➤ DISTRICT 22, from p.14
forward.
But now, nearly two years after she received
nearly 34,900 votes in a borough-wide race, she
is approaching this election with much more
experience under her belt — “I’ve whipped votes
at every level of government at this point,” she
said — and rather than crisscrossing an entire
borough, she is zeroing in on her own district
while still maintaining the mindset that, if
elected, she would wield infl uence at the citywide
level.
“Local does not mean small,” she said. “I am
going to run to make sure we are fi lling potholes
and trees, but also learning to be a legislator
and setting a budget in the most powerful
municipal government in the entire country.”
Cabán has plenty of competition in the race,
but as it stands, the city’s Campaign Finance
Board shows Cabán leading the way with an
estimated balance of $170,487. Leonardo Bullaro
is trailing close behind with $162,576 on
hand.
Among Cabán’s supporters include an impressive
base of queer New Yorkers and political
clubs. Although the Lesbian and Gay Democratic
Club of Queens curiously snubbed her
in favor of Evie Hantzopoulos, two citywide LGBTQ
political clubs — the Stonewall Democratic
Club of New York City and the Jim Owles Liberal
Democratic Club — have endorsed Cabán. She
CABÁN FOR QUEENS
Tiffany Cabán is running for City Council in Astoria, East Elmhurst,
Jackson Heights, and Woodside, as well as Rikers Island.
is also backed by an impressive slate of LGBTQ
individuals, including Brian Romero, Jawanza
James Williams, Carlyn Cowen, Elisa Crespo,
Jared Trujillo, Daniel Puerto, District Leaders
Zachariah Boyer and Émilia Decaudin of
Queens and Samy Nemir Olivares of Brooklyn,
Queens Councilmember Jimmy Van Bramer,
Queens Assemblymember Jessica González-
Rojas, Brooklyn State Senator Jabari Brisport,
and Rod Townsend, who was running in the
same competition before exiting the race last
year.
“Their support means the world to me,”
Cabán said. “When I look at that group and the
amount of love in their fi ght, it is just a beautiful,
powerful thing to stand shoulder to shoulder
with them.”
Cabán isn’t just popular in queer political
circles. She has played in several queer sports
leagues and managed softball teams. She credits
her sports side to her brother, who she said
helped her play sports ranging from basketball
to baseball from a young age — and she looks
back on those times as “some of the happiest
memories of my childhood.” She even recalls
when her brother got her a pair of basketball
shoes for the fi rst time.
“I am an athlete through and through,” she
said. “It’s another reason I became a public defender.
I loved being in a courtroom and it’s like
being on a playing fi eld all over again. There is
an opponent, a referee, and a goal.”
Cabán’s goal is in sight and time is ticking
in the fourth quarter. Next month — just days
before Pride Sunday in New York City — she will
have an opportunity to overcome her 2019 loss
when she squares off in the Democratic primary
on June 22.
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