10 The QUEE NS Courier • NOVEMBER 7, 2013 for breaking news visit www.queenscourier.com ▶election results LANCMAN WINS CITY COUNCIL SPOT District 27 St. Albans, Hollis, Cambria Heights, Jamaica, Baisley Park, Addisleigh Park, parts of Queens Village, Rosedale and Springfield Gardens PHOTO COURTESY OF DANEEK MILLER Democratic candidate Daneek Miller will succeed longtime Councilmember Leroy Comrie in CD 27. H HH H BY MELISA CHAN [email protected] Former Assemblymember Rory Lancman is headed to City Hall. Lancman, 44, won the open District 24 seat in a landslide victory on November 5. He also swept two opponents during the Democratic primary in September. “I’m feeling great,” he said. “It’s very, very gratifying and humbling to not just win but win by such a huge margin.” The Fresh Meadows attorney beat out Republican Alexander Blishteyn and third-party candidate Mujib Rahman with 73.7 percent of the vote, according to unofficial election results. More than 11,850 votes went to Lancman, early tallies show. Blishteyn took in 3,205 votes and Rahman, who lost his bid for the Democratic nominee, received 1,020 votes, according to preliminary results. Lancman will replace term-limited Councilmember James Gennaro in a district that represents parts of northeast and central Queens. Lancman was elected to the New York State Assembly in 2006. He pledged not to seek re-election last year while running for Congress — later losing his bid for Capitol Hill in the Democratic primary. Twitter photo courtesy of Dominic Panakal Councilmember-elect Rory Lancman (right) will succeed James Gennaro in the 24th district. District 24 Briarwood, Fresh Meadows, Hillcrest, Hillcrest Estates, Jamaica Estates, Jamaica Hills, Kew Gardens Hills, Utopia Estates, and parts of Forest Hills, Flushing, Jamaica and Rego Park Miller in a landslide BY MAGIE HAYES [email protected] After coming out on top of a crowded primary race, Daneek Miller easily slid past the general election and right into the District 27 council seat. “We have a lot of uphill battles,” Miller said. “When you see how working families have been treated over the last decade, it’s imperative that we have a voice at City Hall.” Once election night came to an end, the Democratic candidate was declared the winner by a landslide, receiving 96.9 percent of the vote over his opponent, Independent Sondra Peeden, with 3.1 percent. Miller was backed by longtime City Councilmember Leroy Comrie, who endorsed the union president to succeed him. “Daneek has always been my backbone. He is a proven leader,” Comrie said after the primary election. “He has an ability to do the critical things that are required of a city councilmember. Miller, a community and labor activist, has lived in the district for 35 years. He is currently the president of the Amalgamated Transportation Union (ATU) Local 1056 and was previously the union’s political director. Through his time with the union, he has worked for members’ rights, health safety, pension reform, veteran’ rights and more, and hopes to transfer that “success” to City Hall, he said, by setting policy and writing laws. Crowley triumphs over Caruana challenge By Liam La Guerre [email protected] Councilmember Elizabeth Crowley will return to the City Council after overcoming a stiff challenge from candidate Craig Caruana. The councilmember celebrated the win with supporters and family members at her victory party at Woodhaven House in Middle Village, after the race initially seemed close. “This has been a long campaign, but the people of the 30th Council District have spoken tonight,” Crowley said, “and guess what? They want to send me back to City Hall.” Crowley won nearly 59 percent of the vote, according to early polling numbers, while Caruana took about 41 percent, a gap of approximately 3,000 votes. Crowley has served District 30 for nearly four years, tackling issues from education, traffic and preventing firehouse closures. The race against Caruana was initially onesided in the incumbent’s favor, but following an endorsement from mayoral candidate Joe Lhota and a feisty debate, Caruana, a political newbie, gained some traction. “Caruana ran a good campaign,” Crowley said. “ I think that when you have a challenge it makes you work harder.” Early results from polling sites showed Crowley only leading by about five percent, but that number gradually started THE COURIER/Photo by Liam La Guerre Re-elected incumbent Councilmember Elizabethe Crowley, seen here after casting her ballot, said she will focus on key issues in the district. to expand. Now with the election behind her she plans to get back on track with key issues. “I want to improve transportation,” Crowley said. “Queens is growing and so is the 30th Council District.” Caruana, who was confident he could unseat Crowley, conceded and talked to his supporters at Collony’s Corner in Maspeth. “There are serious losses that you take in life and this isn’t one of them,” he said. “If you expend yourself in fighting for something that you really believe in and you expend yourself sometimes in struggle, especially what you put your heart into, you can’t lose.” District 30 Glendale, Middle Village, Ridgewood, Maspeth, Richmond Hill, Woodside, Woodhaven
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