District 23 goes for Goldfeder

Close to 11:15 p.m. — and with half of the precincts reporting their election numbers — former Assemblymember Audrey Pheffer gathered Phil Goldfeder’s supporters together in the center of the Old Mill Yacht Club.
“Now, don’t scream too loudly,” said Pheffer, who was visibly excited about the Associated Press calling the 23rd Assembly District for Goldfeder over former NYPD officer and Republican candidate Jane Deacy. Though the race tightened in the early morning hours, Goldfeder won by a considerable margin; 8,022 votes to Deacy’s 6,728. When Goldfeder arrived at his victory party in Howard Beach with his wife, Esther, he was greeted by the people he says he couldn’t have won without.
“A few months ago, people approached me about running and told me they were going to rely on me,” said Goldfeder. “I said, ‘That’s great, because I’m going to rely on you.’ You all delivered for me, and I’m going to deliver for you.”
Key endorsements from Senator Charles Schumer, police officers and firefighters and the United Federation of Teachers, coupled with three times the amount of campaign funds raised, gave Goldfeder a big push into Tuesday’s Special Election for the 23rd Assembly seat. Pheffer, who resigned to be the Queens County Clerk, spent the evening tabulating votes at the Old Mill Yacht Club but stopped when she saw the results online.
“We all know he’s going to make a superb assemblymember,” said Pheffer.
Goldfeder’s previous experience includes working for Mayor Michael Bloomberg and Schumer. State Senator Joe Addabbo says that his positive campaign focusing on issues like his vision for schools, hospital closures in Rockaway and making sure government keeps its commitments to public safety personnel put him over the top.
“This is only the beginning,” said Goldfeder. “We are not celebrating and going to take a rest. We’re getting to work. . . This is going to continue to be a great partnership of quality and accessible government for everybody in the district.”