WWW.QNS.COM RIDGEWOOD TIMES JANUARY 3, 2019 9
Public advocate special election is Feb. 26 — and race is wide open
BY CARLOTTA MOHAMED
CMOHAMED@SCHNEPSMEDIA.COM
More than two dozen candidates
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have either declared
or are exploring a run for
the Offi ce of Public Advocate in the
upcoming citywide special election
next month.
Attorney General-elect Letitia James
stepped down as public advocate
on Jan. 1 upon her inauguration to
her new offi ce. Mayor Bill de Blasio
announced on Saturday announced
the special election will take place on
Tuesday, Feb. 26, 2019.
“This date will help maximize voter
turnout, and my administration will
work around the clock to make sure
every New Yorker is encouraged to exercise
their right to vote,” said de Blasio.
The special election will be nonpartisan
followed by a partisan primary
for another general election for the
offi ce in November. Each candidate
must secure their own ballot lines by
petition; parties may endorse a candidate,
but they may not off er nominees.
The public advocate is the fi rst in line
to succeed the mayor and is the second
highest ranking elected office in the
city, according to advocate.nyc.gov. The
offi ce serves as a direct link between New
Yorkers and their government, acts as a
“watchdog” over city agencies, and investigates
complaints about city services. The
public advocate is a non-voting member of
the New York City Council with the right
to introduce and co-sponsor legislation.
While the office is vacant, City
Council Speaker Corey Johnson will
oversee operations at the Public Advocate’s
offi ce.
Among the list of public advocate candidates,
there are two Queens lawmakers
who are vying for the seat: Democratic
Assemblyman Ron Kim from Flushing
and Republican City Councilman Eric
Ulrich of Ozone Park, both of whom announced
their candidacies in December.
Kim’s campaign, People over Corporations,
vows to transform the Offi ce of
Public Advocate.
The state assemblyman, who represents
the 40th district, has been an
outspoken advocate against eliminating
student debt in New York State and
taxpayer subsidies to large corporations,
such as Amazon’s $1.7 billion in
grants and tax breaks to build its second
headquarters in Long Island City.
As a public advocate, Ulrich, the
only Republican in the fi eld who represents
the 32nd District, wants to cut
property taxes, create more jobs and
provide quality education to all children,
according to his campaign letter.
Other candidates who are either
declared or exploring a run for offi ce
include city council members, advocates,
state assembly members, and
others in the list below:
• State Assemblyman Michael Blake
– who represents parts of the Bronx
• City Councilmembers Rafael Espinal
and Jumaane Williams – who
represent parts of Brooklyn
• City Councilman Ydanis Rodriguez
– who represents parts of
Manhattan
• Assemblymember Daniel O’Donnell
– who represents parts of
Manhattan
• Assemblymember Latrice Walker
– who represents parts of Brooklyn
• Melissa Mark-Viverito – former
speaker of the City Council
• Non-lawmakers include:
• Nomiki Kurst – Journalist
• David Eisenbach – Columbia University
Professor
• Dawn Smalls – A lawyer who previously
worked in the Obama and
Clinton administrations
• Theo B. Chino – Entrepreneur,
systems engineer
• Ifeoma Ike – Political activist
• Gwen Goodwin – Community activist
and past city council candidate
• Tony Herbert – Community activist
and past candidate for public
advocate in 2017
• Benjamin Yee – Business owner,
member of the Democratic state
committee, and secretary for the
Manhattan Democratic Party
• Mike Zumbluskas – Former
Chairman of the Manhattan Independence
Party
• Walter Iwachiw – Republican
candidate for various offi ces such
as mayor, state Assembly, CUNY
Student Senator.
The winner of the Feb. 26 special
election is only guaranteed to serve
as public advocate for the remainder
of the calendar year. New Yorkers will
vote in November for a public advocate
to serve the remainder of James’ term,
which expires in 2021.
If you’re not registered to vote, visit
the New York City Board of Elections
website and sign up.
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/advocate.nyc.gov
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