Jimmy Van Bramer, a lifelong resident of western Queens, was elected to the New York City Council in 2009 as the representative for District 26, which includes Woodside, Sunnyside, Long Island City, Astoria, and Maspeth. Before joining the City Council, Van Bramer served as the Chief External Affairs Officer of the Queens Public Library. In this capacity, he was the library's link between community members and government. He also worked as a reporter for the community newspaper Lesbian and Gay New York (LGNY), now Gay City News, where he brought attention to the AIDS epidemic and bias/hate crimes. He represents his neighborhood and the 37th Assembly District on the New York State Democratic Committee.