4 THE QUEENS COURIER • MAY 14, 2020 FOR BREAKING NEWS VISIT WWW.QNS.COM
Two borough president candidates sue Cuomo over canceled special election
BY ANGÉLICA ACEVEDO
aacevedo@schnepsmedia.com
@QNS
Two Queens borough president
candidates have fi led 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 fi led each fi led lawsuits
on Friday, May 8, in an eff ort
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 fi led 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. “Th e people
of Queens have suff ered 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 eff ort to fi ght 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 offi ce on
January 2021.
Th e candidates running for the
position include Councilmen
Costa Constantinides and
Donovan Richards, former
Councilwoman Elizabeth
Crowley and retired NYPD offi -
cer 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 signifi
cant 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
benefi t 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.
“Th is 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 fi lled by an elected
offi cial 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
aft er Grimm vacated the
seat.
“Furthermore, this is 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 offi -
cial, does not have the authority
to cancel the special election for
Queens borough president.”
De Blasio has yet to address
the decision directly.
QNS reached out to Cuomo’s
offi ce for comment but did not
receive a comment.
Photos courtesy of Jim Quinn’s campaign, Offi ce of Governor Andrew M. Cuomo, Dao Yin’s campaign
Congrats,
Grad!
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M. Mattone
Congratulations, Manhattan
College 2020 Graduate!
Your hard work and
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Carry this dedication and
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Queens organization delivers 1,500 meals to communities in need
BY CARLOTTA MOHAMED
cmohamed@schnepsmedia.com
@QNS
A Queens-based South
Asian organization is helping
New Yorkers in need during
the COVID-19 pandemic.
Since March 12, The
American Pakistani Advocacy
Group (APAG), located at
159-16 Union Tpke. in Fresh
Meadows, has been delivering
grocery items to senior citizens,
disabled individuals, and
those facing fi nancial hardships
due to the pandemic.
To date, APAG has managed
to deliver 1,500 grocery packages
and helped over 10,000
people in need.
“We are trying to make a
sincere eff ort to help the people
in need. Th e harsh reality
of coronavirus has left many
families in need of essential
items,” said Ali Rashid, president
of APAG. “Th e elderly are
unable to leave their house due
to risky conditions, and some
people are not able to fi nd supplies
due to limited stock.”
APAG purchased, packed,
disinfected and delivered the
bags of groceries to each individual
while observing social
distancing, according to
Rashid. Aft er quickly realizing
the pandemic’s eff ect was
much larger than anticipated,
APAG ramped up their eff orts
to better serve the community.
The organization was
able to secure large quantities
of essential items such
as rice, fl our, oil, antibacterial
soap and more. According
to Rashid, South Asian families
received a Ramadan package
with essential items, while
bags of general grocery items
are distributed to other families
in need.
Simultaneously, with the
generosity of Kingsland
Properties, APAG secured
a packaging center, located
at 197th Street and Hillside
Avenue in Hollis, large enough
to act as a distribution point
for their deliveries while maintaining
social distancing etiquette.
APAG’s volunteers have
been packaging boxes and
coordinating daily deliveries
to all fi ve boroughs, as well as
Long Island and upstate. Each
package that is distributed has
the capability of supporting a
family of six for up to a month.
Local elected offi cials such
as State Assemblyman David
Weprin and Councilman
Donovan Richards have joined
APAG to help deliver meals to
families.
“Th e American Pakistani
Advocacy Group (APAG) is
doing great work during coronavirus
pandemic,” Weprin
said. “I’m glad to partner with
them for their food distribution
event.”
Meanwhile, Richards off ered
his gratitude to the group for
their commitment to addressing
food insecurity in Queens.
“I’m proud to continue to see
volunteer-led organizations
stepping up when it counts for
our communities,” Richards
said on Twitter.
As a gesture of support and
gratitude, APAG began providing
free hot meals to essential
workers on the frontlines
of the COVID-19 pandemic.
“APAG was able to capitalize
on its network of over 10,000
volunteers to establish a network
of restaurants to facilitate
this initiative,” Rashid
said. “APAG salutes those who
have been working day and
night to help fl atten the curve.
Meals are currently being
provided in the Bronx,
Brooklyn, Queens, Nassau
and Suff olk counties with
plans to further their reach to
the remaining boroughs and
other parts of Long Island.
Additionally, APAG members
have also delivered fresh
cooked meals to fi rst responders
at FDNY EMS Stations
across the city, as a thank you
for keeping families safe.
“APAG will stand with our
heroes who are fi ghting for us,”
Rashid said. “To date, APAG
has provided 2,000-plus meals
and encourages those who risk
their lives daily to stop by and
have a meal on them.”
Photo courtesy of APAG
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