New York City Council District 19 democratic candidate Benjamin Chou has recently earned the endorsement of state Sen. Toby Ann Stavisky as he seeks to unseat Republican incumbent Vickie Paladino in the Nov. 4 general election.
Stavisky joins various other individuals and organizations, including State Senator John Liu and Planned Parenthood, in endorsing Chou to represent New York City’s 19th Council District, which is composed of the Queens neighborhoods of Whitestone, College Point, Bayside, Little Neck, Douglaston and parts of northern Flushing. With Stavisky joining Liu to endorse Chou, he now has the backing of both State Senators who oversee New York City’s 19th Council District.
Chou has been an active-duty firefighter in New York City for 11 years. A lifelong Queens resident, he went to the Bronx High School of Sciences and graduated from Queens College before earning his Master’s Degree in Public Administration from Baruch College.
“It is a pleasure to endorse a fellow Bronx Science and CUNY graduate who shares my deep appreciation for our public schools,” Stavisky said. “I look forward to seeing leaders like Ben ensure students continue to receive the excellent education they deserve.”
Chou’s educational background at CUNY schools reflects his strong advocacy for the program.
“Public education is very important to me at all levels. I am a product of public education and one of my goals in the City Council is to sufficiently fund CUNY to ensure it’s easier for high school graduates to continue their education without incurring mountains of debt,” Chou said. “It is an honor to receive the endorsement of such a respected leader [in Stavisky] who has devoted decades to public service in our area!”
Paladino was first elected to this City Council seat in 2021. During her time in office, she has built a profile around conservative advocacy on a range of issues, including small business recovery, public safety, congestion pricing, migrant shelters and LGBTQ-inclusive education. In addition to being able to mobilize a loyal conservative base, Paladino is well-funded.
Chou has put a lot of work into funding his campaign, with his latest campaign filing expected to reach the maximum threshold in donations and matching funds of $228,000. He credited some of this success to a fundraiser held at the Comic Strip Live, the city’s longest-running comedy club. Several renowned stand-up comics were on hand for that fundraiser, helping to attract more people.
According to Chou’s campaign, there are more endorsements expected to be announced within the coming weeks from various city and state legislators, as well as Queens Democratic clubs.
“We’ve all been working very hard behind the scenes preparing for the home stretch and we’re ready to make a big run toward the finish line,” Chou said.
