Shpetim “Tim” Qorraj was 13 when a soldier in Kosovo told him, “Be strong, because your dad is gone.” It was March 26, 1999, after NATO airstrikes began and his father, Kosovo Liberation Army Komandant Mustafë Qorraj, was killed defending their village. Now 40, Qorraj is running for New York State Assembly in November as a Democrat challenging Michael Tannousis for the 64th District seat. He says his background, family, and experience as a refugee shape his focus on affordability, public safety, and education. Qorraj says overcrowded classrooms and property crimes pushed him to run, along with years of community encouragement. He lives on Staten Island with his wife, Kathleen, and their sons Ronan, 9, and Bran, 7.
