Mary Dempsey is reporting for Columbia-Greene Media Hudson Mayor Kamal Johnson is considering a run for state Assembly in 2024. “I’m not ruling out running for Assembly,” Johnson said on September 15. “It’s not out of the question. I think, career-wise, that would be the next step.” The 106th Assembly District seat is currently occupied by fellow Democrat, Assemblymember Didi Barrett. Barrett is running for reelection this year and has represented the district since 2013. Johnson is currently serving the first year of his second two-year term as mayor. Although he is looking at an Assembly run, he also making plans to run next year for a third term as mayor. “My ultimate goal is to secure a third term as mayor,” he said. “I am making sure we put a dent in the affordable housing crisis in the city. And a lot of initiatives have started under my administration.” Johnson pointed to capital projects that have begun as part of the $10 million state-funded Downtown Revitalization Initiative grant the city received in 2017. In addition, he cited his involvement in the HudsonUP universal basic income lottery. Johnson is a supporter of the initiative and also serves with the Mayors for a Guaranteed Income network, a collective of 30 mayors nationwide involved with similar programs. Looking to the future and a possible Assembly run, Johnson believes that his work on the local level would make him a more effective state leader. “...I know what’s needed by local leaders and I could bring that to a higher elected office,” he said. Read the full story at HudsonValley360 [dot] com.