Republicans appeared to draw a line in the Rockaway sand and fended off a progressive onslaught to defend the last GOP-held office in Queens.
Republican Joann Ariola leads Democrat Felicia Singh, having secured nearly 67.5% percent of the vote to Singh’s to 31%, according to unofficial results from the city’s Board of Elections. Ariola, the chairwoman of the Queens GOP and a civic leader from Howard Beach, would become the first woman to represent District 32 in the City Council.
Absentee ballots must still be counted, with the process beginning next week.
Ariola celebrated her apparent victory on the night of Tuesday, Nov. 2, at Russo’s on the Bay in Howard Beach, where Councilman Eric Ulrich, who has held the seat since 2009, said he was happy to pass the torch to the woman he had endorsed to succeed him.
