As polls close for the June 28 primary elections, results are beginning to trickle in.
Queens voters had the chance to vote for candidates running for governor, lieutenant governor, state assembly and judge of the civil circuit from 6 a.m. to 9 p.m. on June 28.
The primaries for congressional and state Senate races were delayed to Aug. 23 due to the New York State of Appeals striking down the proposed district maps earlier this year.
Low voter turnout was reported across the borough throughout the day.
Stephanie Chauncey, a Queensbridge resident and coordinator at the P.S. 78 voting site, said that she was alarmed by the lack of voting Tuesday and during the early voting period.
“This is your community. Have a voice,” Chauncey said. “Have a voice for your children, [and] for the seniors if you feel some type of way. We need to be out here — our lives depend on it.”
Western Queens is home to two of the more closely contested races in the borough.
After two incumbent Assembly members announced they would not be running again, western Queens is on the verge of a shakeup in state leadership.
In District 30, Assemblyman Brian Barnwell in April announced he would not be running again after holding state office for six years. Barnwell’s former chief of staff Steven Raga entered the Democratic primary race, with a left-leaning platform and endorsements from Congresswoman Grace Meng and Queens Borough President Donovan Richards, among others.
Raga ran his campaign on issues relating to housing discrimination and fighting for small businesses.
As of Wednesday morning, June 29, Raga held a commanding lead over Ramón Cando, a “common-sense” Democrat, having secured more than 70% of the votes, according to unofficial results from the city’s Board of Elections (BOE).
“While we await these final results, we wanted to express our extreme gratitude for all of our support. We are eternally grateful for the support we received from our community — without all of you, it would not have been possible,” Raga said on Twitter early Wednesday morning. “We want to thank every canvasser, phone banker, text banker, poll site volunteer, and team member for their hard work. It is an honor of a lifetime to be able to advocate for my community.”
We want to thank every canvasser, phone banker, text banker, poll site volunteer, and team member for their hard work. It is an honor of a lifetime to be able to advocate for my community.
— Assemblymember Steven Raga (@RagaForQueens) June 29, 2022
When the results are certified, Raga is primed to face off against Republican candidate Sean Lally, a petition carrier for Andrew Giuliani’s gubernatorial campaign, in the November general election.
District 37 Assemblywoman Cathy Nolan also announced she would not be running again after 38 years in office due to an ongoing battle with cancer.
The Democratic primary for Assembly District 37 had four candidates, including Juan Ardila, Brent O’Leary, Jim Magee and Johanna Carmona, vying for Nolan’s seat.
Carmona, a former Kings County district attorney, was endorsed by Nolan.
Meanwhile, Ardila has garnered many progressive endorsements, including Congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez. O’Leary is a longtime community organizer, while Magee is a private-practice attorney.
Ardila ended primary night with a comfortable lead, having secured more than 43% of the vote with 99% of scanners reported, according to the BOE’s unofficial tally.
Ardila had previously run for City Council last year, losing to incumbent Robert Holden. He ran his Assembly campaign on issues pertaining to climate justice, housing rights and gun control.
In a recent candidate forum held by the Ridgewood Property Owners & Civic Association, he was met with hostility from local landlords when answering questions saying he would work to protect renters’ rights. Despite him not seeming to be the favorable candidate in the forum, he won over the support of the rest of the district.
One District 37 voter told QNS he voted for Ardila because of his impressive endorsements and involvement in the community.
Ardila, the son of a Colombian father and Honduran-Cuban mother, currently works for the Legal Aid Society, helping to guarantee legal representation for all New Yorkers.
Among the other tight races throughout the borough were Districts 32 and 40.
Incumbents Vivian Cook (District 32) and Ron Kim (District 40) faced surprise challenges from Anthony Andrews and Kenneth Chiu, respectively. But both incumbents seem on track to secure the Democratic nominations for their districts.
Below is a list of who appeared on the ballot. QNS will update each race with the leading candidates as results become available from the BOE. Incumbents are listed in italics, some of whom are running unopposed and have already clinched either the Democratic or Republican nominations for the November general election.
Results are not official until they are certified by the BOE.
For more coverage on the races for governor and lieutenant governor, visit amNY.com and PoliticsNY.com.
Who’s on the ballot?
Governor: Kathy Hochul (D), Jumaane Williams (D), Thomas Suozzi (D), Paul Nichols (D); Lee Zeldin (R), Rob Astorino (R), Derrick Gibson (R), Andrew Giuliani (R), Harry Wilson (R)
On the Democratic side, the Associated Press called the race for Governor Kathy Hochul just after 9:35 p.m., winning her first test in a quest for her first full term in office.
