The February Specials
The City Council District 24 election took place earlier this week despite concerns over low voter turnout because of the snow storm and a push from candidates for the election to be postponed.
Right now, candidate James Gennaro is looking like the likely winner with nearly 60% of the vote. Absentee ballots will be counted next week, firming up the results.
The city’s first run at ranked choice voting didn’t result in a runoff but there’s always a chance in the next special election!
Speaking of the next special –– Voters in City Council District 31 are getting ready to head to the polls to pick who will serve out the rest of Queens Borough President Donovan Richards’ city council term.
There are nine candidates vying for the seat. Election day is Tuesday, February 23. Early voting starts next week and there’s still time to request an absentee ballot.
Candidates in the February 23 special election start filing their campaign finance disclosure statements daily next week on Tuesday next week.
Announcements and Such
City Council Candidate Hailing Chen is launching his campaign for City Council District 20 on Sunday.
Chen, who has fought for safety precautions for rideshare drivers and other essential workers during the COVID-19 pandemic, will launch his campaign for the District 20 seat on City Council on February 7, at 11:00 am in the park beside International School 237, 46-21 Colden Street, Queens.
“We must fight for immigrants’ rights because we are a nation of immigrants,” said Hailing. “We must fight for workers’ rights to make sure all New Yorkers can support their families and live safely during the pandemic and beyond.”
Elizabeth Crowley sent out a fundraising email all but announcing her bid for the Queens Borough President’s office in the June primary.
Crowley said in the subject that she had “Exciting news.” She elaborated on that news in the body of the email.
“You might have heard the rumor that I’m running for Queens borough president. Well, the truth is that I’m strongly considering jumping in,” she wrote.
Crowley filed her campaign with the New York City Campaign Finance Board (CFB) for the upcoming June primary last week, according to the Queens Daily Eagle; and as her email indicated, she’s getting closer to officially joining the fray.
“You’ll be hearing from me more and more as I get closer to announcing a run,” she wrote in her fundraising email.
And, candidate Stu Sherman called for funding community organizations to promote trust in the COVID-19 vaccine in an op-ed published by Bklyner.
Sherman is a community attorney running for City Council in District 33. His op-ed draws on both his experience as the Executive Director of the Task Force on Life and Law from 2013-2018, where he led the team that published a guide for a New York state pandemic response guide, and his work establishing a legal aid clinic at Woodhull Hospital to help clients resolve issues around housing insecurity, identification and documentation, immigration, healthcare and more.
Who’s Backing Who
There’s been endorsements a plenty. Here’s some that happened recently.
Candidate Amit Bagga received a slew of endorsements this week.
The former census leader was endorsed by State Senator Jessica Ramos, Cynthia Nixon and two labor unions.
State Assemblywoman Catalina Cruz endorsed candidate Sandra Ung for City Council in District 20.
“Sandra has spent most of her career fighting to improve the lives of those around her,” said Cruz. “Her bold leadership and years of public service gives me the confidence that she will continue to challenge the inequities of marginalized communities in Queens.”
The #LaborStrong2021 Coalition endorsed candidate Felicia Singh for District 32.
#LaborStrong2021 is a coalition consisting of NYHTC, 32BJ SEIU, NYSNA, CWA District 1, and District Council 37 representing over 362,000 members and households of essential workers.
“For the first time, we are coming together to have workers’ needs, their concerns and their voices front and center as our city plans for recovery” said 32BJ President Kyle Bragg. “Together, our unions represent 362,000 essential workers… It’s only right that essential workers who have put their lives and their health on the line have a say in shaping the body responsible for running our city.”
And QUIP endorsed candidate Aleda Gagarin in the City Council District 29 race.
“Excited & humbled to be endorsed by @QUIP_Club, formed by organizers who helped get AOC elected in 2018,” said Gagarin in a tweet.
