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Queens rematch: Pro-Trump Councilmember Vickie Paladino faces Democrat Tony Avella
By
Giulia Heyward
Published Nov 1, 2023
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By
Giulia Heyward
Published Nov 1, 2023
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Councilmember Vickie Paladino, a staunch Queens Republican, is defending her seat next week against a familiar foe: Democrat Tony Avella, a longtime politician whom she defeated by only a few hundred votes just two years earlier.
Because of redistricting, Paladino — an outspoken, pro-Trump Republican — is again staring down the moderate Avella after an abbreviated, two-year term. And while the contest is one of the few competitive Council races this year, voters in the northeast Queens district are not expected to overwhelm the ballot box — it’s an off-year race for a seat that typically comes up every four years with no big contests at the top of the ticket helping to drive turnout.
“It’s gonna be a low-turnout election because it’s a real off year in every sense and there are no citywide races that are going to get people excited,” John Mollenkopf, a political science professor at CUNY Graduate School who also heads its Center for Urban Research, told Gothamist. “It’s all going to be down essentially to who gets their friends and neighbors out.”
The 19th Council District – a collection of bedroom communities including College Point, Whitestone and Bay Terrace – is considered to be one of New York City’s few Republican strongholds. The district largely backed Republican Curtis Sliwa over Democratic Mayor Eric Adams in the last mayoral race, according to data from the Center for Urban Research.
Still, Avella was able to sway voters in his direction when he previously represented the area from 2002 to 2009. After a failed mayoral run he was elected to the state Senate in 2011, but his involvement with the Independent Democratic Conference, which caucused with Republicans and became a target for left-leaning Democrats, led to his downfall in a 2018 re-election bid.
He made another run for his old Council district in 2021, but Paladino won by roughly 400 votes, a number large enough to quell any legitimate legal challenges.
In light of the slim margin, Avella said he’s leaning on some of the harsh coverage Paladino has recently received.
Paladino – whose political career began after she went viral for yelling at former Democratic Mayor Bill de Blasio – led a campaign in 2021 that gained support from the Proud Boys and other white nationalists — including her son and campaign director, who regularly posted on the alt-right site, Gab.
Paladino also made headlines for participating in an unmasked conga line during the height of the pandemic. And she faced a slew of legal issues after her election – including complaints that she illegally rented her home to tenants and failed to disclose certain debts in her filings.
“Although she has the power of the incumbent, I think a lot of people realize her crazy, bizarre behavior, her potency for racially charged statements and her total ineffectiveness in representing the district and getting things done,” Avella said.
But Paladino is also running with far more resources at her disposal. She’s raised more than double the funds her opponent did between Aug. 22 and Oct. 2, according to the Campaign Finance Board, putting her remaining balance at $100,000 compared to Avella’s approximate $61,000.
Paladino – who is touting her investments in the city’s schools and parks – said the money she’s raised is indicative of how her “boots are always on the ground.”
“I am thrilled to death with the amount of support I have gotten from the people of District 19,” she said. “It is an all out go for Vickie.”
There’s no independent polling for the local race but Paladino hopes her stance against migrants will help her re-election bid.
Bonnie Honya, who has lived in the district for more than six decades, said she personally knew both candidates and thought they’d do a good job representing the area. But Honya– who is concerned about the integration of non-English-speaking migrant children into the district’s schools – said Paladino had her vote.
“She’s got a really strong personality, she’s very friendly and she listens to everybody that has a problem and goes to her office,” Honya said. “She loves children and she’s watching out for all the schools.”
Meanwhile, Eiman Mohmand, who is Muslim, said she isn’t happy with comments that Paladino – and other officials – have made about the Israel-Hamas War.
“I cannot support anyone that is completely desensitizing what the Palestinians are going through,” she said.
Mollenkopf predicted the race would once again come down to several hundred votes.
“It’ll really all boil down to who gets out their supporters: who can identify them and get them out,” he said. “And with such low numbers, a few hundred voters may really count in this election.”
Tagged
Politics
queens
City Council
Giulia Heyward
Giulia Heyward is a breaking news reporter on the Day-Of desk. She previously worked at NPR, as a breaking news reporter, and the New York Times, as a reporting fellow on the national desk. Her work has also appeared in CNN, The Atlantic and Politico. Got a tip? Email [email protected] or more securely on signal at 917-715-1458.
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Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
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