After recounts, Como declares victory

After a machine recount and absentee paper count, it appears Republican Anthony Como has held off Democrat Elizabeth Crowley by 38 votes in the 30th City Council District Special Election, although an official certification will likely not come until next week.
During a tumultuous Wednesday, June 11, at the city’s Board of Elections (BOE), Como’s vote-margin dipped below the 29-vote lead he held going into the absentee paper count, but by the end of the count, he had received 85 additional votes while Crowley only picked up 76.
“They always tend to go the same way as the machine goes,” an exuberant Como told The Courier shortly after he heard the news of the final totals. “It’s exactly what we predicted.”
A spokesperson for the Crowley campaign confirmed that Crowley called Como to concede the election on Wednesday.
When the precincts reported the votes on Tuesday, June 3, Como received 2,352 votes while Crowley garnered 2,282 votes – a 1 percent difference in vote totals.
In addition to Como and Crowley, former City Councilmember Tom Ognibene received 2,031 votes and Ridgewood civic activist Charles Ober received 752 votes.
However, after BOE officials finished the machine recount the following Tuesday, Como’s slim 70-vote lead in the election to replace disgraced former City Councilmember Dennis Gallagher had shrunk by 41 votes.
Yet, Como remained cautiously optimistic during the paper count, and hopes that they can quickly certify the election and help the community move forward.
“It’s time to put the election behind us and to give the people the representation they deserve and need,” he said.
After Gallagher resigned, Queens Republicans hoped to hold onto their only council seat in the borough, and the Queens County Republican Party backed Como over Ognibene for the seat.
Como, who started his political career as an aide to State Senator Serphin Maltese, has served as a prosecutor in the Queens District Attorney’s Office, counsel to Maltese and most recently a Commissioner for the Queens Office of Board of Elections, before he resigned his position to concentrate fully on the June special election.
“We are going to have a very active and dedicated Councilman working on behalf of his constituents,” Maltese said. “I think the two of us working together we can be even more effective.”
A lifelong Queens resident who currently lives in Middle Village, Como has been actively involved in many community and civic organizations.
“It was good to see the people in the 30th Council gave me their trust, and I promise to deliver,” Como said.
Once the election is certified, the winner will serve until November of this year when another election will be held to decide who will serve the remainder of Gallagher’s term.