With only 10 weeks to go until the citywide Democratic primary election on June 22, former Councilwoman Elizabeth Crowley announced that she is again throwing her hat into the race for Queens borough president.
Joined by supporters, including her two sons, Dennis and Owen, and former Congresswoman Elizabeth Holtzman, Crowley declared her candidacy on the steps of the Queens Public Library in Flushing on Wednesday, April 14.
It’s Crowley’s second run for borough president. The former Queens councilwoman finished a close second to Donovan Richards in last year’s primary for the special election for borough president, a seat vacated by Melinda Katz, who now serves as Queens district attorney.
Democratic District Leader Martha Flores-Vazquez said that Crowley’s independent voice and diverse mind are needed in a community that has experienced a steady rise in hate crimes.
“We need someone that’s compassionate. We need someone who cares and understands the needs of the community. So for that reason, Elizabeth, you have my endorsement. She’s going to be the Queen of Queens,” Flores-Vazquez declared.
Tenant Association President Doris Mclaughlin explained why she supports Crowley for president of the “World’s Borough.”
During the height of the pandemic, senior tenants in NYCHA housing in Far Rockaway reported that brown water came from the faucets. Mclaughlin praised Crowley, who came to their aid with a truck full of water and PPE after they said they unsuccessfully tried to get the attention from then-city Councilman Donavan Richards.
“This is how we met Elizabeth Crowley. She did not stop because of the pandemic,” Mclaughlin said.
“And we know that she’s going to stand with us. We don’t have to worry about having developers in her pocket because Elizabeth Crowley is a fighter. She does not have nobody in her pocket but her children, her family and her community. Queens is in Elizabeth’s pocket,” Mclaughlin declared.
Holtzman reminded everyone that Crowley successfully fought gender discrimination in the FDNY.
“Nobody had ever paid attention to them. Elizabeth Crowley heard the problem. And she was like a bulldog. She didn’t give up,” the first female comptroller in New York City said.
Holtzman declared that she was proud to endorse Crowley.
“There are very few people like Elizabeth Crowley, who stand up for what’s right no matter what and who actually can make changes and make a difference, and who have the interests of the people at heart. She’s a compassionate, strong, wonderful person.”
Crowley, a former restorative painter, was born and raised in Queens and is the 14th of 15 children, and lives in Glendale with her family.
She promised that she will fight to ensure that Queens receives the services and funding that its families and businesses urgently need.
She vowed to address rising crime and threats to the borough’s schools and shared an optimistic vision for a path not just to recover from the pandemic but to emerge stronger than ever.
“Our borough was facing crises on many fronts even prior to the pandemic,” she said. “The status quo isn’t enough. I will fight for the families of Queens. I have the experience to do so.”
Crowley said her top priorities as borough presidents include a COVID recovery that prioritizes the needs of working families and small businesses; fighting for resources to keep streets safe and free from hate crimes; small class sizes, and the protection of gifted and talented school programs; the largest expansion of public transit in recent history and free busing throughout the borough; and assistance for tenants who have been struggling to make ends meet.
“I have lived my entire life in Queens, and I raised a family here as a single parent. I know all of the neighborhoods in Queens, and I have always put the needs of Queens’ families first,” Crowley said.
