By Joe Anuta
District 22
Astoria, Ravenswood, Steinway
Costa Constantinides won the Democratic primary for Astoria’s open City Council seat Tuesday and will advance to November’s general election.
“It’s been amazing. I’m excited about the turnout,” he said Tuesday while pounding the pavement before the polls closed.
The party-backed Constantinides netted 55.8 percent of the vote in the Democratic Primary against Gus Prentzas, who got 22.1 percent and John Ciafone, who garnered 22.1 percent, according to the Associated Press with 96 percent of the precincts reporting.
Constantinides will now go on to face Independent Danielle De Stefano, Republican Daniel Peterson and Green Party candidate Lynn Serpe in the November general election, though writer Gerald Kann had also been gathering signatures to get on the ballot to replace City Councilman Peter Vallone Jr. (D-Astoria).
Ourania Theoharakis said she voted for Constantinides because he was involved in schools.
“I’ve got five grandchildren,” she said.
At one point Tuesday Constantinides was seen in Astoria campaigning with state Sen. Michael Gianaris (D-Astoria) and state Assemblywoman Aravella Simotas (D-Astoria), who both endorsed his campaign.
The neighborhood was a tricky place for endorsements, however, showcasing the delicate balance lawmakers must keep between political alliances.
Gianaris and Simotas are both part of the Queens Democratic Party, which backed Constantinides.
But in the race for borough president, where Vallone lost to former City Councilwoman Melinda Katz, the two state lawmakers bucked the party’s pick.
The Dems backed Katz, but Gianaris and Simotas backed Vallone, probably because the lawmaker is so widely known in their overlapping districts.
Indeed, many voters interviewed by TimesLedger Tuesday said they pulled the level for Vallone in the borough president’s race.
But his popularity did not trickle down to the City Council candidate he was most closely affiliated with before Constantinides’ victory.
Vallone did not endorse any Astoria candidates, but he appeared on at least one piece of mail sent out by Prentzas, which was also handed out by the Prentzas team Tuesday. On several street corners near polling sites, Vallone and Prentzas posters could be seen stapled to the same wooden posts, and a campaign worker wore a shirt indicating that Prentzas was the only candidate to endorse Vallone for borough president.
But the lawmaker’s unofficial support was not enough to bump Prentzas up in the polls, and Constantinides walked away with the win.
Reach reporter Joe Anuta by e-mail at januta@cnglocal.com or by phone at 718-260-4566.