Meanwhile, on the Republican side, Zeldin, of Long Island, defeated his three rivals for the party’s gubernatorial nomination.
Lieutenant Governor: Antonio Delgado (D), Ana Maria Archila (D), Diana Reyna (D)
Delgado — who only became lieutenant governor in June after being appointed to succeed the scandal-scarred former Lieutenant Governor Brian Benjamin — clinched the Democratic nominee.
Republicans did not have a contest for lieutenant governor.
23rd Assembly District (Candidates running unopposed): Stacey G. Pheffer Amato (D); Thomas Sullivan (R)
Amato and Sullivan are set to face off in the November general election.
24th Assembly District: Albert Baldeo (D), Mizanur R. Choudhury (D), David I. Weprin (D)
As of Wednesday morning, June 29, Weprin leads the Democratic primary with approximately 67% of the votes, with 98% of scanners reported.
25th Assembly District (Candidates running unopposed): Nily Rozic (D); Seth Breland (R)
Rozic and Breland are set to face off in the November general election.
26th Assembly District (Candidates running unopposed): Edward Braunstein (D); Robert Speranza (R)
Braunstein and Speranza are set to face off in the November general election.
27th Assembly District (Candidates running unopposed): Daniel Rosenthal (D); Angelo King (R)
Rosenthal and King are set to face off in the November general election.
28th Assembly District: Ethan M. Felder (D), Andrew D. Hevesi (D); Michael Conigliaro (R)
As of Wednesday morning, June 29, Hevesi leads the Democratic primary with nearly 69% of the votes, with 99% of scanners reported. The winner will face Conigliaro in the November general election.
29th Assembly District: Alicia L. Hyndman (D), Everly D. Brown (D)
As of Wednesday morning, June 29, Hyndman leads the Democratic primary with nearly 80% of the votes, with 99% of scanners reported.
30th Assembly District: Steven B. Raga (D), Ramon P. Cando (D); Sean Lally (R)
As of Wednesday morning, June 29, Raga leads the Democratic primary with nearly 71% of the votes, with 93% of scanners reported.
31st Assembly District (Candidate running unopposed): Khaleel Anderson (D)
Anderson does not currently have an opponent for the November general election.
32nd Assembly District: Anthony D. Andrews Jr. (D), Vivian E. Cook (D); Marilyn Miller (R)
As of Wednesday morning, June 29, Cook leads the Democratic primary with more than 56% of the votes, with 97% of scanners reported. The winner will face Miller in the November general election.
33rd Assembly District: Clyde Vanel (D), Oster Bryan (D)
As of Wednesday morning, June 29, Vanel leads the Democratic primary with more than 86% of the votes, with 92% of scanners reported.
34th Assembly District (Candidates running unopposed): Jessica González-Rojas (D)
González-Rojas does not currently have an opponent for the November general election.
35th Assembly District: Jeffrion L. Aubry (D), Hiram Monserrate (D)
As of Wednesday morning, June 29, Aubry leads the Democratic primary with more than 61% of the votes, with nearly 98% of scanners reported.
36th Assembly District (Candidates running unopposed): Zohran Kwame Mamdani (D)
Mamdani currently does not have an opponent for the November general election.
37th Assembly District: Juan Ardila (D), Brent O’Leary (D), Jim Magee (D), Johanna Carmona (D)
As of Wednesday morning, June 29, Ardila leads the Democratic primary with more than 43% of the votes, with 99% of scanners reported. O’Leary trails with 26% of the votes, followed by Carmona with nearly 20% of the votes.
38th Assembly District (Candidates running unopposed): Jenifer Rajkumar (D)
Rajkumar currently does not have an opponent for the November general election.
39th Assembly District (Candidates running unopposed): Catalina Cruz (D)
Cruz currently does not have an opponent for the November general election.
40th Assembly District: Ron Kim (D), Kenneth Chiu (D); Sharon Liao (R)
As of Wednesday morning, June 29, Kim leads the Democratic primary with more than 53% of the votes, with 92% of scanners reported, but Chiu is right behind him. Less than 300 votes separated the two candidates. The winner will face Liao in the November general election.
Judge of the Civil Court: Karen Lin, Devian Daniels, Maria T. Gonzalez, Thomas Medardo Oliva
As of Wednesday morning, June 29, Lin and Gonzalez are primed to fill the two civil court vacancies. Lin leads with nearly 40% of the vote, with 97% of scanners reported. Gonzalez is currently in second with 24.39% of the votes.
Additional reporting by Julia Moro and Paul Frangipane.
This story was updated at 7:20 a.m. on Wednesday morning, June 29.
