8 THE QUEENS COURIER • FEBRUARY 28, 2019 FOR BREAKING NEWS VISIT WWW.QNS.COM
Borough’s GOP sees progress in Ulrich’s second-place fi nish
BY MARK HALLUM
mhallum@schnepsmedia.com
@QNS
Councilman Eric Ulrich made Queens
Republicans and even some Democrats
proud when he came in second in a citywide
Queens voters preferred Ulrich over Williams in special election
BY JENNA BAGCAL
jbagcal@qns.com
@jenna_bagcal
New York City voters across the fi ve
boroughs elected Councilman Jumaane
Williams in the special election for public
advocate on Feb. 26.
But results from the NYC Board of
Elections (BOE) showed that many in
living in areas of eastern Queens, central
Queens and the Rockaways voted for
Councilman Eric Ulrich in the 17-candidate
race.
Unoffi cial election night results from
18 Queens assembly districts showed
that Ulrich received nearly 5,660 more
votes than Williams. Th e political competitors
garnered 27,442 votes and
21,785 votes respectively.
Residents in Assembly Districts 23, 24,
25, 26, 27, 28, 30, 38 and 40 cast their
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ballots in favor of Ulrich while a majority
of those living in Districts 29, 31,
32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37 and 39 voted for
Williams.
Overall, Williams received 133,809, or
33.22 percent of the city’s votes, while
Ulrich got 77,026 votes, or 19.12 percent
of the total votes.
In addition to outperforming Williams
in Queens, Ulrich also received a majority
of the votes cast in Staten Island. BOE
results showed that he cinched 12,568 of
the votes in Richmond County versus
2,691 for Williams.
Ulrich, who’s based in Ozone Park
and the only elected Republican from
Queens in city government, ran on the
Common Sense party line in the nonpartisan
race. Ulrich’s top three issues
were to hold the mayor accountable,
protect small businesses and make city
government more transparent.
Williams, a Democratic councilman
for Brooklyn’s 45th District, ran on the
It’s Time Let’s Go platform. Th e public
advocate-elect’s top issues were to
address the city’s aff ordable housing crisis,
increase government transparency
and accountability and overhaul New
York’s criminal justice system.
Ulrich took to Twitter to congratulate
Williams last night aft er the results were
announced: “Congratulations to Public
Advocate- Elect @JumaaneWilliams on
winning a hard fought campaign. Th e
people of our great city have put their
trust and faith in you.
I am asking all New Yorkers to join me
in rooting for your success!”
Williams will serve as public advocate
from now until the end of 2019. A second
election to fi ll Letitia James’ vacated
seat until 2021 will happen this coming
November.
election for Public Advocate, proving
that the county GOP can compete
politically in a heavily left -leaning city.
Queens County GOP Chair Joann
Ariola said Ulrich’s loss was no such thing
when taking into consideration the small
Republican footprint across the city.
“Although we came in second, it’s a win
for the Republican Party. Eric made everyone
in this state feel that the Republican
Party was validated, we’re redeemed
and we can win races,” Ariola said. “A
Republican in a fi eld of Democrats who
had great name recognition can compete.”
Ulrich took his home borough of
Queens and Staten Island with 19 percent
of the vote on Tuesday night, according to
NY1, while Jumaane Williams won with a
solid lead by 33 percent.
In the crowded ballroom of Russo’s on
the Bay in Howard Beach, Ulrich told the
crowd of supporters how important he
believes the offi ce is despite the fact that
some elected offi cials have questioned its
relevance.
“Th e good news is we came in second
place,” Ulrich said. “I want to thank all
New Yorkers for coming out to vote in
an election that some people said was not
going to be how important it was.”
Councilman Robert Holden, a
Democrat who won his offi ce in 2017 by
winning the Republican Party nomination,
was at Ulrich’s viewing party and
expressed pride in Ulrich for leading the
pack in 17 candidate election.
“I’m proud of him,” Holden said while
also wishing the best for the Williams.
“In a fi eld of 17 and being the little
guy from Queens, it’s not bad,” Juniper
Park Civic Association President Tony
Nunziato said. “November is coming
around.”
Although the seat is back up for election
in November, Ulrich, who called
Williams to congratulate him on his victory,
did not express any plans to run for
the seat again.
Ariola said no decisions have been
made toward Ulrich continuing his pursuit
of the Public Advocate’s offi ce, but
the councilman is term limited in 2021,
as are the majority of City Council members.
Tuesday’s special election was contested
to fi ll the vacancy left by Attorney
General Letitia James aft er she won the
offi ce in November 2018.
Photo: Mark Hallum/THE COURIER
City Councilman Eric Ulrich addresses supporters on Feb. 26 as his daughter looks on.
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