By Sarina Trangle
State Assemblywoman Margaret Markey (D-Ridgewood) may face her first primary in more than a decade.
Dmytro Fedkowskyj, 48, said he is considering entering the Democratic primary for the seat currently held by Markey.
The Middle Village resident said he grew fond of advocating on behalf of people while serving on the District 24 Community Education Council and as former Borough President Helen Marshall’s appointee to the city Panel for Educational Policy. He opted to resign from the panel Dec. 31, when Marshall’s term expired.
Since then, Fedkowskyj has sat on an education subcommittee of Mayor Bill de Blasio’s transition team and grown intrigued by colleagues’ suggestions he should eye the 30th Assembly District seat. The office comprises Maspeth, Woodside and parts of Long Island City, Middle Village, Astoria and Sunnyside.
“I have a passion to advocate and represent people and that’s what’s kind of winking me towards considering this,” said Fedkowskyj, a Community Board 5 member.
After researching what working in the Assembly entails and speaking further with consultants, Fedkowskyj said he plans to make a decision “relatively soon.”
“It’s a life-changing event. It comes with responsibility; it comes with understanding what the needs are in detail for your district and also understanding what it’s going to take to get the job done,” he said. “I know what it takes to do it because I’ve done it for five years for free.”
Fedkowskyj, an accountant, would not comment on how he thinks the district has fared since Markey took office in 1999.
Michael Armstrong, Markey’s chief of staff, said the assemblywoman intends to run for re-election. He added that primary elections “are certainly open to everyone.”
Markey has secured less than 60 percent of votes cast in the past three elections.
Fedkowskyj, who moved to Middle Village as a toddler and has lived there ever since, said he is not affiliated with any political clubs and has not reached out to the county committee.
The Queens Democratic Committee did not return requests for comment.
While on the PEP, Fedkowskyj and the four other members appointed by borough presidents often voted as a block, but were overpowered by the eight PEP members selected by Mayor Michael Bloomberg. He frequently opposed plans to phase out schools and co-locate new schools on existing campuses.
Yet Fedkowskyj said he has supported mayoral control of the schools and wants to work on improving the centralized administration setup when it comes before the state Legislature in 2015.
“A lot of school communities feel shut out of the process, so we have to improve that,” he said.
Lucy Accardo, a District 24 CEC member, said she met Fedkowskyj as a parent looking for assistance at the council meetings and was impressed with his organization and transparency.
“I really hope he does consider running,” she said.
Fedkowskyj would not be the first product of the District 24 CEC to pursue an Assembly seat.
In 2010, CEC President Nick Comaianni lost the Democratic primary to Assemblyman Michael Miller (D-Woodhaven).
Reach reporter Sarina Trangle at 718-260-4546 or by e-mail at strangle@cnglocal.com.
