The primary election for City Council in District 28 will look markedly different from nearly all other primary races in Queens this June – there will only be one Democrat and one Republican on the ballot.
Whereas most City Council members will be term-limited out of office this year, this race is also one of only a few to feature the incumbent.
Adrienne Adams, a Democrat, has represented the district, which is made up of parts of Jamaica, Richmond Hill, Rochdale Village and South Ozone Park, since 2017.
Ivan Mossop Jr. is running unchallenged in the Republican primary, as he did in 2017.
Come November, the district is likely to see a repeat of the general election in 2017, when Adams beat out Mossop, getting over 86 percent of the vote to the Republican’s 5.3 percent.
QNS sent five questions to both candidates running for the District 28 City Council seat. See their responses, listed alphabetically, below.
Adrienne Adams
QNS: What, in your opinion, are the top three most pressing issues in your district?
Adams: Amid a severe budget shortfall, the administration was unwilling to maintain investments and protections where they were most needed. As a member of the Budget Negotiating Team, I fought to secure the largest financial allotment for my district in the entire New York City Council. Struggling amidst the onslaught of COVID-19 while grieving the unexpected loss of my father due to the pandemic, I was able to fund top issues in District 28 including: securing programming and services to seniors and providing supportive services for victims of domestic violence and domestic assault. I also provided small business and MWBE protection as well as education capital and expense resources for our youth. Although this is a difficult time, I am committed to doing even more to address the fiscal crisis by cutting government waste to prevent layoffs, build more safe and stable housing, and rebuilding our City’s economy and social safety net during the post-COVID recovery.
QNS: What aspect of your background speaks best to your abilities as a City Council member?
Adams: I was elected to the City Council in my third term as Chairperson of Community Board 12, the second largest community board in the borough of Queens. In that role, I was tasked with representing the welfare and interests of my neighborhood, communicating those needs to elected officials and shaping the priorities of 3 districts for city budget funding. I am a former member of the Board of Trustees of the Queens Borough Public Library, one of the largest library systems in the United States – appointed by then Queens Borough President, Melinda Katz. Additionally, in 2014 I was appointed to Governor Andrew Cuomo’s Local Planning Committee for the Jamaica Downtown Revitalization Initiative, which provided a $10 million dollar award for neighborhood transformation, helping support several projects to advance the community’s vision of vibrancy and economic stability. Around the same time, I am also former Co-chair of the Jamaica Now Leadership Council, a diverse group of stakeholders who provided oversight of the revitalization and economic development of the downtown Jamaica core, which encompassed over $150 million dollars in funding. The JNLC had oversight of the plan that outlined strategic actions in workforce and business development, education, health and wellness, public safety, youth development, housing, transportation, and urban design improvements for the revitalization and growth of Jamaica, Queens. My experiences on the community board and involvement in other organizations have greatly impacted my tenure in the City Council and I have focused my efforts on funding my local schools and an unprecedented number of community groups that have never received government support from any other Council Member for District 28.
QNS: What do you love most about your district?
Adams: What I love most about my District is its rich history, diversity, languages and cultures represented. District 28 is home to great cuisine, vibrant parks, colorful architecture and a legacy of ethnic beauty.
QNS: Which one of your opponents will you be ranking second on your ballot and why?
Adams: I have worked diligently to fight for more COVID testing and vaccination sites, allocated millions of dollars in city council funding back into the district and directed capital funding into renovating schools, playgrounds and senior centers. I believe the voter should decide who their second choice will be.
QNS: With the demand for more equity in the education system, how can District 28 better integrate schools? How do you plan to use your position to advocate for youth in the education system and beyond graduation?
Adams: The objective should be to turn our schools into centers of educational excellence, which would attract students from all over the city to enroll in the district’s schools. I have worked to ensure fair district funding for my deserving underserved schools, which is step 1 to building equity and creating educational excellence. As Council Member for the district, I am co-sponsor of proposed legislation to establish free citywide WiFi as a step to ending the digital divide in our public schools. By upgrading technology, students will be better equipped to enter the modern workforce that awaits them upon graduation.
Ivan Mossop Jr.
QNS: What, in your opinion, are the top three most pressing issues in your district?
Mossop: According to the responses I provided to the CFB, what is the #1 issue you would address if elected? Over Taxation with Under Representation! What is the #2 issue you would address if elected? Drain the MTA Swamp! What is the #3 issue you would address if elected?
Civic Action!!!
QNS: What aspect of your background speaks best to your abilities as a City Council member?
Mossop: What every elected official should know if nothing else is Taxation and Elections! I qualify on both counts. 40 years as a Tax Professional with an MBA in Taxation from Baruch College, 16 years US Treasury Licensed Enrolled Agent 20 years experience as a per diem Queens Board of Elections Poll Worker serving as a Table Inspector, Site Coordinator, Assembly District Monitor and Assistant Trainer of other poll workers.
QNS: What do you love most about your district?
Mossop: The various parks and historic sites including Baisley Park, Rufus King Park, JFK Airport, Roy Wilkins Park, The Black Spectrum Theater, the African Poetry Theater, Rufus King Manor, Historic Grace Episcopal Church and Cemetery, First Presbyterian Church in Jamaica, The Jamaica Performing Arts Center, York College, Rochdale Village, Inc., etc.
QNS: Which one of your opponents will you be ranking second on your ballot and why?
Mossop: I am unopposed and as such don’t expect to have a Republican Primary. However, I am encouraging moderate to right leaning Democrats to write my name in should there be a Democratic Party Primary.
QNS: With the demand for more equity in the education system, how can District 28 better integrate schools? How do you plan to use your position to advocate for youth in the education system and beyond graduation?
Mossop: Over Taxation with Under Representation hinders our community from having the resources it requires to uplift our students let alone attract students from other communities to clamor for our educational services. I hold Scott Stringer and Mayor DeBlasio especially responsible. I will be an advocate for getting our fair share of government services for the taxes we pay. Something that our current elected officials have for too far long failed to do!
