6 NOVEMBER 7, 2019 RIDGEWOOD TIMES WWW.QNS.COM
Katz bests Murray in Queens DA race
BY MAX PARROTT
MPARROTT@SCHNEPSMEDIA.COM
@QNS
Aft er a primary campaign that attracted
a national media frenzy and a
month-and-a-half-long primary election,
Melinda Katz clinched her role as the
next Queens District Attorney with a
victory against Joe Murray in the general
election on Tuesday, Nov. 5.
Katz declared victory shortly aft er
the polls closed, while the city’s Board
of Elections has Katz ahead with 137,632
votes compared to Murray’s 44,905 votes
as of Wednesday aft ernoon, with nearly
96 percent of the precincts reporting.
“We are facing here an opportunity
to make a national model for criminal
justice reform and if we don’t do it right
here, it’s going to have massive eff ects all
across this country,” said Katz said at her
victory party at the Queens Democratic
Party offi ce in Forest Hills.
Aft er Katz eked out her primary battle
against the decarceral public defender
Tiff any Cabán in a primary battle that
involved a recount and court battle, she
went on to win handily with a 50 point
margin against Murray, an ex-cop,
lawyer and registered Democrat who
the Republicans nominated aft er the
primary.
Katz emerged from her primary victory
as the favorite to win in a boroughwide
race where Democrats outnumber
Republicans by almost six to one, and
Katz had out-raised Murray by the about
the same multiple.
Her victory caps a campaign that
argued for an approach to the offi ce
that blends a list of consensus-driven
progressive reforms with experience
of running a large city agency.
In her victory speech, Katz listed some
of her policy priorities, which includes
ending cash bail, prosecuting unscrupulous
employers, protecting immigrant
rights by keeping ICE agents out of the
courts and reducing gun violence. In the
weeks leading up to the election, Katz
also pledged to not prosecute low-level
marijuana arrests and create a conviction
integrity unit.
She spent the largest portion of her
speech on policies aimed at reducing
gun violence, which largely do not involve
her role as a prosecutor. Following
the death of 14-year-old Aamir Griffi n in
South Jamaica and a recent spike in gun
violence in southeastern Queens overall,
Katz promised to use the offi ce of district
attorney as a support system for community
groups for at-risk youth.
“I will work day and night to make sure
that we not only keep this borough safe,
but that our young people get second
chances,” Katz said. “That we have rehab
programs to make sure that people get
the help that they actually need; that we
have mental health programs to make
sure recidivism does go down and we
will make sure there is justice here in
the borough of Queens.”
The no-frills setting of the Queens
Democratic Party Offi ce served as a
reminder of Katz’s loyalty to the County
Party establishment. It wasn’t chosen for
its practicality, since the small, balmy offi
ce could barely fi t the crowd of party
insiders that came to see Katz announce
her victory.
“Considering everything we’ve been
through and how important the Queens
Organization was to this selection, it
was an important place to hold it,” said
Michael Reich, executive director of
the Queens Party, adding that the party
“broke it’s back” to help elect Katz.
Now that Katz will officially be
vacating her current role of borough
president, the race to replace her will
kick into high gear. A special election
for the position will be held 45 days
aft er Katz assumes the role of district
attorney.
Queens Borough President Melinda Katz claimed victory in her run for
Queens County District Attorney. Photo by Todd Maisel
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