Queens Rep. Grace Meng Endorses Andrew Yang's Mayoral Bid

BAYSIDE, QUEENS — Queens Congresswoman Grace Meng endorsed Andrew Yang for New York City mayor on Monday, becoming the first congressional representative in Queens to get behind Yang’s campaign.

Meng, who has been at the forefront of legislating against AAPI-hate crimes, cited Yang’s commitment to strengthening the “presence of the Asian American community” and building coalitions, especially among working class families and communities of color, as reasons for her endorsement.

Her endorsement comes as just under 800 progressive Asian American community members, including two City Council candidates in Queens, sign on to a public letter and list of Asian New Yorkers opposing Yang’s bid for mayor — which has nearly doubled in size since it was released at the end of April.

In contrast to Meng’s point of view, that list, organized by Asian and Pacific Islander New Yorkers Against Yang, states that while Asian and Pacific Islander American representation in local politics is important, "representation alone is not simply enough," and that Yang’s actions and proposed policies "do not uplift marginalized APIA, BIPOC, immigrant, and working class members of this city."

However, in her endorsement, Meng said that Yang’s proposed policies on increasing affordable housing, and streamlining business licensing for small business, are the kinds of efforts that would build back “more equitably for the families of Queens and different communities of color here in this borough” after the pandemic.

As Yang accepted the endorsement in front of a Flushing elementary school — which he said felt “very, very close to home” since his wife Evelyn grew up in Bayside — he said that part of his mayoral vision is to include “every community in our great city that feels neglected overlooked” into the “fabric of the city.”

Meng’s endorsement comes as a poll last week reported by Politico, shows Yang falling behind Eric Adams, who was recently endorsed by Queens Borough President Donovan Richards, and a slew of other Queens- and New York City-based politicians.