Concluding an election cycle in which most other out LGBTQ candidates hailed from the Democratic Party, two out gay Republicans emerged victorious in Staten Island: One of them is an incoming city councilmember who has worked for anti-LGBTQ lawmakers and the other is a soon-to-be State Supreme Court justice who voted against transgender rights legislation as a state lawmaker.
Out gay City Council candidate David Carr defeated Democrat Sal Albanese in a lopsided general election race to succeed Steven Matteo in Mid-Island’s 50th District, while out gay Civil Court Judge Ronald Castorina, Jr., won his competition to become a New York Supreme Court justice in the 13th Judicial District. Carr and Castorina are the first out LGBTQ individuals from Staten Island to win elections for City Council or State Supreme Court, respectively.
