Election Guide: 7th District Edition

As we look ahead to November’s elections and draw closer to this month's elections, Carroll Gardens Patch is devoted to bringing you the information you need about every race in the area.

Here's our start on the candidates and issues we'll be covering as the end of June as well as November draws near. Bookmark this page for updates.

Congresswoman Nydia Velazquez: the incumbent is perhaps best known for her vocal support of issues in Puerto Rico, as the previously designated 12th District is home to a large Hispanic community. But closer to home, she has also been a voice for mom and pop shops, initiating an annual scorecard to show whether the federal government has met its goal of granting 23% of contracts to small businesses. In December, along with Councilman Brad Lander and Councilwoman Sara González, she released a study named “Next Bus Please: Improving the B61 Bus,” . Most recently she voiced her support of who protested the 10-year timeline issued to the school for removal of more than a hundred PCB-contaminated lighting ballasts.

Erik Martin Dilan: the current Councilmember of the 37th is challenging Velazquez for the chance to represent the 7th Congressional District. As Chairperson of the Housing & Buildings Committee, Dilan has made attempts to create Housing Laws and Policy that are fair to both building owners and tenants. Along with NYC Dept of Buildings, Dilan has also devoted many efforts to construction safety throughout the City.

Daniel J. O'Connor: the Sheepshead Bay-born economist has focused much of his campaign on connecting with the 7th District’s growing Chinese population in Sunset Park, as he is fluent in both Mandarin and Cantonese. He also maintains a strong stance that he will support small businesses.

George Martinez: a cultural ambassador for the State Department, former district leader, and self-described "hip-hop diplomat," Martinez is challenging Velazquez under the Occupy banner. Martinez, who also works as an adjunct professor at Pace University, has claimed to be "the first Occupy-affiliated candidate to make a congressional ballot without third party assistance, on a budget of just $5,000," according to a quote in New York magazine.

Stop-and-Frisk: The controversial procedure will likely be a much-discussed issue for those on the ballot. Gov. Andrew Cuomo recently waded into the stop-and-frisk debate by during such stops. Clarke and Kinard have also weighed in on the issue, with Clarke tweeting that "too many young men have been incarcerated unnecessarily as a result of #StopandFrisk" and Kinard telling Patch that the practice is unconstitutional. 

President Barack Obama: Times Magazine reported that during his down-time, the president likes to read novels such as Joseph O'Neill's Netherland, set in part at a house on Rugby Road just off Cortelyou. The president also frequently visits New York and is likely to make many more trips to the city as he campaigns for November.

Mitt Romney: the presidential hopeful has had luck in the area before, for his previous campaigns in the 11230 zip code. But his luck might stop there as polls show Obama has a huge lead over Republican Romney among New York voters.