Wills wins in a landslide

In a landslide victory, Ruben Wills retained his seat representing District 28 in the New York City Council.
The councilmember won the September 13 election by receiving 67 percent of the vote, or 2,810 total votes.
Wills was elected to the council last November, after his predecessor, Councilmember Thomas White, passed away. He will continue to serve southeast Queens, which encompasses south Jamaica, south Ozone Park and Richmond Hill.
Wills’ closest competitor was Allan Jennings, who received 17 percent of the vote. Jennings represented the district from 2002 to 2006, but was censored by the council due to allegations that he sexually harassed two female staffers in 2005.
Michael Duvalle finished in third place with 11 percent of the vote, and Clifton Stanley Diaz rounded out the election with 6 percent.
In total, 4,222 voters cast their ballots to decide which candidate would represent District 28, and the people’s choice was evident.
“Today’s victory sends a clear message that we are a community that will stick together,” said Wills, who was highly critical of Jennings’ campaign tactics, particularly those targeting his wife Marcia and daughter Jolisa. “The residents of this district agree with me that we must stand united against negative campaigning that tears apart our families.”
Despite Wills’ lopsided victory, his opponents are not yet convinced he is the right man for the job. Duvalle cited the councilmember’s upcoming misdemeanor trial on charges of petty larceny as an indication that his character is not strong enough to serve the district.
“Unfortunately, Ruben Wills is back,” said Duvalle, a former owner of Rapid Security Force. “But I think there will be another special election, because I believe that more than likely he will be indicted, found guilty, censored and kicked out of the council. He already admitted to breaking and entering. With the kind of record he has, I wouldn’t even hire him to be a security guard in my company. I’m very disappointed for the people of the district.”
Duvalle also said his campaign plans to impound voting machines in order to perform a recount. While he still does not expect to win, Duvalle hopes to highlight the weaknesses of the current voting system.
Although his opponents doubt him, Wills is confident he can improve the lives of his constituents during his time in office.
“I am eager to get to work on some of the issues that are important to my residents,” the councilmember said. “Together, we will build a stronger District 28.”