L-R-Candidates Leslye Oquendo-Thomas, Kisha Skipper & Jeanette Garcia, with former City Council President Chuck Lesnick
NYS Assembly hopeful Jeanette Garcia (90th AD); and County Legislative candidates Kisha Skipper (15th CLD) and Leslye Oquendo-Thomas (17th CLD) kicked off the 2026 petitioning season tonight at midnight as Tuesday, February 24 marks the first day for each to gather 500 signatures to appear on the Democratic line.
We started at the Stop & Shop at the Cross County Shopping Center and when the store closed the final customers become the first signers of this election cycle. Afterwards the candidates traveled to a bodega on South Broadway to gather more signatures.
They will regroup after breakfast with their campaign teams to pan out throughout the district. Democrats are allowed to sign petitions until April 2, 2026 but each of these of the women are in a competitive contest for an open seat where only the first petition a voter signs for each office counts. Registered Democrats can contact each campaign to obtain a petition or to volunteer on each campaign.