Flushing Assembly candidate withstands only ballot challenge in Queens
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New York City Asian American Democratic Club founder Kenneth Chiu is running against Assemblymember Nily Rozic in Northeast Queens’ 25th District. Photo courtesy of Chiu
By David Brand
The only candidate in Queens to get his petition signatures contested by an incumbent withstood the challenge and will appear on the June 23 primary ballot.
New York City Asian American Democratic Club founder Kenneth Chiu is running against Assemblymember Nily Rozic in Northeast Queens’ 25th District, which Rozic has represented since 2013.
Rozic decided to contest Chiu’s petition, prompting an in-person hearing before the Board of Elections. The BOE tossed out the challenge based on a technical error, however.
“Objectors attempting to disqualify a candidacy must be held to a strict standard,” said Ali Najmi, the election lawyer representing Chiu.
A spokesperson for Rozic did not respond to a request for comment. Chiu, a Flushing resident, told the Eagle earlier this month that he was “disappointed” to face the ballot challenge.
Petition challenges are typically standard operating procedure for candidates and political organizations, but the COVID-19 pandemic has complicated the efforts to kick opponents off the ballot. Each specific challenge — known as a specification of objections — requires BOE staff to physically examine the validity of ballot signatures, and thus risk exposure to the coronavirus.
COVID-19 has claimed the lives of at least two BOE employees. At least 15 employees have tested positive for the illness, Gothamist reported earlier this month.
One political organization, the Brooklyn Democratic Party, has faced criticsim for filing complaints against a challenger to its preferred candidate in a City Council race .
Operatives affiliated with the Brooklyn Democratic Party filed specifications against Sandy Nurse, a candidate for the City Council seat vacated by Rafael Espinal. Nurse is running against the party-backed candidate Darma Diaz and three other candidates in the special election.
In a letter signed by three local members of congress — Reps. Hakeem Jeffries, Carolyn Maloney and Jerry Nadler — the Brooklyn Young Democrats urged the Kings County Democratic Party Chair Rodneyse Bichotte and Gov. Andrew Cuomo to suspend petition challenges.
“Simply put, lives will be saved if we end petition challenges immediately. Lives will be lost if we do not end petition challenges,” the letter states. “There is no middle ground.”
