Olanike Alabi Makes Bid for Hakeem Jeffries' Assembly Seat

Two days after , district leader Olanike Alabi threw her hat into the ring to take his place.

“I have always been one who believed that politics is a vehicle to make a difference in the lives of people,” she said this morning. “That’s why I’m running.”

Alabi is running in the 57th District, which includes Prospect Heights and parts of Fort Greene, Clinton Hill, Bedford-Stuyvesant, Crown Heights Prospect-Lefferts Gardens and Crown Heights. 

The seat is open, because in New York State, politicians are not allowed to run for two offices at once.

A Democratic State Committeewoman/District Leader for the 57th District since 2006, Alabi works as an administrative aide at 1199 SEIU United Healthcare Workers East.

The Clinton Hill resident has a degree in history from Temple University and also took graduate courses in history at the University of London. In addition, she has certificate from Cornell University’s School of Industrial & Labor Relations.

Alabi grew up in Clinton Hill and attended P.S. 20, Satellite West Middle School and Midwood High School.

If elected, Alabi said she would make healthcare, education and housing her primary focus.

As for why she’s running now, Alabi said constituents had been pushing her to run, and Jeffries' announcement cleared the path.

“I took the opportunity to seize the moment,” she said.