By Dana Williams
As a longtime resident of the district, which encompasses Lakeview, parts of West Hempstead, East Meadow, and Hempstead, among other areas, Argueta said he knows first-hand that the district is in "need of representatives who will make themselves accessible to the community."
"We need representatives that will fight for our communities in Albany," Argueta said. "When you look at all of the important issues facing residents in this district, more can be done and more needs to be done to improve the district. It's time for a change in direction."
Argueta, who is a former member of a neighborhood gang in Hempstead called Redondel Pride, is now the founder and president of Struggling to Reunite Our New Generation, or STRONG, a multi-ethnic Long Island organization that addresses gang violence and youth issues. Known as "Serge," Argueta visits high schools throughout the country to teach young people about the perils of gang life.
After addressing issues such as home foreclosures, rising taxes and healthcare disparities, Argueta spoke passionately about his desire to improve educational programs and extracurricular activities in schools in the 18th district.
"Our schools need to have more state funding that focuses strictly on violence prevention and programs that keep our youth active and positive," Argueta said. "There is a correlation between criminal activity and the success of schools, and educating the members of our community -- young and old, Hispanic, black and white -- is what needs to happen so we can improve our communities for ourselves and the next generation."
In just two weeks, Argueta, a 1996 Baldwin High School graduate, said he was able to exceed the 500 signature requirement for a bid in the Assembly by more than 400 signatures. This is his first campaign for elected office.
"I have been able to garner so much support in such a short amount of time, and the response to my campaign has really been phenomenal," he said. "This is going to be a campaign that people have never seen before because it's a campaign dedicated to raising consciousness about what's happening here in the communities in this district."
During the press conference last Tuesday, he also urged leaders of the Democratic Party to encourage debate and community participation in the weeks leading up to the primary election to help give voters the opportunity to make an informed decision about the candidates. The primary is scheduled for Sept. 9.
Argueta is the second person to challenge Hooper, who has served in the Assembly for 20 years, for the Democratic primary. Hempstead resident Henry Conyers, who is also the village's deputy mayor, announced his bid for the 18th Assembly district last month. Hooper could not be reached for a comment by press time.
Comments about this story? DWilliams@liherald.com or (516) 569-4000 ext. 205.
