4 MAY 14, 2020 RIDGEWOOD TIMES WWW.QNS.COM
Photos courtesy of Jim Quinn’s campaign, Offi ce of Governor Andrew M. Cuomo, Dao Yin’s campaign
Two Queens borough president candidates
sue Cuomo over canceled special election
BY ANGÉLICA ACEVEDO
AACEVEDO@SCHNEPSMEDIA.COM
@QNS
Two Queens borough president
candidates have filed lawsuits
against Gov. Andrew Cuomo
and the state’s Board of Elections
over his executive order canceling
the special election.
Candidates Jim Quinn and Dao
Yin filed each filed lawsuits on Friday,
May 8, in an effort to reinstate
the June 23 special election.
“We strongly believe — and there
is precedent with the federal judge’s
ruling on the presidential primary
— that the outright cancellation of an
election is an unnecessary abuse of
power that deprives voters of their
rights,” said Quinn.
Quinn, former Queens Assistant
District Attorney who’s running on
a law and order platform, only filed
petitions for the special election
and not the primary, leaving him
out of the race.
He said the Queens borough
president’s special election should
take place with absentee ballots.
“We support the governor’s executive
order expanding absentee
voting and believe this is a reasonable
alternative that protects public
health while still safeguarding
democracy. In fact, the governor
himself has adopted this solution
for other elections occurring on the
same date,” said Quinn. “The people
of Queens have suffered tremendously
as a result of this virus, but
they should not have their rights
stripped from them as well.”
The special election for Queens
borough president was originally
scheduled for March 24 by Mayor
Bill de Blasio, but was later postponed
until June 23 due to COVID-
19. Cuomo then canceled it with an
executive order on Friday, April
24, in an effort to fight the spread
of COVID-19.
While the special election may be
canceled, voters will still have the
opportunity to vote for a Queens
borough president come June 23,
when they’ll vote in the primary
leading up to November’s general
election.
Whoever wins the November
election will take office on January
2021.
The candidates running for
the position include Councilmen
Costa Constantinides and Donovan
Richards, former Councilwoman
Elizabeth Crowley and retired
NYPD officer Anthony Miranda.
Joann Ariola, the Queens County
Republican Party chairperson, is
running on the GOP line.
But before the special election
was postponed in March, more than
2,500 residents cast their votes during
early voting.
Yin, a Queens businessman, is
concerned about the votes that were
already collected and believes the
move to cancel the special election
is “illegal and invalid.”
“Our campaign has spent significant
amounts of time and money
reaching out to voters of all types,
including Democrats, Republicans
and independents,” said Yin. “For
Governor Cuomo to change the
rules of the game at the last minute
in order to benefit his cronies is an
outrage.”
Although Yin will still appear
on the ballot, he and his campaign
manager Aaron Foldenauer believe
not having a special election leaves
Queens’ 2.3 million residents
without proper representation.
“The non-partisan special election
is mandated by the New York City
Charter, and Cuomo’s attempt to
cancel it means that only registered
Democrats would be able to vote in
an upcoming primary for Queens
borough president,” said Foldenauer.
“This would disenfranchise
hundreds of thousands of Queens
voters and virtually ensure that a
candidate supported by Cuomo’s
political machine would prevail.”
While it is true the position has
not been filled by an elected official
since Melinda Katz moved on to
Queens district attorney in January,
Sharon Lee has taken it on as Acting
Queens borough president.
Foldenauer said Cuomo’s decision
compares to a previous case of former
Congressman Michael Grimm
in which a federal judge ordered
him to set a special election after
Grimm vacated the seat.
“Furthermore, this is a not a state
election, but rather, is a city election
and which was called by the mayor
of New York City, Bill de Blasio,” said
Foldenauer. “Governor Cuomo, as a
state official, does not have the authority
to cancel the special election
for Queens borough president.”
De Blasio has yet to address the
decision directly.
“Queens is in a crisis. Our hospitals
are overwhelmed. This election
on June 23 is the first chance for the
people to actually have their voice
heard as to how all residents of
Queens can turn the corner on this
crisis,” said Yin.
QNS reached out to Cuomo’s office
for comment but did not receive a
comment.
link
/WWW.QNS.COM
link
