Queens Borough President special election set for March 24

AP PHOTO/JOHN LOCHER, FILE

By David Brand

The special election for Queens borough president will take place March 24, Mayor Bill de Blasio announced Thursday. The official proclamation accelerates an abbreviated five-candidate race that has already grown tense and testy.

Councilmember Costa Constantinides, former Councilmember Elizabeth Crowley, police reform advocate Anthony Miranda, Councilmember Donovan Richards and Councilmember Jimmy Van Bramer are vying to replace former Borough President Melinda Katz, who began her tenure as Queens District Attorney on Jan. 1.

Assemblymember Alicia Hyndman dropped her bid for borough president on Monday at a meeting of the Queens County Democratic Party.

The borough president plays a key role in appointing members to Queens’ 14 community boards and makes advisory recommendations on land use issues. The office-holder also controls a budget of tens of millions of dollars.

The candidates have 12 days to secure 2,000 valid signatures in order to appear on the special election ballot.

Early voting will take place during the nine-day period before the special election. The Mayor’s Office has urged the Board of Elections not to designate Queens public schools as early voting sites in 2020 after the city’s first-ever early voting period caused issues at schools ahead of the November 2019 general election.