Monique H. Hardial

DEMOCRATIC

BACKGROUND: Hardial, 37, of Elmont, is a staff attorney at Bernstein, Litowitz, Berger and Grossman, a plaintiff’s securities litigation firm in Manhattan. She holds a B.A. in English and psychology from St. John’s University in Jamaica, Queens, and a J.D. from New York Law School in Manhattan. She is currently working on an advanced certificate in cybersecurity at John Jay College of Criminal Justice. Her community work includes 10 years as a trustee on the board of the Elmont Memorial Library, serving as president for two years; vice president of the Dutch Broadway Elementary School PTA; former executive board member of the Elmont Chamber of Commerce. This is Hardial's second bid for public office. She ran unsuccessfully in a 2012 primary to represent the 22nd State Assembly District.

ISSUES: Hardial said she is running to represent the 3rd legislative district to “create real solutions and not put a band-aid” on the problems in her community. She would prioritize environmental issues, such as water quality and stormwater basins she says are filled with toxic waste. She also said she would address serious traffic safety concerns around school zones and would advocate for senior citizens and retirees living on fixed incomes who are concerned about how the county’s tax reassessment plan is going to affect them. “We really lack representation and lack an advocate who fights for the issues plaguing the people who are living in this district,’ Hardial said.