Amid coronavirus crisis, Queens lawmaker’s ballot challenge would prompt in-person BOE hearing
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Assemblymember Nily Rozic. AP Photo/Mike Groll, File
By David Brand
The coronavirus has, at least temporarily, changed the game this Queens election season, discouraging even the typically ruthless County Democratic Party from contesting opponents’ petition signatures and knocking challengers off the ballot.
But one Queens lawmaker, Assemblymember Nily Rozic, has decided to contest her opponent’s place on the June primary ballot, sending the dispute to an in-person hearing before the Board of Elections.
The challenge, usually standard election season procedure, would require BOE staff to physically examine the validity of ballot signatures — a gathering complicated by the threat of COVID-19, which has claimed the lives of at least two BOE employees. At least 15 employees have tested positive for the illness, Gothamist reported.
Rozic’s district director, Isabel Pulgarin, filed a specification against the challenger, Kenneth Chiu, last month, according to a ledger published by the BOE. Chiu is the founder of the New York City Asian American Democratic Club,
Rozic, who represents Flushing, Fresh Meadows and other parts of Northeast Queens, is the only lawmaker in Queens to file specific challenges against her opponent, according to the ledger. Rozic did not provide a response to questions about why she decided to contest her opponent’s petition.
Chiu, a Flushing resident, said he was “disappointed” to be the only legislative candidate facing a specific objection.
Other incumbents “are letting it play out and to make sure our friends, family, city frontline workers and EMS are able to do their jobs,” he said.
“She has the funds to do it and she’s worried at the minimum because her district is 70 percent Asian and I am Asian and I have plenty of work in the community,” he added.
Chiu’s election attorney Ali Najmi declined to comment.
The objection to Chiu’s petition comes as at least one political organization is taking heat for filing complaints against a challenger to its preferred candidate.
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.”
