6 The Queens Courier • may 23, 2013 for breaking news visit www.queenscourier.com ▶politics CITY COUNCIL DISTRICT 32 SIMON SAYS HE’S RUNNING BY TERENCE M. CULLEN [email protected] City Council District 32 has a new contender. Lew Simon, leader of the 23rd Assembly District, has officially declared his candidacy as a Democrat for the upcoming race, where he will vie with incumbent Republican Councilmember Eric Ulrich. Simon was backed by the Queens Democratic Party on Monday, May 20 after announcing his candidacy last week. State Senator Joseph Addabbo and Assemblymember Phillip Goldfeder have also endorsed him. “I’m very honored and I’m very proud,” Simon said. He is running on a platform of Sandy reconstruction and restoring the Long Island Rail Road’s Rockaway Beach Branch. “The playing field is very different,” he said. “I was not happy with the services and the responses we’re getting from any of the city agencies, our mayor or our councilmember.” This will not be the first time Simon and Ulrich face off in an election. They ran in a 2009 special election to fill the council seat vacated by State Senator Joseph Addabbo. “I’m very excited,” Simon said of this year’s run. “I’m going to do the very old fashioned way of grass roots. I plan on being everywhere you see.” Simon has begun reaching out to different neighborhoods in District 32, including Woodhaven and Lindenwood. He said he previously worked with Woodhaven residents when the neighborhood was part of the assembly district. “It was like going back to my family,” he said. “I’ve never left Woodhaven. I’ve always been there working closely with them.” DEMS’ PICKS Tap Quinn for mayor, Katz for BP BY TERENCE M. CULLEN [email protected] The Queens Democratic Party doled out its endorsements for this year’s elections on Monday, May 20, giving key backings in multi-candidate primaries. The party backed Council Speaker Christine Quinn for mayor, former deputy public advocate Reshma Saujani for public advocate; Manhattan Borough President Scott Stringer for comptroller and Melinda Katz for Borough President. Stringer’s son was born earlier that morning. Former City Comptroller Bill Thompson, who nearly won the mayor’s race in 2009, only received three votes in his favor. Upon Quinn’s formal nomination, she received a standing ovation. The candidate THE COURIER/File photo The Queens Democratic Party has backed former Councilmember Melinda Katz for borough president. promised better conditions for the middle class in terms of jobs and education. Katz served in the Assembly from 1994 to 1999. After that, she went on to oversee Queens’ 14 community boards under former Borough President Claire Shulman. Katz then served in the City Council for two terms, and lost the 2009 Democratic primary for comptroller. She is running against Councilmembers Leroy Comrie and Peter Vallone Jr., State Senators Jose Peralta and Tony Avella and former Deputy Borough President Barry Grodenchik. “It was not an easy choice,” said Congressmember Joseph Crowley, chair of the county party. “But we believe that Melinda has all the assets necessary to become the next borough president.” Katz said she’s excited for the nearly four months of primary campaigning that still lie ahead. “Over the last year, I have come into your districts,” she said. “We have spoken with constituents together. I’ve gotten to know the issues that surround this entire borough.” Comrie was considered a likely pick for the nomination in the days leading up to the endorsement. But he has had trouble raising funds and was snubbed earlier this year in a key endorsement from the Reverend Floyd Flake. Flake’s congregation is in Comrie’s council district, but the religious leader backed Katz. Vallone, who has been leading in polls and in fund raising, said he was not disappointed by the party’s backing for Katz, adding he did not expect to get the endorsement. His brother Paul was endorsed for City Council District 19, beating out Austin Shafran. Shafran has received a slew of endorsements since January, one of the biggest being from the AFL-CIO. “The endorsement is not something I was expecting,” Vallone said. “And I’m just very happy they went with my brother Paul, because I’m going to need him in City Hall if, God willing, I’m borough president.” In her endorsement for Saujani, Crowley cited Saujani’s advocacy for housing and work in the public advocate’s office under incumbent Bill de Blasio. Four Queens politicians -- State Senators Joseph Addabbo and Michael Gianaris and Assemblymembers Nily Rozic and Phillip Goldfeder -- endorsed Squadron for public advocate. She is running in a four-way Democratic primary against State Senator Daniel Squadron, Cathy Guerriero and Tish James. FIELD NARROWING GRODENCHIK DROPS OUT OF BP RACE AFTER KATZ GETS KEY ENDORSEMENT BY MELISA CHAN [email protected] Former assemblymember Barry Grodenchik has ended his borough president bid less than a day after being beat for a key county endorsement. “The next borough president must focus like a laser on jobs, education, healthcare, economic development and Sandy recovery,” Grodenchik said. “I am proud to have brought those issues to the forefront of the debate. But at this time, I believe that it is in the best interest of my family, team and party to end my candidacy.” Grodenchik, 53, served as deputy borough president from 2009 to earlier this year, when he stepped down in order to run for BP. The Queens County Democratic Party endorsed his rival, Melinda Katz, on Monday, May 20. Sources close to the race said the endorsement, coupled with Grodenchik’s exit, was meant to give Katz a much-needed boost over front-runner Peter Vallone Jr. The councilmember leads the race both in polls and in fundraising. Sources said Grodenchik’s move could also give Katz a better chance of securing key votes from the Orthodox Jewish community, where Grodenchik had strong support. Katz already has the endorsement of several southeast leaders including the Reverend Floyd Flake, senior pastor of the 23,000-member Greater Allen A.M.E. Cathedral in Jamaica. Vallone, chair of the council’s Public Safety Committee, has the support of law enforcement groups including the Detectives Endowment Association, the New York City Fire Marshals Benevolent Association and the NYPD Captains Endowment Association. Councilmember Leroy Comrie and State Senator Tony Avella are rumored to be thinking of dropping out of the beep race. Neither campaign returned calls for comment. THE COURIER/File photo Former assemblymember Barry Grodenchik has ended his borough president bid less than a day after being beat for a key county endorsement. Political insiders said the county’s leadership has been increasing efforts to hurt Vallone’s chances. “It’s very obvious that this was an ‘ABV’ choice,” said a Queens political operative, meaning “Anybody But Vallone.” The Queens County Democratic Party did not immediately comment. Vallone, often seen as being too vocal, said the recent developments have not hurt his campaign. “That’s fine,” he said. “As I’ve said from day one, it doesn’t matter. I never expected county support, and it doesn’t matter to me if there are two candidates or 10. I’m still going to be in this until the end, and I intend to win it.”
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