QUEENS’ TOP POLITICAL STORIES OF 2021
BY JULIA MORO
Despite hoping all would
be back to normal after 2020,
COVID-19 was still the prime
coverage of 2021. However,
Queens saw many changes
with new political leaders
taking the reins to steer us
through this uncertain time.
Here is a look back at the
top political stories of 2021 as
we move ahead into the new
year.
Incumbent Donovan Richards
wins borough president race
In November, incumbent
Donovan Richards won the
borough president race, beating
out Republican opponent
Thomas Zmich. Richards was
previously elected in July of
2021 during a special election
after his predecessor Melinda
Katz became the Queens district
attorney.
Zmich made headlines
after Gothamist released a
report stating he, along with
NYPD and other public officials,
were tied to the far right,
anti-government group, Oath
Keepers. However, Zmich said
he has not been a member for
over three years.
Astoria councilwoman makes
history as fi rst queer Latina
to serve District 22
Perhaps one of the most
high-profile City Council
candidate this year, Tiffany
Cabán, garnered the support
of U.S. Rep. Alexandria Ocasio
Cortez and Sen. Bernie
Sanders for the seat. Cabán
is the first Latina and queer
woman to serve as Council
member for District 22 representing
Astoria, Rikers Island
and parts of Jackson Heights,
Woodside and East Elmhurst.
Then-candidate Cabán ran
a progressive campaign focusing
on ending the carceral system,
establishing a care economy
and implementing a Green
New Deal for New York City.
The councilwoman previously
served as a public defender
and ran for Queens
district attorney in 2019, narrowly
losing to Melinda Katz.
Queens ‘excluded workers’
celebrate historic funding in
state budget deal
After almost a year of civil
disobedience in the form of
hunger strikes and protests, a
Voting booths at the Dayton Tower West polling site in Rockaway Park on Tuesday, Nov. 2, 2021. Photo by Paul Frangipane
coalition of over 200 New York
nonprofit groups secured $2.1
billion in funds on behalf of
workers excluded from previous
government aid programs.
The state budget deal included
the $2.1 billion of excluded
workers, mainly undocumented
immigrants who
have not received stimulus
checks of unemployment benefits
during the pandemic,
even though they pay taxes
each year.
The fund opened applications
in August, and over $2
billion has already gone out
the door to families in need.
Now that there is no money
left in the fund, lawmakers encourage
Gov. Kathy Hochul to
invest an additional $3 billion
to the New York State Excluded
Workers Fund.
State Senator Jessica Ramos,
an original advocate for
the fund, called on Hochul to
make more aid available to
families before the holidays.
“We saw how this fund
pumped important money into
our small business,” Ramos
said. “We helped our immigrants
catch up on their bills,
pay their rent, buy school supplies
for their kids, put food on
the table. We didn’t just hold
this city down during the pandemic;
TIMESLEDGER | QNS.16 COM | DEC. 31, 2021 - JAN. 6, 2022
we built this city. It is
the immigrant workforce that
has always made this city happen.”
Queens offi cials offer
assistance to residents
impacted by Hurricane Ida
Hurricane Ida swept
through the Northeast in
early September, killing 13
people in New York City, 11
of which were Queens residents.
Shortly after the storm
passed, Queens and state officials
worked to get people the
help they needed.
Congresswoman Grace
Meng along with Assemblywoman
Nily Rozic, Queens
Borough President Donovan
Richards, Senate Majority
Leader Chuck Schumer and
others surveyed the damage.
In Hollis Hills on 183rd
Street, Richards joined Mayor
Bill de Blasio, Gov. Kathy Hochul
and others to see the basement
apartment where a mother
and son lost their lives.
The Federal Emergency
Management Agency (FEMA)
quickly opened a Disaster
Recovery Center at Queens
College in Flushing to assist
residents affected by the hurricane.
Meng advocated for the
center after her constituents
suffered devastating losses.
About a month after the
tragedy, state Senator Jessica
Ramos and Schumer followed
up on FEMA claims made by
East Elmhurst residents who
had not yet received aid.
Adrienne Adams ‘clinches’
Council speaker race
Councilwoman Adrienne
Adams declared victory
Friday, Dec. 17, in the race for
City Council speaker.
Earlier in the week, Adams
and her contender Councilman
Francisco Moya both
claimed to have strong coalitions
of support to secure
the speakership. However,
Adams made history with a
majority of women serving on
the Council for the first time
ever.“I am honored to have
earned the support and the
trust of my colleagues to be
their Speaker,” Adams said.
“Our coalition reflects the
best of our city. We are ready
to come together to solve the
enormous challenges we face
in order to not just recover
from COVID but to build a
better, fairer city that works
for everyone.”
YEAR IN REVIEW
Councilwoman Adrienne Adams delivers remarks at Queens
Borough Hall. Photo by Gabriele Holtermann