Queens elects three new councilmembers, sends all incumbents back to office

Queens elected three new councilmembers on Tuesday, and sent 11 incumbents back to the Council for another term. Eagle photo by Ryan Schwach

By Ryan Schwach

Queens elected three new representatives to the City Council on Tuesday, while also sending all Council incumbents on the ballot back to the legislature for another four years.

In the District 30 race to fill the unique shoes of conservative Democrat Bob Holden, the relationship between his two longtime staffers vying for the seat seemed to have soured in the latter weeks of the election, with one decrying “betrayal” in her concession speech.

In that race, Queens voters elected Democrat Phil Wong to succeed Holden in the Council.

Democrats Shanel Thomas-Henry and Ty Hankerson will join Wong as the newest members of the Queens delegation.

In races where incumbents were challenged, Councilmembers Vickie Paladino, Sandra Ung, Linda Lee, Shekar Krishnan, Julie Won and Lynn Schulman all prevailed.

In unopposed races, incumbent Councilmembers Selvena Brooks-Powers, Joann Ariola, Nantasha Williams, Jim Gennaro and Tiffany Cabán were all officially elected to another term in the Council.

Drama in District 30

In Queens’ most closely watched general election, a race often described as a cordial one between two longtime friends and colleagues, seemed like anything but after the polls closed on Tuesday night.

In the battleground District 30, which covers Ridgewood, Maspeth and Middle Village, Wong defeated Republican Alicia Vaichunas by more than 5,000 votes.

Holden endorsed both candidates, following Wong’s primary victory in June

And while the competitors often discussed their friendship and their plan to hire the other regardless of who won, during her concession speech, Vaichunas said she felt betrayed by Holden and Wong.

“I had somebody’s back for 8 years who put knives in my back,” Vaichunas said.

City & State reported that Vaichunas said Holden was “not the man that you all think he is.”

Speaking to reporters after, Vaichunas said that Wong “threw the first punch.”

“He hired someone who was negative and nasty,” she said. “I had people ripping down my signs, and he’ll say it wasn’t him, but when I talk to the store owners, they say it was. It’s not because I lost, it’s because of what transpired throughout this election.”

In a phone conversation with the Eagle on Wednesday, Wong said he felt Holden treated both campaigns fairly.

“I don't feel that way,” he said. “I feel Councilman Holden treated both of us fairly, he appeared in her videos…I do not feel that there's any unequal treatment.”

He also said that he still intends to hire Vaichunas, should she take the job.

“We already had an agreement,” he said. “Whoever wins will keep the other person in the office, and I still honor this agreement.”

Wong told the Eagle he spent the first morning after his victory thanking supporters and visiting his father’s grave with his family.

“It was brutal, campaigns are brutal,” he said. “I'm still having leg cramps and need to rest a day or two, but I appreciate all the support I received, and then I'll be thanking a lot of people, my canvassers, volunteers, donors.”

Wong also doubled-down on his promise to follow Holden’s lead and join the conservative Common Sense Caucus when he gets to the Council in January.

Vaichunas did not respond to multiple requests for comment from the Eagle about the results as well as Wong’s statement that he would still offer her a job in his office.

Holden declined to comment on the apparent schism between his staffers, but congratulated the two on their campaigns and Wong’s victory.

“I want to thank both Phil and Alicia for stepping up and putting themselves out there in the political arena; campaigns are never easy, and they both showed dedication to our community,” he said. “I congratulate Phil on his victory and look forward to working with him on a smooth transition so we can continue delivering results for the people we serve.”

Holden told City & State that Vaichunas did not want him to do his double endorsement, and said he didn’t blame her for the statements hot off losing the election.

Paladino prevails

Wong will join the Common Sense Caucus that includes controversial Northern Queens Councilmember Vickie Paladino, who cruised to reelection on Tuesday.

Paladino defeated Democrat Benjamin Chou, an active duty firefighter who had made a longshot bid to unseat the conservative incumbent.

Paladino won by 15 percentage points, dominating outside of the predominantly Asian precincts in District 19, which includes Whitestone, Beechhurst, Bay Terrace and College Point.

