In something of an upset, Kevin Kim, an aide to U.S. Congressmember Gary Ackerman, has won the Democratic primary for the 19th City Council District, covering College Point, Whitestone, Bayside, Douglaston, Little Neck and parts of Flushing.
Kim received 2,561 votes (31 percent), well ahead of Bayside attorney Jerry Iannece, who received the endorsement of the Queens County Democratic Party and touted his experience as Chair of Community Board 11, which covers most of the Council District.
Iannece got 2,007 votes (24 percent), only 100 more than Paul Vallone (1,907) the scion of a three-generation city political dynasty. Iannece, who emigrated to Bayside from Vallone turf in Astoria more than 20 years ago, contrasted his community service with the younger Vallone’s ties to the old neighborhood and relatively recent appearance on the scene in the district.
Far behind, Steve Behar, a longtime campaign activist who was endorsed by departing incumbent Councilmember Tony Avella, got 818 votes (10 percent), while good-government advocate and quadriplegic Army veteran Thomas Cooke got 601 votes (7 percent.)
The only woman in the race, Debra Markell-Kleinert, trailed the pack, winding up with 437 votes. She never broke the 5 percent barrier during the vote count.
Observers are commenting that Kim’s surprise victory is a result of a huge turnout of his political base – Kim is Korean – coupled with a very low turnout of Democrats.
“I’ve never seen anything like it,” Paul Vallone told The Queens Courier from his campaign headquarters shortly after 11:30 p.m. primary night.
“Cars with Kim stickers were pulling up in front of polling places all day, discharging and picking up his voters.” Vallone said.
“He ran a clean, positive campaign and a great operation.”
