State Sen. Tina Tartaglione [front, center] endorses legislative candidate Heather Miller [standing, to Tartaglione’s right].State Sen. Tina Tartaglione last week endorsed Heather Miller in the Democratic primary in the 203rd Legislative District.
The seat is open because redistricting saw Rep. Isabella Fitzgerald moved to the 200th district.
Miller, a Lawncrest activist, is one of three candidates in the May 17 primary. The others are Anthony Bellmon, an aide to U.S. Rep. Brendan Boyle, and retired police officer Yusuf Jackson. No Republican filed.
Bill Dolbow, Democratic leader of the 35th Ward, supports Miller. Bellmon has the backing of the 53rd and 61st wards, giving him the party endorsement.
Tartaglione, speaking outside Lawncrest Recreation Center, said she’s known Miller for 21 years, and believes she will work well with her and state Rep. Jared Solomon.
“She works nonstop,” Tartaglione said. “She cares. She sees something wrong, she wants to fix it. She has been invested in the community for so many years.”
Miller, a lunch manager at Presentation BVM Elementary School, has been a committeewoman for more than 20 years. She’s a chair in the 35th Ward, active with the Lawncrest Community Association, secretary/treasurer for the Lawncrest Recreation Center Advisory Council, a member of the Lawncrest 4th of July committee, an organizer for the Lawncrest Youth Council and a coach for Girls on the Run. During the pandemic, she was part of a group that, on a weekly basis, handed out boxes of food to needy neighbors.
“I intend to be a representative for every single person in the entire district,” she said.
Miller has a campaign office at 7101 Rising Sun Ave.
As Tartaglione is the only Northeast woman ever to serve in the Senate, Miller is seeking to become the first Democratic Northeast woman to win a House seat. The only two Northeast women to serve in the House have been Fran Weston and Martina White. ••
