Leading good government group endorses Richards for Queens borough president
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Citizens Union endorsed Councilmember Donovan Richards for Queens borough president. Photo by John McCarten via City Council/Flickr.
By David Brand
Citizens Union, a leading good government group, has endorsed Councilmember Donovan Richards for Queens borough president ahead of the March 24 special election.
The nonpartisan organization received completed, six-page applications from five of the six candidates for borough president and selected Richards based on his responses, as well as his tenure in the Council, said Citizens Union Executive Director Betsy Gotbaum.
“Donovan has an impressive track record in the City Council, and throughout our interview process demonstrated a depth of understanding of land-use issues and a vision for equitable development in Queens that makes him the best choice to serve as the borough’s next Borough President,” Gotbaum said.
Citizens Union specifically considered how candidates would ensure that Queens’ 14 community boards reflect the districts they represent, an issue the Eagle has examined extensively. The Eagle’s December 2019 analysis, in partnership with Measure of America, revealed deep racial, age, gender and ability disparities across every community board in the borough, based on a demographic report compiled by the borough president’s office.
“I have always emphasized the diversification of community boards as a priority and believe it is especially crucial that the diversity of New York residents are properly represented by appointed and elected officials,” Richards wrote on his Citizens Union application.
Richards, who represents Council District 31, has made nominations for Community Board 13 (Bellaire, Bellerose, Brookville, Cambria Heights, Floral Park, Glen Oaks, Laurelton, Meadowmere, New Hyde Park, North Shore Towers, Queens Village, Rosedale, Springfield Gardens) and Community Board 14 (Rockaway Peninsula, Broad Channel).
Of the 14 boards in Queens, Community Board 13 members most closely reflected the actual racial and ethnic demographics of the district, according to Eagle’s analysis of community board demographics.
Women, however, made up only 30 percent of members — one of the worst gender disparities in the borough.
On Community Board 14, Latinx residents, immigrants and parents of K-12 students were all significantly underrepresented.
Nevertheless, Richards told the Eagle in January that the community has “made great strides recently to ensure just that by working with Borough President Melinda Katz and other measures like lowering the age to be on a community board.”
“I would like to see more public housing residents on our community boards and also look at ways to make it easier for people to join,” he added. “People all have different lived experience, and it's crucial that we have those different viewpoints."
Early voting in the special election for Queens borough president begins March 14.
Councilmember Costa Constantinides, former Councilmember Elizabeth Crowley, retired NYPD Sergeant Anthony Miranda, former Queens prosecutor James Quinn and Flushing businessperson Dao Yin are also running for borough president.
