Jonathan Rinaldi, a City Council candidate for Queens’ District 30, is running on a platform of transparency, accountability, and anti-corruption, vowing to shake up the political establishment.
Positioning himself as an outsider, he emphasizes his commitment to fighting overdevelopment and special interest influence while amplifying residents’ voices on local issues. His message is clear: it’s time to fight against corruption, overdevelopment, and the influence of special interests in local government.
“I’m running for a number of reasons. I’m really running to expose corruption and dishonesty, which has become all too common in local politics,” Rinaldi said.
“I wasn’t endorsed by the Republican Party because I had proof of petition fraud. While I was knocking on doors, and getting signatures the right way, other candidates were just filling out the names of the Board of Elections. I believe that undermines the integrity of our elections, and I won’t stand for it.”
Rinaldi didn’t shy away from calling out what he sees as the dysfunction within the political system. He believes there is a problem within local politics, particularly the influence wielded by local power brokers, including Council Member Robert Holden.
“Nepotism is a big problem. Holden is endorsing a Democrat and a Republican out of his office to run, which aren’t entitled to the seat—it’s the people’s seat. You don’t just get to choose who runs,” he said.
A significant theme in Rinaldi’s campaign is the need for stronger local representation. He criticized the Republican Party for lacking leadership and local engagement, pointing to last year’s Assembly race as a prime example of this failure.
“There’s a lack of leadership in the Republican Party. Specifically, when the leadership of the Republican Party is based in Middle Village, you look at the Assembly race last year with its 18 seats, and only 7 were filled. Meanwhile, 11 or 12 Democrat Socialists who ran unopposed are rampant over the community where special interests write policies.”
Rinaldi’s frustration with the current political climate is evident, particularly when it comes to what he sees as a disconnect between local residents and the political decisions being made on their behalf. He highlighted the policies being pushed under the City of Yes plan, including congestion pricing and the aim for carbon neutrality, which he believes do not reflect the people’s will.
“One of the things that has taken place in the City of Yes is a perfect example. They have basically neutered the community boards and civic associations. They’ve completely removed the voice of people, and they’re making policy that’s written by the special interests,” Rinaldi said.
“The City Council is the one that is responsible for congestion pricing, bike lanes, and all the carbon neutrality that they want to do in 2035; everybody has to be carbon neutral. People seem to forget about Local Law 97, which will make everybody change their energy from gas to electric.”
Rinaldi is particularly vocal about the challenges facing small businesses and homeowners. He accused the 102nd Precinct of allowing the progression of illegal vending to reach the point where businesses have been closed.
“They let illegal vending carry on, selling unhealthy Italian ices. This makes businesses have to close down. We need someone to stand up for the local businessmen and the local homeowners and not give it away to anyone. There can’t be two systems of justice,” he added.
Rinaldi also emphasized that he’s not running to play political games. He’s here to create real change, whether addressing overdevelopment, improving public safety, or ensuring affordable housing.
“I’m going to fight corruption and lack of transparency. I’m committed to eliminating corruption on every level, whether it’s in the petition process, within the Republican Party, or in City Hall. I want to make sure the government is accountable to us, the people and not special interests,” he declared.
Rinaldi’s campaign also focuses on the importance of grassroots engagement. Unlike candidates who rely on large campaign donations, Rinaldi is determined to run a campaign that is independent of special interest groups.
“I don’t need campaign funds. I don’t need to work with the Campaign Finance Board. I have my own way of doing things, which have been very successful,” he said.
“I think the big problem with politics is the Campaign Finance because when you start taking money from these special interests, then your policies and your votes will be in line with them. You know I can make a Facebook post that gets 8-20,000 views, and I don’t have to spend $40,000 on mailers. You have to go door to door. That’s how you run a campaign—walking daily and knocking on doors.”
Rinaldi’s deep connection to his district is another driving force behind his campaign. He grew up in Forest Hills and has lived in the area his whole life.
“Juniper Valley Park, Woodhaven Boulevard, Metropolitan Avenue, that’s all a part of my neighborhood. I grew up there. I rode my bike through there. I’ve been in and around the District forever,” he continued. “The main issues for District 30 are the overdevelopment and the City of Yes. The developers are getting a free pass to build without considering how it affects our communities.”
As for ‘the migrant crisis,’ Rinaldi has made it clear that he intends to take immediate action in local neighborhoods. He discussed his previous efforts to prevent a hotel in his district from being used as a shelter for migrants.
“There’s only one migrant hotel that was shut down, and that was the one where I protested at the Kew Motor Inn. We found out that they were bringing the illegals there, and we shut it down. Everybody made fun of me and told me I was at the wrong hotel, but I actually got the attorney and the owner of the hotel to come out and swear that they wouldn’t take the migrants.”
Rinaldi has also raised concerns about a CVS location on Metropolitan Avenue that he believes will be displaced due to the City of Yes housing development plans.
“That CVS is going to go out of business, they have everything locked up, the crime is out of control. They say that the crime is not happening. They fudge the numbers. I promise you that I know CVS will become a building.”
Finally, Rinaldi will be looking out for ‘more’ petition fraud in the upcoming election. He wholeheartedly believes that if the Republican Party’s candidates don’t get enough signatures from going door to door, ‘they will write them in themselves.’
“That’s exactly what they’re going to do, and I promise you I will catch them. I will knock them all off the ballot. That’s really one of my major motivations because we cannot be represented by failed leadership,” Rindaldi affirmed.
Also running to replace Robert Holden as the representative of District 30, which covers Ridgewood, Maspeth, Middle Village, and Glendale, are Paul Pogozelski, Alicia Vaichunas, Phil Wong, and Dermot Smyth.
The General Election will be held on Nov. 4, 2025.
