Astoria Assembly candidate blasts ‘Queens Machine’
TIMESLEDGER | 6 QNS.COM | MAY 1-MAY 7, 2020
Mamdani added.
Both Jobaida and
Ahmed said their petitions
were knocked off
the ballot on technicalities
and that they would
contest the decisions
in court. Mamdani believes
this type of chicanery
has powered the
progressive movement
in western Queens that
saw the rise of Congresswoman
Alexandria
Ocasio-Cortez and
former public defender
Tiffany Cabán who
nearly defeated Melinda
Katz in last year’s race
for Queens district attorney.
“The Queens Machine
needs to be dismantled,
and Astoria
knows it,” Mamdani
said. “That’s why we’ve
supported every insurgent
candidate who’s
run here over the last
three election cycles.
We know that New York
will never implement
the progressive change
it needs as long as institutions
as corrupt as
these go unchallenged.”
Mamdani then
shifted his focus to Assemblywoman
Aravella
Simotas, who he is challenging
in the June 23
primary.
“Unfortunately, Astoria
is currently represented
by leaders with
direct ties to the Queens
Machine,” he said. “Aravella
Simotas was endorsed
by them in her
first run for office, and
they cleared her opponents
off the ballot just
like they are trying to
do now to Mary and
Moumita. She backed
party boss Joe Crowley
against AOC, and she’s
using the machine’s
fundraisers and consultants
to try to defeat our
campaign.”
Since she first went
to Albany in 2011, Simotas
has been a steadfast
advocate for ethics reform
and gender equality
and championed
progressive policies to
address the needs of
working families. She
has passed legislation
to combat sexual violence,
protect the rights
of workers, expand access
to quality health
care, and support small
businesses.
Simotas currently
serves as Chair of the
Assembly’s Task Force
on Women’s Issues. Her
campaign dismissed
Mamdani’s accusations.
“After recently moving
to Queens, Zohran
has waged a negative
campaign rife with
falsehoods,” Simotas
Campaign Manager
Alexa Sheryll said.
“Aravella has never
challenged anyone’s
petitions in her career
and has sponsored several
laws that changed
election rules against
the party’s wishes. If
Zohran actually cared
about electing progressive
women he’d be
supporting Aravella
Simotas, who has authored
historic laws on
sexual harassment and
women’s productive
rights.”
Reach reporter Bill
Parry by e-mail at
bparry@schnepsmedia.
com or by phone at (718)
260–4538.
BY BILL PARRY
A left-wing insurgent
candidate for the state
Assembly from Astoria
is calling out the Queens
County Democratic
Party after the Board of
Elections removed seven
candidates aligned
with the New Reformers
PAC Thursday.
Zohran Mamdani,
a 28-year-old housing
counselor for Chhaya
CDC, who is the only
candidate in the borough
to be endorsed by
the Queens chapter of
the Democratic Socialists
of America, blasted
the county party in a
statement.
“We already knew
the Queens Machine was
racist and corrupt. Now
we’re seeing just how
willing they’re willing
to go to hold on to power
— including risking the
health and lives of city
workers, candidates for
office, and their staff
in order to suppress democracy
and throw candidates
off the ballot,’
Mamdani said. “The
machine has brought
spurious challenges to
the ballot petitions of
two South Asian Muslim
women running for
office in Queens County:
Mary Jobaida, running
for State Assembly
in Long Island City, and
Moumita Ahmed, running
for District Leader
in Jamaica.”
“The challenges are
based on the deliberately
byzantine nature
of the county’s petition
requirements, which
are designed to be inaccessible
to all but party
insiders so the working
people of Queens are
unable to participate
in its political life,”
Assembly candidate Zohran Mamdani denounces the
alleged corruption of the Queens County Democratic
Party after seven reform candidates were tossed off
the ballot. Courtesy of Zohran for State Assembly
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