Mathylde Frontus to Officially Announce Candidacy for 46th District Assembly Seat Tomorrow

Update: Oct. 5, 2018

The Board of Elections finally released the official count to confirm Mathylde Frontus as the winner with 51 votes. Frontus beat out her opponent Ethan Lustig-Elgraby with 3,792 votes to his 3,741 votes.

In what is expected to be a hotly contested race for the 46th assembly seat, Mathylde Frontus of Coney Island will be the first of many to officially announce her candidacy tomorrow.

Pamela Harris, who faces several charges for misappropriating city and federal funds, abandoned the assembly seat last week. The district includes Coney Island and Sea Gate and parts of Bay Ridge, Brighton Beach, Dyker Heights and Gravesend.

Frontus works as an adjunct assistant professor at the Columbia University School of Social Work and the NYU Silver School of Social Work where she teaches Advocacy and Social Justice. The candidate is the Founder and Principal of MKF Ventures, LLC, a social enterprise operating Avant-Garde Consulting and Avant-Garde Behavioral Health Resources.

The 40-year old child of Haitian immigrants expressed her long-standing community activism as a strong suit of her candidacy.

“It is a pleasure for me to announce my candidacy for the 46th Assembly District,” said Mathylde. “I have been living in the district for over 30 years, and have been involved in community service since my teenage years. “

“In my mid-twenties, I founded Urban Neighborhood Services, a multi-service community-based organization which served the needs of my community through a range of signature programs and services such as financial literacy, homeownership assistance, legal assistance, veterans’ outreach, job & housing search assistance, re-entry assistance, anti-violence organizing and youth leadership.”

The candidate said she is looking to tackle issues that impact both Coney Island residents as well as her would-be Bay Ridge and constituent base.

“I know what it’s like to fight with my neighbors in the trenches by finding solutions to the issues that our working families face on a daily basis,” said Frontus. “Together, we must tackle the issues that matter the most to us, this includes affordable housing, homeownership assistance, illegal home conversions, strong union jobs and training programs, health care, and responsible economic development.”

Frontus faces opposition from sitting Councilmember Mark Treyger who is expected to back his former chief of staff, Ethan Lustig-Elgrably, as well as the Bay Ridge Democratic faction who will likely position Chris McCreight or Vincent Gentile to run for the seat.

According to New York State Campaign Finance, Frontus has $4,401.19 in donations as of January, but the candidate said she has been actively fundraising. Meanwhile, Lustig-Elgably has also created a committee as well as Steve Saperstein who will also announce as a Republican candidate within the coming weeks. The primary is set for September 13th.