When Rev. Que English, the latest candidate to enter the race for 36th Senate District, was asked to describe her political style, English gave a response that captured her middle-of-the-road bent.

“I consider myself an innovator, a strategist,” said English, a Democrat. “I am able to protest and sit at the table.”

Sitting over breakfast at Perista Coffee Shop in Kingsbridge Heights, English spoke to the Norwood News on her ambitions for the district, several issues that require fixing, and what it feels like entering the male-dominated culture of New York politics.

“[Men] cannot be our voice; they can be a voice,” said English. “But they won’t be our voice. That’s why I’m determined to win. I am determined to win to make sure this seat does not go to a man.”

Ironies are certainly coursing through this race. The seat has long been held by a woman, Sen. Ruth Hassell-Thompson, and It’s a race where female candidates dominate over men.

Katrina Asante, chief of staff to state Sen. Gustavo Rivera of the 33rd Senate District, was the first to announce her run for the seat. Together, the two face Jamaal Bailey, community affairs director for Speaker Carl Heastie. Bailey recently received endorsements from most of the borough’s lawmakers, bringing with it a wave of donations and solid volunteer apparatus.

English didn’t seem bothered by Speaker Heastie’s support of Bailey. Instead, she narrowed her focus on issues she intends to chip away within the 36th Senate District, which covers Norwood, Bedford Park, Wakefield, Williamsbridge, Baychester, and parts of Mount Vernon in Westchester County. On the subject of Norwood, English underscored she’ll “take care of Norwood. They will not feel neglected.”

And neither will issues, according to English. Expanding mental healthcare, and paving the way for criminal justice and education reforms lie at the heart of her political blueprint. Criminal justice reform, for instance, bears a more personal connection—her brother, a heroin addict who was in and out of the prison system, died at age 26 from HIV/AIDS.

“Our system is punitive. There is not a path once you get out. We are responsible for that,” said English.

English grew up in Spanish Harlem when the crack-cocaine epidemic and the emergence of HIV/AIDS raged in New York City. Her experience with the Bronx goes back to her adolescent years when she was enrolled at Bronx High School of Science. A year later, she left the school for the more sought-after Stuyvesant High School in Lower Manhattan. English later became a pastor through New York Theological Seminary.

She has notched several victories, boasting over how results came with no political title, but raw gumption. Those included a so-called People’s Police Academy for NYPD officers, pushing a mental health expansion platform for first lady Chirlane McCray, and create programming for former convicts. “For me that’s key in being able to prove what I can do; It’s as if I satisfied a pre-requisite,” said English.

For the past four years, she has been closely tied to the Northwest Bronx Community and Clergy Coalition, the socially progressive group that lobbied the city to pass a living wage bill in 2012. English was also one of 26 signatories behind the Community Benefits Agreement linked to the impending Kingsbridge National Ice Center. The CBA is expected to provide $1.7 billion in community enhancements over the course of 99 years.

“I feel because of my track record that I really do have the pulse of the community,” she said.

English’s feel for a community regularly extends into the 36th Senate District. When she’s not handling community matters in Kingsbridge Heights, English can be seen leading a flock of 300 members at Bronx Christian Fellowship on East Gun Hill Road in the Williamsbridge section. There, she shares pastoral duties with her husband Tim.

“Many people go to Albany and they come back and build a base,” said English. “I already have a base that I’m taking to Albany with me.”