Alicia Vaichunas, a longtime Maspeth resident, civic leader, and Deputy Chief of Staff for Council Member Robert Holden, has officially announced her candidacy for the New York City Council to succeed her term-limited boss.
Vaichunas has been a key member of Holden’s team for nearly eight years. Her work has included championing constituent services, advocating for public safety, and addressing critical quality-of-life issues.
In 2020, she helped Stefania Mazzini, a Middle Village resident, get back $14,000 after being the victim of a phone scam by filing a police report on her behalf and getting the Queens DA’s Office involved.
“When you get money back for these constituents, it makes you feel great,” Vaichunas said at the time. “It makes coming to work worthwhile.”
Her support for Holden began well before he took office, working alongside him and the Juniper Park Civic Association to protect the community.
Among her many achievements, Vaichunas led efforts to block the Holiday Inn from being converted into a homeless shelter in 2016, exposed the Maspeth High School admissions scandal that ignored parochial school students, and fought tirelessly to secure better educational opportunities as a former PTA President at PS/IS 49.
“Alicia has been by my side since the very beginning of my time as an elected official and long before that,” stated Holden. “She fights hard for constituents and never accepts no as an answer. Alicia will be a phenomenal Council Member and will continue the great work my office has done during our nearly eight years there.”
Vaichunas will be looking to replace Holden as the representative of District 30 in Queens, which covers Ridgewood, Maspeth, Middle Village, and Glendale.
She has been described as a “champion for constituents, recovering money owed to residents, ensuring their issues were resolved, and improving public safety across the district.” Her ability to work effectively with city agencies has also been highly praised alongside her “unwavering dedication” to residents, making her a trusted voice and problem-solver in the community.
“For decades, I have volunteered my time to help my neighbors, and over the last seven years, I’ve worked side by side with Bob Holden to address constituent matters, maintain our quality of life, and work with city agencies to help make our district safer and a more livable place to be,” said Vaichunas. “As Council Member, I will continue the great work of the best Council Member we’ve ever had, Bob Holden, and maintain the same level of constituent services and representation at City Hall that District 30 residents have gotten used to.”
Other notable Queens Council Members who climbed up from city council staffing positions include Joann Ariola and Lynn Schulman, among many other legislatures. Brooklyn Borough President Antonio Reynoso is another example of a recent legislator with a staffer background.
Also running to represent District 30 in the City Council race is Paul Pogozelski, Jonathan Rinaldi and Dermot Smyth. The General Election will be held on Nov. 4, 2025.
Pogozelski, a dedicated small business owner and community activist, is a big supporter of Holden and wants to be the person to step up in his place.
“Looking at the field of candidates, I didn’t feel like they had the community’s best interests at heart. I’m a grassroots guy. I do a lot of stuff in the parks and around the neighborhood. I care about it, and I want to stay here, and I feel like if we don’t step up and at least hold the people looking for the position accountable, then we’re not doing our job as civilians of this town,” he stated.
Rinaldi recently campaigned for New York’s 28th Assembly District seat as “Responsible Rinaldi” and is often referred to as “The Sperminator” after fathering 15 children from sperm donation.
He was defeated by the incumbent Assembly Member Andrew Hevesi and arrested on Election Day at a polling center in Forest Hills for allegedly repeatedly ignoring commands to stop yelling and screaming.
Meanwhile, Democratic contender Smyth made his ambitions known over the summer to replace Holden in the District.
As an educator, United Federation of Teachers political strategist and family man, Smyth aims to promote the needs of Queens neighbors while addressing a tough financial economy, public safety and public education in his campaign.