“The people know me, the people see what I've done and what I've accomplished, and it's tremendous,” Paladino told the Eagle at her Bay Terrace campaign HQ hours before the polls closed. “I've made a very, very big difference in this district. I've earned people's trust too, which is huge.”

In a social media statement, Chou thanked his supporters.

“Unlike many others in my position, I’m fortunate to continue serving the public,” he said. “Tomorrow, I will put my uniform back on and return to the firehouse. My commitment to integrity, hard work and this community remains as strong as ever.”

Dem incumbents sweep challengers

Paladino wasn’t the only Queens councilmember to easily oust a challenger on Tuesday. Democratic incumbents swept conservative challenges for another term in the City Council in what was a good night for Democrats citywide.

In Flushing’s District 20, Coucilmember Sandra Ung staved off three challengers, defeating Steve Wang, Allen Wang and Joseph Chou with 75 percent of the vote.

Allen Wang came in second with 16 percent.

In District 21, Shanel Thomas-Henry solidified her election to succeed term-limited Councilmember Francisco Moya.

Thomas-Henry won in a four-person field in June’s primary, and defeated Republican Giovanni Enrique Franco on Tuesday.

Councilmember Linda Lee won in her district as well, defeating Conservative Party candidate Bernard Chow by nearly 60 points.

This is the second time Lee has defeated Chow.

Councilmember Shekar Krishnan won by a similar margin in his bid for reelection, defeating a field of Republican Ramses Frias and independent candidates Richard Pacheco and Shah Haque.

“I'm grateful for the overwhelming support for my re-election to the City Council,” he said on X. “From immigrant rights, to our healthcare, & parks, we'll keep fighting for a better future!”

Councilmember Julie Won also won reelection in her Long Island City-centered district, defeating Republican challenger John Patrick Healy with 81 percent of the vote.

In Southeast Queens, Ty Hankerson ran unopposed in the general election to succeed his longtime boss, City Council Speaker Adrienne Adams, who is term limited.

Hankerson defeated four opponents in the primary and was not challenged in the general election.

In District 29, Councilmember Lynn Schulman also cruised to reelection on her birthday, defeating John David Rinaldi, who in the last weeks of the election made a number of fake and misleading posts on social media claiming endorsements he did not receive.

Schulman defeated Rinaldi by 16,000 votes.

Queens City Council Results:

District 19

Benjamin Chou - 17,654 votes (42.06%)

Vickie Paladino - 24,285 (57.86%)

District 20

Sandra Ung - 14,566 (75.15%)

Allen Haolun Wang - 3,278 (16.91%)

Joseph J. Chou - 865 (4.46%)

Steven Wang- 601 (3.10%)

District 21

Shanel Thomas-Henry - 11,940 (76.06%)

Giovanni Enrique Franco - 3,714 (23.66%)

District 22

Tiffany L. Caban (Unopposed) - 35,420 (97.28%)

District 23

Linda Lee - 29.154 (79.70%)

Bernard Chow - 7,332 (20.04%)

District 24

James F. Gennaro (Unopposed) - 27,762 (98.30%)

District 25

Shekar Krishnan - 21,082 (69.69%)

Ramses S. Frias - 6,094 (20.14%)

Ricardo Pacheco - 1,849 (6.11%)

Shah S. Haque - 1,127 (3.73%)

District 26

Julie Won - 31,091 (81.12%)

John Patrick Healy - 7,091 (18.51%)

District 27

Nantasha M. Williams (Unopposed) - 29,248 (99.45%)

District 28

Ty Hankerson (Unopposed) - 23,356 (99.37%)

District 29

Lynn C. Schulman - 26,447 (72.16%)

Jonathan Rinaldi - 10,063 (27.46%)

District 30

Phil Wong - 19,320 (53.95%)

Alicia B. Vaichunas - 15,668 (43.75%)

District 31

Selvena N. Brooks-Powers (Unopposed) - 24440 (99.02%)

District 32

Joann Ariola (Unopposed) - 28,104 (97.46%)