Democratic Primary Results: Marshall, Koslowitz and Reyna Victorious

Democrat Mike Miller Wins Special Election for Assembly Seat

By Conor Greene

When the dust settled following Tuesday’s Democratic Party primary elections around the city, three veteran City Council members who supported allowing a third term had been defeated, and another two were in serious jeopardy of losing races that remained too close to call as of Wednesday.

Among the incumbent City Council members who lost on Tuesday were Alan Gerson of Manhattan, Kendall Stewart of Brooklyn and Helen Sears of Jackson Heights, Queens. Maria Baez of the Bronx was trailing her contest as of Wednesday, while Thomas White, Jr. was leading by just six votes against political newcomer Lynn Nunes.

Locally, Karen Koslowitz was victorious in a six-person race for the Democratic nomination to succeed Melinda Katz representing Forest Hills and Rego Park in the 29th District. Koslowitz, who previously represented the area until term limits forced her from office in 2001, defeated runner up Lynn Schulman 25% to 22%. Rounding out the field was Heidi Harrison Chain (19%), Albert Cohen (13%), Michael Cohen (12%) and Mel Gagarin (6%). Koslowitz doesn’t face a Republican challenger in November.

In the 34th District, which covers parts of Ridgewood, incumbent Diana Reyna – who supported Mayor Michael Bloomberg’s push to allow for a third term - appears to have survived a stiff challenge from Maritza Davila, who she defeated 45% to 43%, according to unofficial results released by the city Board of Elections. Gerald Esposito received 11%, or 1,041 votes.

Following a heated campaign in the 26th District, which includes Long Island City, Sunnyside, Woodside and parts of Maspeth, James Van Bramer, director of external affairs for Queens Library defeated City Council attorney Deirdre Feerick 45% to 37%. Long Island City attorney Brent O’Leary finished with 16% of the vote. Incumbent Eric Gioia decided to run for public advocate instead of seeking a third term.

However, things are still unclear in the 28th District, which covers parts of Jamaica, South Jamaica and Richmond Hill. Nunes, 24, is trailing by less than a percentage point against White – who supported extending term limits - as of Wednesday morning. Since absentee and military ballots still have to be counted, the race appears too close to call.

In the race for Borough President, incumbent Helen Marshall will serve a third term after easily defeating challenger Mark Leavitt, a Sunnyside attorney who wasn’t able to turn his strong fundraising effort during the campaign into a solid showing at the polls. Marshall finished with 52,258 votes, or 71%, compared with 12,294, or 16% for Leavitt.

Voters in some parts of Queens also took part in a special election to replace disgraced former state Assemblyman Anthony Seminerio, who pleaded guilty to accepting hundreds of thousands of dollars in bribes. Glendale Democrat Mike Miller handily defeated Republican Donna Marie Caltabiano, who is director of the Forest Park Senior Center by a count of 65% to 35%.

That election was held after Governor David Paterson decided to hold a special election featuring candidates chosen by each party’s county leaders, instead of holding a general election that would have featured a bigger slate of candidates. At least two candidates who had petitioned to be on the ballot have already vowed to challenge Miller next year.

For the two hotly-contested citywide offices – public advocate and comptroller – a runoff election is scheduled for September 29 since none of the candidates reached 40% of the vote. In the public advocate race, Brooklyn Councilman Bill de Blasio, who received 32%, will face off against Mark Green, who formerly held the position and finished with 30%. In the comptroller’s race, Councilman John Liu of Flushing received 38% and will face Brooklyn Councilman David Yassky in the runoff election.

With the Democratic nominee officially secured, Thompson wasted little time kicking off his campaign against Bloomberg, who wasn’t involved in Tuesday’s primary election. Bloomberg agreed to participate in two debates, but Thompson wants him to agree to debate in each of the five boroughs.

“After eight years of the mayor who has looked out for the rich and powerful, isn’t it time we had a mayor who looked out for the rest of us?” Thompson told a crowd of supporters at his victory speech Tuesday night, reminding them that the city’s unemployment rate is at a 16-year high, despite promises by Bloomberg to create jobs. “It’s time for a change, New York! Eight years is enough!”

Even though he wasn’t running in a race on Tuesday, Bloomberg held a campaign kickoff rally on Manhattan’s West Side. Without mentioning Thompson by name, Bloomberg warned voters to avoid derailing progress he says the city has made under his leadership. “All of that could come to a screeching halt if we return to politics as usual,” he said.

And both candidates wasted little time in touting endorsements they have received from major political figures. On Wednesday morning, Bloomberg was campaigning outside a subway stop on Queens Boulevard in Forest Hills with former mayor Ed Koch. Meanwhile, Gov. Paterson issued a press released indicating he plans on publicly endorsing Thompson at a press conference Friday.

Precincts to Celebrate Night Out Against Crime

Police precincts across the city, and the nation, will celebrate the annual Night Out Against Crime event on Tuesday. Free events for the entire family are planned for local parks, including within the 104th, 112th and 106th precincts.

