By Bill Parry
U.S. Rep Joe Crowley (D-Jackson Heights) will seek re-election for an eigth time in the 14th Congressional District that covers large sections of Queens and the Bronx this year.
Only one person will challenge him in the general election in November, according to the city Board of Election.
As vice chairman of the Democratic Caucus, Crowley holds the fifth-highest ranking position in House Democratic leadership.
His seat on the prestigious House Ways and Means Committee enables Crowley to work directly on issues of importance to the residents of the 14th District. The Woodside native and Queens College graduate believes in keeping Medicare and Social Security strong, improving health care for all Americans and creating equitable tax codes for American families and small businesses.
“Enacting an agenda that reflects the values of my constituents and moves our country forward is my top priority,” Crowley said. “Not only am I committed to raising the minimum wage and fighting hard to make immigration reform a reality, but I am working hard on the issues that matter most in our district. That is why I’ve introduced legislation to improve pedestrian safety, ensure our quality of life and help put New Yorkers back to work.”
Crowley’s efforts in Congress focus on building strong communities, protecting seniors’ hard-earned benefits and opening up educational opportunities for working families.
Elizabeth Perri, a Conservative from the Bronx, will oppose Crowley in the fall. She fell short as a candidate for state Senate District 34 in 2012, losing to Jeffrey Klein in the general election.
In 2013, Perri received 8 percent of the vote in last November’s race for Bronx borough president. Ruben Diaz Jr. won easily with more than 89 percent of the vote.
Perri is a district leader and community activist involved in schools.
“I’m in this because my chairman asked me to run,” Perri said of Bill Newmark, the Bronx Conservative Party chairman, said.
“I think Joe Crowley has become a rubber stamp for the policies of the Obama administration,” Perri said. “I was raised with old-fashioned conservative values and I’ve lived here for 38 years, and raising two sons, frankly I don’t like what I see around here.”
Perri, who works in an accounts payable and accounts receivable department at a Manhattan plumbing firm, said, “I am in this race to the finish as long as my chairman backs me.”
Reach reporter Bill Parry by e-mail at bparry@cnglocal.com or by phone at 718.260.4538.
