While more than 175,600 absentee ballots in Queens have yet to be counted, most of Tuesday’s primary races are beginning to take shape.
Several challengers have an advantage over incumbents following Tuesday’s election, including Jessica Gonzalez-Rojas in the 34th Assembly District and Jenifer Rajkumar in the 38th Assembly District.
Across Queens, races are tight, with no way to declare victory until absentee ballots are counted.
The Board of Elections will begin to tabulate absentee ballots on June 30. About 50 percent of all votes have been counted.
Voters were encouraged to vote by absentee ballot because of the COVID-19 pandemic and about half of those who cast a ballot this election cycle, took the Board of Elections up on the offer.
Here’s where Queens’ Democratic primary races stand following Tuesday’s in-person voting.
Queens borough president (96.53 percent of scanners reported)
Councilman Donovan Richards was in the lead Wednesday, holding a little over 37 percent of the vote. Former Councilwoman Elizabeth Crowley held second place most of the night Tuesday, finishing with about 28 percent of the votes counted by Wednesday morning.
Councilman Costa Constantinides and retired NYPD Sergeant Anthony Miranda gathered about 15 percent of the counted votes each and businessman Dao Yin got a little over 5,000 votes for about 5 percent of the total.
Third Congressional District (99 percent of scanners reported)
Incumbent Thomas Suozzi received just over 55 percent of the vote on Tuesday. Challenger Melanie D’Arrigo received a little over 31 percent of the votes tallied.
Fifth Congressional District (98.61 percent of scanners reported)
Eleven-term Congressman Gregory Meeks received over 78 percent of the vote Tuesday, showing a strong performance against challenger Shaniyat Chowdhury, who received a little over 21 percent of the votes counted.
Sixth Congressional District (98.37 percent of scanners reported)
Congresswoman Grace Meng appears to be heading back to Washington as she won nearly 61 percent of the vote on Tuesday. Challenger Melquiades Gagarin holds 21 percent of the votes tallied.
Seventh Congressional District (98.33 percent of scanners reported)
Incumbent Nydia Velazquez beat out challenger Paperboy Love Prince on Tuesday, receiving nearly 80 percent of the votes counted.
12th Congressional District (97.68 percent of scanners reported)
Longtime Congresswoman Carolyn Maloney held a narrow lead over challenger Suraj Patel Wednesday morning. Patel gave a strong showing in 2018, when he challenged the congresswoman for the first time. The incumbent received a little over 41 percent of the vote on Tuesday, while Patel received nearly 40 percent of the votes counted.
Maloney’s two other challengers, Lauren Ashcraft and Peter Harrison, finished third and fourth in the race, respectively. Ashcraft got about 13 percent of the vote and about 5 percent of voters went with Harrison.
14th Congressional District (96.21 percent of scanners reported)
Voters in the 14th Congressional District showed up for Congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, who received a little over 72 percent of the vote. Her biggest challenger, Michelle Caruso-Cabrera, got a little less than 20 percent of Tuesday’s votes.
12th State Senatorial District (99 percent of scanners reported)
Incumbent Michael Gianaris bested his challenger Iggy Terranova Tuesday, receiving nearly 74 percent of the votes.
13th State Senatorial District (93.20 percent of scanners reported)
State Senator Jessica Ramos had a decisive lead over challenger Diana Sanchez Tuesday. The incumbent received over 84 percent of the votes counted.
24th Assembly District (98.63 percent of scanners reported)
Incumbent David Weprin beat out progressive challenger Mahfuzul Islam Tuesday, receiving over 46 percent of the vote. Islam garnered support from about 30 percent of the electorate and Albert Baldeo received about 24 percent of the votes counted.
31st Assembly District (99 percent of scanners reported)
In one of the more crowded Queens races, Khaleel Anderson holds a narrow lead over his five opponents.
Anderson received 38 percent of the vote; Richard David received nearly 28 percent; Lisa George garnered 18 percent of the votes; Shea Uzoigwe got 7 percent of the vote; and Derrick Deflorimonte and Tavie Blakley received less than 5 percent of the vote each.
33rd Assembly District (99 percent of scanners reported)
Incumbent Clyde Vanel won Tuesday’s vote count handily over challenger Oster Bryan. Vanel received 86 percent of votes counted to Bryan’s 13 percent.
34th Assembly District (99 percent of scanners reported)
Jessica Gonzalez-Rojas holds a commanding lead in the 34 Assembly District following Tuesday’s vote, one of the few Queens races where the incumbent was clearly bested.
Gonzalez-Rojas holds over 40 percent of the vote while incumbent Michael DenDekker holds about 23 percent of the votes counted. Joy Chowdhury received about 15 percent of the vote, Nuala O’Doherty-Naranjo received about 14 percent of the vote and Angel Cruz got about 8 percent of the votes counted.
35th Assembly District (99 percent of scanners reported)
With about 65 percent of the vote, incumbent Jeffrion Aubry held a commanding lead heading into Wednesday morning. Hiram Monserrate, a former state Senator who pleaded guilty to federal corruption charges, received nearly 35 percent of votes counted.
36th Assembly District (91.30 percent of scanners reported)
One of the most interesting races Tuesday comes out of northwest Queens. DSA-backed candidate Zohran Kwame Mamdani held a narrow lead over incumbent Aravella Simotas Wednesday morning.
Mamdani received nearly 54 percent of votes counted, compared to the 46 percent that went to Simotas.
To make matters more interesting, more voters in the 36th Assembly District requested absentee ballots than voters in any other Queens district.
37th Assembly District (95.59 percent of scanners reported)
Incumbent Cathy Nolan held the lead over challengers Mary Jobida and Danielle Brecker Wednesday morning. Nolan received 52 percent of votes, Jobida received 33 percent and Brecker received about 15 percent of the votes counted.
38th Assembly District (99 percent of scanners reported)
Upstart challenger Jenifer Rajkumar bested incumbent Michael Miller, who was also almost beat out by a second challenger, Joseph de Jesus, on Tuesday.
Rajkumar got 52 percent of the votes counted, de Jesus received nearly 22 percent of the vote and Miller received about 26 percent of the votes counted.
39th Assembly District (92.11 percent of scanners reported)
Incumbent Catalina Cruz holds a strong lead over challenger Ramon Ramirez following Tuesday’s in-person voting. Cruz received nearly 84 percent of the vote.
40th Assembly District (96.88 percent of scanners reported)
Incumbent Ron Kim bested challenger Steven Lee in what became a contentious battle between campaigns late in the race. Kim received nearly 70 percent of the vote while Lee received about 30 percent of the votes counted.
Judge of the Civil Court (96.53 percent of scanners reported)
As of Wednesday morning, Jessica Earle-Gargan held a commanding lead over opponent John J. Ciafone. Earle-Gargan received about 72 percent of the votes counted Tuesday.