The 112th Precinct, covering Forest Hills and Rego Park, is hosting a celebration at MacDonald Park from 6 to 9 p.m. The park is located across from the Forest Hills Post Office, but in the event of rain the event will be moved inside the Forest Hills Jewish Center, announced Heidi Harrison Chain, president of the precinct’s community council.

The event celebrates the partnership between the city’s police force and the community and is also “a great opportunity for our community to thank the NYPD for their efforts on our behalf in reducing crime,” said Chain. “Crime is down and our officers help us improve our quality of life.”

Events at MacDonald Park include a showcase of local talents, featuring local artists who will display their paintings, crafts, photos and other items. To participate, contact the precinct community council at council112@yahoo.com. There will also be entertainment provided by a DJ and demonstrations by a local karate school.

Officers from the 112th Precinct will provide the public with safety information and Transit District 20 officials will discuss subway safety. The FDNY and other city agencies are expected to also take part in the event, as will the Forest Hills – Rego Park CERT team. Businesses that are interested in participating can contact the community council or call the precinct’s Community Affairs Unit at (718) 520-9321.

The 104th Precinct, covering Maspeth, Ridgewood, Glendale and Middle Village, is hosting its event in Mafera Park, located at 65th Place and 68th Avenue from 5 to 9 p.m. Activities for the entire family, including children, will be provided. For details, contact the precinct’s Community Affairs Unit at (718) 386-2431.

The 106th Precinct, covering Howard Beach, Ozone Park, South Ozone Park, Lindenwood and South Richmond Hill, will hold its Night Out Against Crime at Tudor Park from 6:30 to 9:30 p.m. The park is located along 133rd Avenue off 80th Street in Tudor Village.

There will be entertainment and free giveaways for everyone and children’s events. Officer Paul Ciccarella will be on hand to do free automobile windshield VIN etching, as well as etching iPods, cell phones and bicycles. Anyone interested in having their valuables etched must call him at (718) 845-2223 with your vehicle registration information prior to the event so the officer can file the proper paperwork.

Candidates Don't Get Their Say at Forest Hills Civic

Two of the candidates vying to represent Forest Hills, Rego Park and Kew Gardens on the City Council were given a chance to speak at Tuesday night’s Forest Hills Community and Civic Association meeting, but two others in attendance weren’t happy they didn’t get the same chance to address voters.

After mayoral candidates Tony Avella and Bill Thompson addressed the crowd at length, FHCCA President Barbara Stuchinski offered City Council candidate Mel Gagarin several minutes to discuss his campaign. The 27-year-old grew up in the neighborhood and told the residents that “it’s time for a new generation of leadership” in the city.

After Gagarin spoke, Stuchinski invited candidate Karen Koslowitz, who is director of Queens community board, to speak about the role the boards play in city government. She spoke for several minutes about ways the boards, which she called the “city halls of your community” help residents. She said that the proposed cut of $35,000 of the board’s $200,000 annual operating budget would “decimate the boards.”

However, Koslowitz then touched on other issues including senior citizen services and the elimination of child care programs. She also touted accomplishments she achieved while serving on the City Council from 1992 to 2001, including safety improvements along Queens Boulevard and the efforts to shut down a strip club on Austin Street. “I’m running for City Council because I like to make a difference in people’s lives,” she said.

At one point, Stuchinski recognized that candidates Heidi Harrison Chain and Michael Cohen were also in the audience. However, after Koslowitz spoke, a resident brought up issues concerning construction of the Metropolitan Avenue school. After that issue was discussed, Stuchinski adjourned the meeting.

Shortly after, Chain said she thinks it is “a little bizarre” that the two candidates were not asked to speak. Cohen said he thought he was attending a community meeting and wasn’t aware that two of the candidates would speak. He said that he is willing to give Stuchinski the benefit of the doubt that she didn’t realize Koslowitz was going to give a full-fledged “political speech.”

However, once Koslowitz addressed the crowd in that fashion, Cohen said Stuchinski should have made sure all candidates in attendance were invited to speak. “Once it happened, there should have been some type of fairness [and] equal time,” said Cohen, adding that he is “disappointed” in how the situation played out.

On Wednesday, Stuchinski was less than apologetic for not providing Cohen and Chain a few minutes to speak. She said that Gagarin had not been invited to the civic’s recent candidates forum, so she thought it was only fair to give him a chance to introduce himself to voters. She said she thought Koslowitz was only going to speak about the community boards and not about her City Council Campaign.

“You know, when you are losing, you should learn to be gracious. Those two are being so belligerent and nasty” she said of Cohen and Chain. “I called on Karen not realizing she was going to go into campaign mode, so what was I suppose to do, hit her in the knee caps to get her off the stage?”

Stuchinski argued that the candidates “definitely had ample opportunity at the first panel to discuss” various issues. “These two seem to have this chip on their shoulder, and that’s not the way to win votes. Act like an adult, learn to be gracious and learn to roll with the punches.”