By Phil Corso
It was a successful Election Day for Queens incumbents running for re-election in the state Assembly Tuesday, with results showing no upsets in the borough and two new faces earning a trip to Albany.
Four of the six Assembly races in Queens included incumbents looking to maintain their seats. All four were successful, including Assemblywomen Margaret Markey (D-Maspeth), Barbara Clark (D-Queens Village), Aravella Simotas (D-Astoria) and Catherine Nolan (D-Ridgewood).
In the remaining two races, the Assembly will welcome two new faces from Queens: Nily Rozic, of Fresh Meadows, and Ron Kim, of Flushing.
Rozic received more than 67 percent of the vote to beat out opponents Abe Fuchs, a Republican who received 25 percent, Independent Jerry Iannece, who received nearly 5 percent, and Conservative William Garifal Jr., who received nearly 3 percent, according to unofficial NY 1 results. She will replace Assemblyman Rory Lancman (D-Fresh Meadows), who opted not to seek re-election after a failed run for Congress in June’s Democratic primary.
In Flushing’s newly drawn 40th District, Democratic, Working Families and Independence candidate Ron Kim beat Republican Philip Gim with 66 percent of the votes against his opponent’s 34 percent, according to unofficial NY 1 results. Kim campaigned largely on promoting small business growth and education in the district.
Markey, who bested Republican and Conservative candidate Anthony Nunziato in central Queens’ 30th District rematch by a margin of nearly 64 percent to about 36 percent, has signed onto several bills throughout her more than 10 years in Albany, including one that sought to address sexual abuse in private schools.
In 2010, Markey also beat Nunziato in the same race, with 9,745 Democratic votes against her opponent’s 5,029 on the Republican line, 439 on the Independence line and 768 on the Conservative line, according to the city Board of Elections.
In the 33rd Assembly District, which includes parts of southern Queens near Cambria Heights, Clark held onto her seat in the against More Jobs Party candidate Clyde Vanel. According to unofficial results, Clark received more than 95 percent of the vote.
Clark was first elected to the Assembly in 1986 and had already beaten Vanel in the Sept. 13 Democratic primary, campaigning on her experience against his pro-business platform.
As for northwest Queens, including most of Astoria, Simotas kept her seat as Assemblywoman for the 36th District against Republican challenger Julia Haich, of Astoria, with more than 82 percent of the vote, according to unofficial NY 1 results.
The Greek-American Simotas said she has focused her efforts in Albany on revitalizing the state’s economy and strengthening the criminal justice system.
As for the 37th District, which includes Sunnyside, Woodside, Astoria, Maspeth, Queensbridge, Long Island City and Ridgewood, Nolan defended her seat against Republican challenger John Kevin Wilson with more than 85 percent of the vote.
Nolan was first elected to Albany in 1984 and has served as chairwoman of the Assembly Standing Committee on Education since 2006.
Reach reporter Phil Corso by e-mail at pcorso@cnglocal.com or by phone at 718-260-4573.
