s degree in education. However, I realized that our public universities were no different, our CUNY schools suffered from lack of investment from Governor Cuomo which led to libraries closing earlier, tuition hikes occurring every year, and budgets for student support services being slashed. I felt compelled to do something about the inequities that my peers were facing so I joined student government to make a difference on my campus. We organized CUNY students to speak at press conferences and rallies to advocate for more support for our University. I was eventually elected to chair the University Student Senate, where we would go on to testify at state budget hearings about the issues of the rising costs of attendance at our university, the need for food pantries on our campuses, the lack of support for students with disabilities, and the need for a New Deal For CUNY.
Government Experience
After 4 years of teaching high school students, I eventually decided to leave the teaching profession to pursue a career in government. I worked for Assembly right here in the 43rd district during the peak of the COVID-19 pandemic as we handed out thousands of boxes of fresh produce throughout the 43rd Assembly District. Our office served as an information hub of resources, and helped hundreds of residents apply for unemployment benefits, and other COVID-19 support services. I then went on to work in the NYS State Senate communications director, where I learned even more about the various issues that are impacting every day New Yorkers. I worked with various advocacy groups to champion causes such as ending solitary confinement, advancing Good Cause Eviction Legislation, pushing for the passage of the New York Health Act, and ensuring New York State played their part in lowering the staggeringly high black maternal morbidity rates. Now I am running for office, because I believe that a more equitable New York is possible.
A Champion for the Working-class
The people of the 43rd Assembly District deserve so much more than empty promises, and words, they deserve resources and actions. We need an assembly member that will champion progressive causes, and fight for the working-class. There are so many families like mine in this district, and I want to give them hope that a brighter future is possible if we work together to hold those in power accountable. My vision is for our district to be able to be more involved in the process of governing, and view themselves as active stakeholders in our democracy rather than just as voters. I can only do this with the support of people like you, and I hope to see you get involved in our campaign. Check out the ways to get involved below!