16 THE QUEENS COURIER • JUNE 27, 2019 FOR BREAKING NEWS VISIT WWW.QNS.COM
Photo: Mark Hallum/QNS
CABAN LEADS THE PACK
Public defender touts apparent victory in Queens DA primary
BY MARK HALLUM
mhallum@schnepsmedia.com
@QNS
Th e 2018 victory of Alexandria Ocasio-
Cortez is still reverberating through
Queens with no example more clear than
Tiff any Cabán prevailing at the polls in
Tuesday’s primary for district attorney.
If the 31-year-old queer Latina can replicate
her success in the general election,
she will be the fi rst new DA in the borough
in over 28 years, succeeding the late
Richard A. Brown.
Th e majority of the precincts had
reported 39.6 of votes in favor as Cabán
celebrated with a mass of supporters,
including prominent elected offi cials, at
LaBoom in Woodside. Her margin, however,
is slim. She’s up about 1,100 votes
on Queens Borough President Melinda
Katz, who declined to concede and is opting
to wait until all the paper ballots are
counted.
”We built a campaign that said every
community deserves justice,” Cabán said
in front of her crowd of supporters at La
Boom in Woodside. “We did it, y’all.”
A public defender only seven years out
of law school, Cabán faced doubt as to
her ability to lead an offi ce of over 600
staff members. But along the campaign
trail, she garnered high-profi le endorsements
from the likes of Ocasio-Cortez,
Philadelphia DA Larry Krasner, and
Senators Bernie Sanders and Elizabeth
Warren.
But Cabán drew nationwide attention
with a progressive platform that took an
aggressive stance against mass incarceration
and decriminalizing sex work.
Cabán also said she would not request
cash bail from defendants, regardless of
the crime.
politics
Paper count won’t start until July 3
BY ROBERT POZARYCKI
including absentee and affi davit ballots,
in northwestern Queens. Cabán won
rpozarycki@qns.com
to be counted, according to NY1. But the
both districts by wide margins, gaining
@robbpoz
Board of Elections won’t begin counting
more than 10,000 votes between them.
them until on or about Wednesday, July 2.
Meanwhile, Katz’s strongest performance
Th e Queens District Attorney primary
With Katz down 1,090 votes, she’ll need
occurred in the 29th, 32nd and
may be undecided for a while.
to win a majority of the paper ballots to
33rd Assembly Districts in southeastern
Just 1,100 votes separates public defender
have any hope of defeating Cabán.
Queens, gaining more than 9,500 combined
Tiff any Cabán and Borough President
Th e primary election featured extremely
votes from them.
Melinda Katz in the June 25 contest, and
low turnout. Just 11 percent of registered
Seven candidates seeking to succeed
Katz told supporters that evening that
Democrats in Queens bothered to
the late Queens District Attorney Richard
she would wait until all paper votes are
vote, according to fi gures from the Board
A. Brown were
counted before off ering any kind of concession.
of Elections.
Th e certifi ed Democratic primary winner
Some of the largest turnouts occurred
will move on to the Nov. 5 general
Th ere are about 3,400 paper ballots,
in the 36th and 37th Assembly Districts
election as the prohibitive favorite to
win a four-year term as Queens’ next district
attorney. Th e main competition will
be Daniel Kogan, an Ozone Park attorney
and Republican Party nominee.
In an interview with Th e City published
on June 26, Kogan said that he doesn’t
believe he will take “an overly active campaign.”
He does not have a social media
presence, nor a campaign platform, Th e
City reported.
“I don’t expect it a win given the history
of Queens County and the enrollment,”
Kogan told Th e City. “I don’t
expect to launch a vigorous campaign.”
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