16 JULY 1, 2021 RIDGEWOOD TIMES WWW.QNS.COM
NYC’s #1 Source for Political & Election News
Holden leads Ardila in District 30 race
Incumbent Councilman Robert Holden and challenger Juan Ardila. Photos courtesy of Councilman Robert Holden’s offi ce and Juan Ardila’s campaign
BY JULIA MORO
EDITORIAL@QNS.COM
@QNS
Voters in City Council District 30
hit the polls on Primary Day to
pick between two Democratic
candidates, and early results have the
incumbent leading.
Councilman Robert Holden has
about 53 percent of the vote (4,409
votes) with Juan Ardila trailing behind
at 46 percent (3,868 votes), as of
Thursday morning, June 24, according
to unoffi cial results from the city’s
Board of Elections.
The offi cial results will not be in until
the anticipated date of July 12, aft er
all absentee ballots are counted. Since
there are only two candidates in the
race, if Holden continues to hold more
than 50 percent of the vote, he will win
the seat outright and there will not be
a ranked-choice voting recount.
Holden has represented City Council
District 30 — which includes Ridgewood,
Maspeth, Glendale, Middle
Village, Woodside and Woodhaven
— since 2018.
His campaign has been centered on
quality-of-life concerns, such as public
safety and excessive noise.
Some of the work Holden said he is
most proud during his time serving
on the City Council is the funding he
has secured for parks and schools. In
2019, Holden got a record-breaking
$11 million in capital funding for the
district’s schools, parks and government
buildings.
Holden has a large backing from
unions, some of which include the
NYPD Police Benevolent Association,
NYS Court Offi cers Association and
the United Federation of Teachers.
Meanwhile, this is Ardila’s first
run for public offi ce. He ran more of a
grassroots movement, garnering support
from the progressive side of the
party. He received endorsements from
Councilman Jimmy Van Bramer, state
Senator Jessica Ramos and Borough
President Donovan Richards.
Holden’s Communications Director
Kevin Ryan said that since the race
has been called by major news outlets,
their team is feeling good and is ready
to move past the election.
“This is a district of hardworking
people who want safe, clean streets
and to peacefully enjoy their homes
and raise their families,” Ryan said.
“They also care deeply about a quality
education for their children. Councilman
Holden has stood up for those
issues like no one else in the Council
and will never stop.”
Some of Ardila’s main policy points
revolved around aff ordable housing
for all, more public transportation
access and investment on education.
“If there’s one thing that all the cities
that have implemented aff ordable
housing and reduced their homeless
population have in common, it’s
that they view homeownership not
as a speculative investment, but as
a human right,” Ardila told QNS in
September. “And I think that’s where
New York City fails; we view it as an
investment.”
Though Ardila is behind, he does
not plan to concede the race just yet.
“There are 541 votes separating us
and we will wait for all the absentee
ballots to be counted,” Ardila said.
“We ran a very positive race focusing
on inclusivity and real representation.
This election was very close and shows
there is a large part of the district that
feels misrepresented and the demographics
have changed drastically.”
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