Queens Borough President Melinda Katz may be down in the Queens district attorney, but not out for the count.
The Board of Elections (BOE) reported that Katz received 32,724 votes (38.30 percent) while DA candidate Tiffany Cabán received 33,814 votes (39.57 percent). The borough president said that the race was not over until all votes were counted.
“We always knew this was gonna be tough, folks, ’cause if it wasn’t tough, it wouldn’t be a race,” Katz said to her supporters at Banter Irish Bar in Forest Hills. “I want everyone to know right here, we are doing a recount and God willing, I’ll come out on top.”
The late Richard A. Brown served as the Queens DA for 28 years and this was the first election to fill his post in nearly three decades. After a vote recount, the primary winner qualifies for the Nov. 5 general election against Republican candidate Daniel Kogan.
Congressman Gregory Meeks, the chairman of the Queens County Democrats echoed Katz’s sentiments about a revote.
“This thing ain’t over, folks. There’s a wonderful thing about a democracy: you have to count every vote,” Meeks said. “And we are so happy and so thankful to have all of you in this room because every vote will be counted.”
Katz’s platforms during her campaign included putting an end to cash bail, creating a conviction integrity unit and closing Rikers Island. Though she voted against the mayor’s plan for borough-based jails, Katz said that more community involvement and planning were necessary to create a more humane and dignified facility.
BOE reported that former Judge Gregory Lasak received 12,377 (14.49 percent) of the borough’s votes. Mina Malik, Jose Nieves and Betty Lugo received 3310 (3.87 percent), 1075 (1.26 percent) and 921 (1.08 percent) respectively.
