On Tuesday, a District 2 City Council Candidates Forum on housing

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Three local organizations, Cooper Square Committee, Good Old Lower East Side (GOLES), and This Land is Ours CLT, are co-sponsoring a District 2 City Council Candidates Forum. 

Per organizers: Find out where the candidates stand on housing issues, including rent-stabilized housing, NYCHA housing, and homelessness. Candidates will also discuss the need for more funding to preserve and develop deeply affordable housing as well as housing counseling and legal services to protect tenants' rights.

The forum is from 7:30-9:30 p.m. Tuesday at St. Mark's Church in-the-Bowery on 10th Street at Second Avenue. Please RSVP here.

The NYC primary voting day is June 24 ... with early voting beginning on June 14. 

Questions? Visit the NYC Board of Elections website.

East Village AMA is happening now with District 2 City Council candidates

Four of the candidates for NYC City Council District 2 are taking questions today (May 28!) in an AMA Reddit.

Sarah Batchu, Harvey Epstein, Andrea Gordillo and Allie Ryan are taking questions at r/eastvillage until 8 p.m. Find the link here.

A new campaign stop on Avenue A

Photos and reporting by Stacie Joy

Andrea Gordillo is the latest City Council District 2 candidate to temporarily lease an East Village storefront to serve as a campaign headquarters.

In March, we noted that Sarah Batchu and Harvey Epstein rented spaces on Avenue B. 

Gordillo is renting Lori McLean's former custom jewelry shop at 207 Avenue A between 12th Street and 13th Street while the landlord searches for a full-time tenant. (McLean decided to retire from running a storefront after two decades.) 

I stopped by as Gordillo and her team opened the space to the public. 

"This storefront will serve as more than just a headquarters — it'll be a community center and welcoming space for neighbors and visitors through Election Day," Gordillo said. "We're proud to root our organizing in the heart of the East Village."

Here are the Democratic candidates for the District 2 seat (Carlina Rivera has been term-limited) ... their names are linked to the candidate's campaign website: 

• Sarah Batchu

• Harvey Epstein 

• Andrea Gordillo 

• Allie Ryan 

• Anthony Weiner 

The primaries take place on June 24. Early voting starts on June 14.

From pizza to politics: Eleven B serves up a new campaign HQ on Avenue B

Photos and reporting by Stacie Joy

In recent months, we've received several inquiries about the status of Eleven B, the pizzeria owned by Vincent Sgarlato and his family on the southwest corner of 11th Street and Avenue B. 

A large for-lease banner arrived on the 11th Street side in the fall, though it remained in business.

Now, though, Sarah Batchu, a Democratic candidate for the open City Council District 2 seat, has debuted a campaign office inside the restaurant. This is a temporary, four-month lease agreement with Eleven B for the corner space. The restaurant and bar will (physically) remain the same, pending possible reopening once the campaign office lease is up.

"We are holding the space for him, happy to help," says Batchu of Sgarlato. 

Batchu says she will host community events here, including constituent services.

In the interim, the Express slice shop remains in service on the 11th Street side, offering slices and whole pies.

Meanwhile, one block away, we ran into local Assembly Member Harvey Epstein, another Democratic District 2 Council candidate. He has opened a campaign office on 12th Street and Avenue B.

The other candidates for this District 2 seat (Carlina Rivera has been term-limited) are:

• Andrea Gordillo (Democrat)

• Jason Murillo (Republican)

• Allie Ryan (Democrat)

• Gail Schargel (Democrat)

• Anthony Weiner (Democrat)

The primaries take place on June 24.