With less than six weeks to go until early voting gets underway for the Democratic primary, Queens District Attorney Melinda Katz continues to gain endorsements for her re-election campaign.
On May 1, Katz secured support from the NYPD Lieutenants Benevolent Association, the Uniformed Firefighter Association, and the Uniformed Sanitationmen’s Association.
“The NYPD Lieutenants Benevolent Association was proud to endorse Melinda Katz when she successfully ran for Queens District Attorney in 2019,” LBA President Lou Turco said. “District Attorney Katz has proven herself to be receptive to the concerns of law enforcement and an advocate of law and order in Queens County. The NYPD Lieutenants Benevolent Association is proud to endorse Melinda Katz for re-election as the District Attorney of Queens County.”
The new round of endorsements comes just days after the DA launched her Flushing Merchants Business Improvement Program to enhance safety for retailers and shoppers by discouraging unwanted activity in and around local stores.
“District Attorney Melinda Katz has done a fantastic job keeping the residents of Queens safe and making sure our members are protected at home and at work,” said Andrew Ansbro, President of the Uniformed Firefighters Association. “Our members are proud to endorse DA Katz for another four years in the District Attorney’s office, and we look forward to helping her get back to doing what she does best – serving the residents of New York.”
In recent weeks, Katz landed the support of SEIU 32BJ, 1199SEIU, the Retail, Wholesale, and Department Store Union (RWDSU), the New York City Building and Construction Trades Council, and many others.
“The Uniformed Sanitationmen’s Association, Local 831, International Brotherhood of Teamsters, the more than 6,500 active and more than 9,000 retired members of our union are proud to endorse District Attorney Katz’s campaign for reelection,” said Harry Nespoli, President of Local 831, International Brotherhood of Teamsters. “DA Katz’s continuous efforts in support of labor throughout her career is greatly appreciated. In addition, her dedication to the needs of Queens is unparalleled.”
Katz said she was honored to receive the additional support.
“The NYPD Lieutenants Benevolent Association, Uniformed Firefighters Association, and the Uniformed Sanitationmen’s Association members keep our city safe and operational,” Katz said. “They are dedicated to our residents and work every day to improve their quality of life.”
The first woman ever elected to the Queens District Attorney’s office, also announced that she was endorsed by Eleanor’s Legacy which recruits, trains, and supports Democratic pro-choice women who run for state and local office in New York. They’ve been champions for women’s reproductive freedoms and protecting women’s rights since their founding more than 20 years ago.
“District Attorney Melinda Katz is and has always been an out-front champion for women’s rights and abortion access. Eleanor’s Legacy is extremely proud to endorse her candidacy for re-election,” Eleanor’s Legacy Executive Director Sophie Nir said. “As a state and city legislator, DA Katz passed legislation to protect women’s rights. As District Attorney, she’s working every day to end human trafficking and intimate partner violence. Melinda Katz has always been a champion for women and we are thrilled to be by her side.”
Katz called the organization a leading voice for women in government and politics.
“Their steadfast advocacy for pro-choice women in government who will support women’s most fundamental freedoms is so important,” Katz said. “As a legislator, as borough president, and now, as district attorney, women’s rights and, specifically our right to reproductive freedom, have always been paramount for me. And they always will be.”
Katz will face challengers George Grasso and Devian Daniels, a public defender from Jamaica, in the June 27 Democratic primary.
Grasso, a Douglaston resident, retired as an administrative judge at Queens Supreme Court, criminal term, in August 2022 to run for district attorney. Grasso served more than three decades in the NYPD, rising through the ranks to become the first deputy police commissioner before stepping down in 2010 and heading to the bench.
