Barry Grodenchik wins Democratic primary for City Council District 23

Updated Thurs. Sept. 11 1:24 p.m.

Barry Grodenchik won the Democratic primary Thursday night for the 23rd City Council District, with a total of 1,856 of the 6,730 votes cast, according to unofficial Board of Election tallies.

“It feels a little surreal,” Grodenchik said. “It’s been four months of very hard work, of not seeing my family, of walking to doors with my son and my wife, and so it does feel a little surreal.”

Our civic and sacred duty to hold onto hope

Talk It OUT: LGBTQ Voices In A Queer Election Year

Bob Friedrich, Rebecca Lynch, Ali Najmi, Celia Dosamantes and Satnam Singh Parhar also ran in the race for the Democratic nomination.

According to preliminary results, they respectively received 1,554 votes, 1,352 votes, 653 votes, 265 votes and 1,050 votes.

“It was an unbelievable race,” Friedrich said, adding that he had an uphill battle to run against Grodenchik, who had the support of heavy-hitting Democrats such as Borough President Melinda Katz and former District 23 Councilman Mark Weprin. “If somebody else had to win this race, I actually am glad that it is Barry, because Barry is a very reasonable guy.”

Weprin and his brother, Assemblyman David Weprin of District 24, were among the many supporters in Grodenchik’s campaign celebration at Taste of Cochin, an Indian eatery on Union Turnpike.

“Barry has had experience representing diverse communities, he also worked for the borough president in the most diverse county in the world,” Weprin said.

Grodenchik will now face off on Nov. 3 against former NYPD Captain Joe Concannon, the sole Republican candidate in the race.

The candidates were looking to fill the seat that Weprin vacated in June to become Gov. Andrew Cuomo’s deputy secretary of legislative affairs.

The district contains all or parts of Bayside Hills, Bellerose, Douglaston, Floral Park, Fresh Meadows, Glen Oaks, Hollis, Little Neck, New Hyde Park, Oakland Gardens and Queens Village.

RECOMMENDED STORIES