By Bill Parry
After stunning nine-term incumbent state Assemblywoman Margaret Markey in the Democratic primary, Woodside attorney Brian Barnwell claimed her seat in Albany with a convincing Election Night victory over Republican nominee Tony Nunziato. The 30-year-old political newcomer tried his best to be humble and low key during his victory party at O’Neill’s Pub in Maspeth.
“It’s a great feeling and it’s very rewarding and it’s an honor that the community has put their faith in me to fight for them,” Barnwell said. “I say it all the time — hard work pays off — and I was honored to have hundreds of volunteers work just as hard as me.”
Barnwell garnered nearly 63 percent of the vote to Nunziato’s nearly 23 percent Tuesday night after taking 67 percent against Markey in September. Barnwell and several observers said the key to his success in the Markey upset was shoe leather.
He attended community board and civic association meetings for more than a year in Woodside, Maspeth and Middle Village while handing out his personal cell phone number to 10,000 potential voters in the district while knocking on thousands of doors.
“Nobody will outwork me,” Barnwell said numerous times. On Election Day he was still barnstorming through much of the district. He said he remains friends with Nunziato after more than two months of protests outside the Maspeth Holiday Inn Express that the de Blasio administration wanted to convert into a homeless shelter, an ongoing issue that roiled many in the borough.
“I know he’ll continue to work hard for the community and I’ll work with anyone that wants to work hard for the community,” Barnwell said.
Nunziato, 59, led those protests as the chairman of the Maspeth-Middle Village Task Force. The self-described “man of commitment” has fought for his community of Maspeth for the last 30 years. The owner of the Enchanted Florist on Grand Avenue, Nunziato allowed his business to suffer many times as he helped lead the fight against the Cross Harbor Rail Tunnel that would have brought 6,000 trucks to Maspeth every day, he said, as well as the fight against a Home Depot at the location of the Elmhurst gas tanks 15 years ago, which is now the 6.8-acre Elmhurst Park.
On Wednesday, Nunziato lamented the losses by his Republican colleagues across the board in Queens.
“It wasn’t because of resumes, it wasn’t because of the person, it was because of the D coming after the name,” Nunziato said. “If you look at the chart, excluding Staten Island, in the other four boroughs 76 percent of the people voted Democrat, no matter who was running. I could’ve run Bozo the clown with no money and he’d still win as a Democrat. I’m not taking anything away from Brian, but that’s the reality. At least we have some new leadership and that’s great.”
Reach reporter Bill Parry by e-mail at bparr
