16 THE QUEENS COURIER • NOVEMBER 4, 2021 FOR BREAKING NEWS VISIT WWW.QNS.COM
Who’s leading in Queens races
BY ANGÉLICA ACEVEDO AND
ZACHARY GEWELB
editorial@qns.com
@QNS
Polls are offi cially closed for the general
election, and unoffi cial results have started
to trickle in.
New Yorkers went out to cast their votes
during the consequential general election
on Tuesday, Nov. 2, which includes voting
for who will become the next mayor
of New York City — with AP calling the
race for Eric Adams shortly aft er polls
closed — as well as other citywide races
for comptroller and public advocate. Visit
amny.com and politicsny.com for coverage
of citywide races.
New Yorkers also voted on fi ve ballot
proposals to change some segments of the
state’s constitution, including the redistricting
process, environmental protections,
voting and absentee ballots access
and the Civil Court’s function.
Th e general election didn’t use rankedchoice
voting (RCV) this time around,
unlike in the competitive primary
election.
From Oct. 23 to Oct. 31, 36,456 Queens
residents — about 21.5% of 169,879 early
voters citywide — took advantage of
early voting, according to the unoffi cial
count from the New York City Board of
Elections (BOE).
Voter turnout appeared relatively low
in poll sites across Queens. However, voters
appeared more energetic in some districts,
particularly in the more competitive
races for City Council District 19
and 32.
In District 19, three candidates —
Democratic candidate and former
Councilman Tony Avella, Republican candidate
Vicki Paladino and Conservative
candidate John-Alexander Sakelos —
looked to replace term-limited incumbent
Councilman Paul Vallone. Th e district
covers the neighborhoods of Auburndale,
Bay Terrace, Bayside, Beechhurst, College
Point, Douglaston, Flushing, Little Neck,
Malba and Whitestone.
At a polling site in Little Neck, some
voters appeared to lean toward Paladino,
with volunteers still campaigning for her
Tuesday aft ernoon.
In District 32, three candidates —
Democratic candidate Felicia Singh,
Republican candidate Joann Ariola and
Community fi rst candidate Kenichi
Wilson — also battled it out to represent
the southern Queens area. Th e district,
which has been represented by termlimited
Councilman Eric Ulrich, is the
only Republican held City Council seat
in Queens.
Th e district covers the neighborhoods
of Belle Harbor, Breezy Point, Broad
Channel, Howard Beach, Lindenwood,
Neponsit, Ozone Park, Richmond
Hill, Rockaway Park, Roxbury, South
Ozone Park, West Hamilton Beach and
Woodhaven.
Th roughout the south Queens district,
many voters went out to vote in person
and said some of their most important
issues include crime and vaccine mandates.
Ariola and Singh were also seen
campaigning and talking with voters at
polling sites.
Queens residents also voted for borough
president, having to choose between
Democratic incumbent Donovan
Richards and Republican candidate
Th omas Zmich.
Below you’ll fi nd the preliminary results
from the city’s Board of Elections for
Queens borough president and local
City Council races as of the morning of
Wednesday, Nov. 3.
Queens borough president
DEMOCRATIC CANDIDATE:
Donovan Richards (incumbent)
REPUBLICAN/CONSERVATIVE/
SAVE OUR CITY CANDIDATE:
Th omas Zmich
Richards currently leads Zmich, having
secured 65.72% of the votes with
97.72% of precincts reported, according
to unoffi cial results from the city’s
Board of Elections as of the morning of
Wednesday, Nov. 3.
Richards thanked his family, colleagues
and supporters at his election
party held at Vetro Restaurant
and Lounge — located at 164-49 Cross
Bay Blvd. in Howard Beach — with
live entertainment, dinner and a prayer
service.
“We are here to work with everyone
because that’s what this borough
is about. Th ere are 190 countries represented
with over 350 languages and
dialects spoken in this borough. We are
not building any walls in this county
— we are breaking those walls down,”
Richards said. “Th is is not Trump’s
town; this is our town. We have work
to do ahead of us over the course of the
next eight years as borough president.”
Richards, who was a former city councilman
representing the 27th District
in southeast Queens, was sworn into
offi ce last year following a special election
aft er Melinda Katz became district
attorney. He will now serve four years as
borough president.
“We started diversifying the community
boards, and we are going to fi nish
that. Th ere’s a lot of work to be
done. With $70 million in capital funding,
we were able to bring that money
into every corner of our borough,”
Richards said. “Some people may not
like it, but we didn’t come here to make
friends. We came here to get something
done — for the underserved and
underprivileged.”
City Council District 19
DEMOCRATIC CANDIDATE: Tony
Avella
REPUBLICAN CANDIDATE: Vickie
Paladino
CONSERVATIVE/SAVE OUR CITY
CANDIDATE: John-Alexander Sakelos
Paladino currently leads Avella and
Sakelos, having secured 49.72% of the
votes with 99% of precincts reported,
according to unoffi cial results from
the city’s BOE as of Wednesday morning,
Nov. 3. Avella trailed with 42.95%
of the votes.
Photo by Paul Frangipane
Voting booths at the Dayton Tower West polling site in Rockaway Park on Tuesday, Nov. 2, 2021.
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