By Adam Kramer
Haydee Zambrana, who hoped to be the first Hispanic to win a boroughwide office, said Tuesday she had pulled out of the race for Queens borough president and had thrown her support behind Carol Gresser.
Borough President Claire Shulman was poised to announce Wednesday that she was endorsing City Councilwoman Helen Marshall (D-East Elmhurst) in her bid for the borough presidency.
Gresser, the former Board of Education president, City Councilman Sheldon Leffler (D-Hollis), Marshall and City Councilman Alfonso Stabile (R-Ozone Park) are the remaining four candidates vying to succeed Shulman, who cannot seek re-election because of term limits.
“I am dropping out for two reasons,” Zambrana said Tuesday. “I have enough signatures to get on the ballot, but not double or triple the amount needed to withstand challenges. I did not want to be knocked off.”
The other reason, she said, was that she did not have the necessary funds to run a competitive campaign.
Zambrana was scheduled to hold a news conference at 11 a.m. Wednesday morning at Borough Hall to formalize her withdrawal from the race. Right after the Zambrana news conference Shulman was scheduled to endorse Marshall.
“Helen has proven to be one of Queens' brightest and most qualified leaders,” Shulman said in a news release Tuesday to invite the media to the Wednesday press event.
