Queens Democratic Party endorses slate of eight council candidates, sits out six races

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Rep. Gregory Meeks, chair of the Queens County Democratic Party, told district leaders the party planned to endorse eight candidates for city council, including two incumbents. Eagle file photo by David Brand

Rep. Gregory Meeks, chair of the Queens County Democratic Party, told district leaders the party planned to endorse eight candidates for city council, including two incumbents. Eagle file photo by David Brand

By David Brand

The Queens County Democratic organization on Tuesday voted to endorse a slate of eight city council candidates ahead of the June primary elections. 

U.S. Rep. Gregory Meeks presented the slate to the party’s district leaders at a private meeting closed to members of the press. He chose to stay out of six other races, however. 

Some district leaders, including those aligned with the group Queens New Reformers, moved to separate the endorsements into individual votes rather than choose a full slate. They were outvoted.

The party-endorsed candidates include Austin Shafran in District 19, Sandra Ung in District 20, incumbent Councilmember Francisco Moya in District 21, Ebony Young in District 26, Adrienne Adams in District 28 and Lynn Schulman in District 29.

The party also voted to endorse Selvena Brooks-Powers in the Democratic primary for Council District 31. The CD31 endorsement comes with early voting already underway in a Feb. 23 special election for the seat representing Far Rockaway and a piece of Southeast Queens.

The organization says it does not officially endorse candidates in special elections, but Brooks-Powers is running in the Feb. 23 contest.

The party’s district leaders also voted to endorse Jim Gennaro for the Democratic primary in Council District 24. Gennaro, a former three-term councilmember, maintains a large lead in a Feb. 2 special election for the seat. 

Though the party blocked members of the press from listening in on the virtual event, the audio was broadcast live by a group of reform-minded district leaders critical of the county organization’s lack of transparency.

Meeks and the district leaders declined to make a pick to replace departing Councilmembers I. Daneek Miller in Council District 27, Daniel Dromm in Council District 25, Barry Grodenchik in District 23 or Costa Constantinides in District 22.

They also declined to endorse in Council District 30, where incumbent Robert Holden faces a challenge from candidate Juan Ardila, or in Council District 32, where term-limited Republican Eric Ulrich is leaving the only GOP-controlled seat in the borough.