Karen Koslowitz was named Thursday to lead the Queens City Council delegation in place of the outgoing Mark Weprin, who will officially resign his City Council seat next week.
Koslowitz is in her second stint as City Council member representing the 29th District, which covers all or parts of Forest Hills, Rego Park, Middle Village, Kew Gardens and Richmond Hill. Several of her colleagues, including Paul Vallone and Jimmy Van Bramer, took to Twitter to announce her election.
“I will do my utmost to maximize the effectiveness of my fellow Queens legislators in advocating for the interests of Queens,” Koslowitz said in a statement. “I am both humbled and gratified by the confidence that they have placed in me today.”
Weprin had led the Queens City Council delegation since 2014, but last month announced he would step down from the City Council to become Gov. Andrew Cuomo’s deputy secretary of legislative affairs.
The Queens Delegation is proud to unanimously elect @CMKoslowitz as our next Chair! pic.twitter.com/uG4k9EaGKd
— Jimmy Van Bramer (@JimmyVanBramer) June 4, 2015
Weprin tweeted on Thursday morning that next week would be his last in the City Council, and that he officially starts with the Cuomo administration on June 15. When he first announced his resignation on May 11, Weprin indicated that he would be out “within the next two weeks.”
Once Weprin’s resignation takes effect, Mayor Bill de Blasio will call a special, non-partisan election to occur within the following 60 days. Each candidate must secure their own ballot line; political parties cannot officially nominate a candidate, but may make an endorsement.
The winner of the special election will be sworn into office immediately upon certification of the results, but must run again in the November election for the right to fill out the remainder of Weprin’s term, which ends in 2017.
The 23rd District seat covers parts of Bayside Hills, Bellerose, Douglaston, Floral Park, Fresh Meadows, Glen Oaks, Hollis, Little Neck, New Hyde Park, Oakland Gardens and Queens Village. After Weprin resigns, it will remain vacant until a successor is elected. During that period, staff members will handle constituent services under the auspices of the City Council speaker.
RECOMMENDED STORIES
