24 THE QUEENS COURIER • NOVEMBER 11, 2021 FOR BREAKING NEWS VISIT WWW.QNS.COM
Ariola leads Singh in southern Queens City Council race
BY BILL PARRY
bparry@schnepsmedia.com
@QNS
Republicans appeared to
draw a line in the Rockaway
sand and fended off a progressive
onslaught to defend the last
GOP-held offi ce in Queens.
Republican Joann Ariola leads
Democrat Felicia Singh, having
secured nearly 67.5% percent
of the vote to Singh’s to
31%, according to unoffi cial
results from the city’s Board of
Elections. Ariola, the chairwoman
of the Queens GOP and a
civic leader from Howard Beach,
would become the fi rst woman
to represent District 32 in the
City Council.
Absentee ballots must still be
counted, with the process beginning
next week.
Ariola celebrated her apparent
victory on the night of
Tuesday, Nov. 2, at Russo’s on
the Bay in Howard Beach, where
Councilman Eric Ulrich, who
has held the seat since 2009, said
he was happy to pass the torch to
the woman he had endorsed to
succeed him.
District 32 comprises several
south Queens neighborhoods,
from Rockaway Park,
Belle Harbor and Breezy Point to
Howard Beach, Broad Channel,
Ozone Park, Woodhaven and
Richmond Hill.
Ariola fi rst ran for public offi ce
a quarter of a century ago when
she ran for the Assembly but
came up short. She then ran for
City Council in 2001 but lost
to current state Senator Joseph
Addabbo. She most recently
ran in the special election for
Queens borough president last
year, and now she will take her
place in the City Council.
“I know what my neighbors
want, as these election results
prove. Th ey want safe streets,
clean parks, thriving businesses
and quality education, and I’m
going to fi ght for those things in
the Council. Th ey do not want
the progressive socialism that’s
hurting our city’s quality of life
and they have resoundingly
rejected it this week,” Ariola said.
“I look forward to continuing the
fi ne tradition of vigorous representation
of Councilman Eric
Ulrich and working with other
sensible council members, like
Councilman Robert Holden. We
have a lot of work to do.”
She based her campaign on a
public safety message and hammered
her opponent for supporting
defunding the NYPD
and closing Rikers Island.
Progressives turned out in
droves to support Singh, an educator
and daughter of workingclass
immigrants, who ran on a
platform of education and environmental
issues, supporting
taxi drivers and small businesses.
She had the support of the
Working Families Party and a
coalition of grassroots and labor
organizations including 32BJ
and District Council 37.
“With the results from last
night, it is clear I will not have
the honor of serving as the
council member of District 32,”
Singh said Wednesday. “I’ve
always been in service to others:
I served as a teacher; I served
the United States; and I served
our community as a civic leader.
My fi ght comes from my
mother. My faith comes from
my father. My courage comes
from my community. I ran for
all of our communities because
I knew we deserved so much
more. I ran to include people
who have never been part of our
electoral process at all. Folks
who felt erased and neglected
year aft er year aft er year.”
Singh thanked her family,
staff , volunteers and endorsers
that came together to form Team
Felicia.
“People showed up from all
corners of this community
and you’ve become our family.
For that I’m grateful,” she said.
“We lead with joy and courage
and we built something
revolutionary here in Queens.”
Paladino on the verge of defeating Avella for NE Queens seat
BY BILL PARRY
bparry@schnepsmedia.com
@QNS
A Whitestone small business owner is
on the verge of upsetting a career
politician in a northeast Queens
City Council race in an election
night stunner.
Republican candidate Vickie
Paladino edged former state
Senator and Councilman Tony
Avella with nearly 50% of the vote,
with 99% of the scanners reporting,
to capture the District 19
seat on the City Council held
by term-limited Paul Vallone.
While Paladino is leading in
the race, according to the city’s
Board of Elections unoffi cial
results, absentee ballots must
be counted. Th e absentee ballot
count begins next week.
But Paladino is confi dent she’ll
emerge victorious.
“Tonight our district voted for
change, and I’m honored to be the instrument
of that change,” said Paladino, aft er
celebrating with around 80 supporters
and volunteers crammed into her campaign
offi ce on Tuesday, Nov. 2.
“We have a lot of work to do, and I
promise to deliver the transparency
and action we so desperately need,
fi ghting every day for the issues
most important to our neighborhoods,”
Paladino said.
District 19 includes Bayside,
College Point, Whitestone,
Malba, Douglaston, Little
Neck, North Flushing and
Auburndale.
Avella represented District 19 in the
City Council from 2002 to 2009 before
serving eight years in the New York State
Senate. He defeated fi ve other Democrats
in the primary, but was out of politics for
the last two years aft er losing his 2018 reelection
bid to state Senator John Liu in
the primary. Liu defeated Paladino in that
year’s general election.
Avella has not conceded the race.
“I want to thank all of my supporters
and volunteers who worked tirelessly on
our campaign. I am proud of the positive
and issued-based campaign,” Avella
said Th ursday. “Although we are behind
in the count from Election Day, we want
to ensure that every vote will be counted.
Absentee ballots are still arriving at
the Board of Elections and will be added
to the count to determine the fi nal vote.”
Paladino leads Avella by 1,653 votes,
according to the latest tally from the city’s
Board of Elections.
“We ran a true grassroots campaign
here, and I’m so proud of all my volunteers
and my campaign staff who worked
tirelessly to deliver this win against all
odds,” Paladino said.
A small business owner for more than
three decades and a community activist,
Paladino was driven to run over the
decline of public safety and the quality of
life in her community.
She praised the support she received
during her campaign from Guardian
Angels founder Curtis Sliwa, who was
soundly defeated by Mayor-elect Eric
Adams, who earned 66% of the vote to
Sliwa’s 29% with nearly 98% of scanners
reporting, according to the BOE.
“I also want to extend my thanks to
Curtis Sliwa for his friendship and support
throughout this campaign. Even
though he wasn’t victorious this time, I
have no doubt that he contributed immeasurably
to our success,” Paladino said. “We
are confi dent in our victory, and look forward
to serving this community for many
years in the City Council. Th ere will be
more statements to come detailing our
transition and legislative plans.”
Photo courtesy of Paladino’s
campaign
Republican Vickie Paladino
thanks her supporters
after defeating Tony
Avella in the District 19
race for City Council.
Photo courtesy of Kevin J. Ryan
Joann Ariola celebrates her victory over Felicia Singh with Councilmen Robert
Holden (l.) and Eric Ulrich (r.) on Nov. 2.
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