By Kathianne Boniello
The city Board of Elections confirmed this week that it has records for two of the eight candidates running for City Councilman Mike Abel’s (R-Bayside) 19th Councilmanic District seat, a spokesman for the agency said, reversing its previous assertions to the contrary.
Democratic candidate John Frank and Republican Dennis Saffran said they had filed with the Board of Elections. Republican Greg Miley was nominated for the seat by the Queens County Republican Executive Committee this month.
Last week the Board of Elections said it had no filings on record for Frank, Saffran or Miley.
This week board spokesman Matt Graves confirmed some filings for Saffran, a Douglaston resident as well as its filings on Frank, who is from Whitestone.
Candidates have until July 12 to file their petitions to be on the November 2001 ballot, Graves said.
Frank, who officially announced his candidacy earlier this month, said he filed with the Board of Elections last year. Saffran said he had filed with the city agency in January.
Frank, Saffran and Miley are just a few of the candidates set to battle for Abel’s seat. Other hopefuls for the seat include Bayside Hills civic leader Jerry Iannece, activist Joyce Shepard, Democratic district leader Tony Avella, Republican Chris Butler, and labor leader Arthur Cheliotes.
In the race for City Councilwoman Julia Harrison’s (D-Flushing) 20th Councilmanic District seat, the city Campaign Finance Board has admitted to an error involving the filings of Democratic candidate Martha Flores-Vasquez.
The mistake, described by a Campaign Finance Board spokesman as a “routine problem with the information she had submitted,” made it appear as if Vasquez had raised only $540 for her campaign. Vasquez has actually raised $9,970.
Campaign Finance Board spokesman Frank Barry said Vasquez’s financial disclosures were filed on time.
“It was not submitted late,” he said. The problem “needed to be corrected and that is why she was probably on hold at some point.”
Vasquez is one of a number of Democratic candidates for the 20th District seat. Other candidates include John Liu, Terrence Park, and Ethel Chen.
Reach reporter Kathianne Boniello by e-mail at Timesledgr@aol.com or call 229-0300, Ext. 146.
