Taps Halloran For Sixth District Seat
City Council Member Daniel Halloran of Bayside announced on Monday, Mar. 26, his candidacy for the new and open Sixth Congressional District in central Queens after receiving the endorsement of the Queens County Republican Party over the weekend.
Halloran’s entry into the race came days after three Democrats- City Council Member Elizabeth Crowley of Glendale, Assemblyman Rory Lancman of Fresh Meadows and Assemblywoman Grace Meng- threw their hats into the ring for the seat after Rep. Gary Ackerman, who had been expected to seek re-election in the new district, decided instead to retire.
During their meeting last Saturday, Mar. 24, the Queens GOP’s executive committee formally announced their support of Halloran, the only Republican mentioned in previously published reports as considering a run for the office.
Though Crowley, Lancman and Meng will be heading to a primary for the Democratic nomination, the Queens GOP stated that its leaders “from throughout the district quickly gathered to voice their unanimous endorsement of Halloran to be” their official candidate.
“The new NY-6 is nestled entirely within our county and covers large areas where middle class voters and homeowners live, with a history of voting Republican,” said Queens GOP Chair Phil Ragusa, who called Halloran “a proven vote getter and a strong voice for taxpayers, small businesses and seniors.”
“I am running for Congress because the president and the Democrats’ policies have failed, and New Yorkers need a new voice,” Halloran said at his official announcement in Flushing on Monday, Mar. 26. “I will work to create jobs and grow small businesses. I will fight for energy independence so our middle-class families pay less for gas at the pump. And I will steadfastly defend Israel, our nation’s most vital ally. Our middle class, our American values, and our national security are at stake.”
The new Sixth Congressional District seat covers Ridgewood, Glendale, Maspeth, Middle Village, Rego Park, Forest Hills, Elmhurst, Kew Gardens and a host of communities in northeastern and north-central Queens.
Many of these neighborhoods are in the current Ninth Congressional District represented by Bob Turner, which is one of the two New York districts being eliminated due to reapportionment.
Turner is one of three Republicans seeking the party’s nomination in the June 26 primary to challenge incumbent Democratic Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand. Nassau County Comptroller George Maragos and Manhattan attorney Wendy Long are the other two Republican hopefuls in the statewide contest.
In the wake of Ackerman’s retirement announcement, Lancman- who previously withdrew his bid in deference to Ackerman-re-entered the race. The Queens County Democratic Party, however, endorsed Meng as their official candidate last Monday. Crowley then joined the contest for the Democratic nomination with an official announcement last Thursday, Mar. 22.
Registered Democratic voters in the new Sixth Congressional District will choose between Crowley, Lancman and Meng in the June 26 primary, with the winner moving on to face Halloran in the November general election.
For voting information, visit www.vote.nyc.ny.us or call 1-212- VOTE-NYC.
