Presstime
Wills Wins Race To Replace White BY JASON BANREY
Ruben Wills emerged victorious in a seven way, non-partisan special election on Tuesday, filling the vacant seat once held by the late Councilman Tom White, Jr. Wills was astounded by the voter turnout despite negative campaigning that was directed towards him during the race. “Negative campaigning doesn’t do anything but distract people from the issues,” he said. “I’m happy that God saw fit to give this to us now. [The people’s] vote is what matters.” While he knows his term is only guaranteed for one year before running to extend his tenure in a general election in
2013, he is dedicated to getting the ball rolling on solving the community’s issues. As a former aide to Councilman Leroy Comrie (D-St. Albans), Wills believes he has what it takes to economically develop District 28 in an effort to create jobs, lower the crime rate and engage younger residents in the area. Only a couple of hours after his victory was called, Wills began working to secure jobs for residents of the 28th District, working with players involved in the Resorts World video lottery casino at Aqueduct. He said the meeting at Borough Hall involved ensuring that jobs at the casino are distributed to residents in the area. “We don’t want to see 30 to 40 percent of the jobs go to people outside of
the community,” Wills said. “We want to make sure that there are people in the community that are qualified for this opportunity.” Although Wills believes that his opponents’ negative campaigning slightly affected the voter turn out, “in the end the people of District 28 showed who they wanted to represent them.” Wills looks forward to working with candidates that ran against him and organizations in the district that he believes have been doing a fantastic job at providing residents with valuable opportunities. Creating a coalition that will work together to right the wrongs in the district is a concern he strongly focused on during his campaign.
“I campaigned about unifying the people in the community,” Wills said. “Our district is in distress. Hopefully if we put out positivity in the community we can get the right things done.” In the end Wills took just more than 31 percent of the vote in the district defeating Nicole Paultre-Bell, the runner-up, by 626 votes. The final tally left Wills with 3,347 votes, Paultre-Bell with 2,721 votes, Albert Baldeo with 1,512 votes, Allan Jennings with 1,068 votes, Charles Bilal with 925 votes, Harpreet Toor with 728 votes and Martha Taylor Butler with 436 votes. Reach Intern Jason Banrey at jbanrey@queenstribune.com or (718) 3577400, Ext. 128.
United And Strong:
Boro Dems Gain Strength In Senate PRESS Photo by Ira Cohen
Mike Bloomberg and former Mayor Ed Koch had endorsed Donovan. In the closest statewide race, Democratic incumbent Comptroller Tom DiNapoli defeated Republican candidate Harry Wilson 50-47 percent. Nationally, the trend was very different. Losing more than 60 seats, and control of the U.S. House of Representatives, Democrats find themselves with their smallest minority in the body in more than 60 years. Five Democratic seats in New York State flipped to the GOP. Democrats also suffered multiple House losses in Pennsylvania, Ohio, Virginia, Florida, Indiana and President Barack Obama's home state of Illinois, where Democrats also lost the Senate seat Obama once held. Democrats did fare much better in the U.S. Senate, however, losing six seats, but keeping firm control of the body. Democratic incumbents were defeated in Arkansas and Wisconsin and besides the
aforementioned seat in Illinois; Democrats lost open Senate seats in Indiana, North Dakota and Pennsylvania. Tea Partybacked Republican candidates lost competitive Senate elections to Democrats in Colorado, Delaware and Nevada, where Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid was reelected. Though Reid won, his popularity as Majority Leader among national Democrats has faltered and he may step down as leader, or be challenged. If so, Schumer may be the favorite to replace him as majority leader. Closer to home, all of Queens' Democratic House members were reelected, though U.S. Rep. Anthony Weiner (DKew Gardens) defeated GOP candidate Bob Turner by a much smaller than usual margin of 59-41 percent. Reach Reporter Domenick Rafter at drafter@queenstribune.com or (718) 3577400, Ext. 125.
BY BRIAN M. RAFFERTY
(Utopia Pkwy.) on the northbound side of the Cross Island; by taking Exit 7 (Willets Point Blvd.) from the Clearview Expressway; or by a variety of major local roads. The site is also serviced by the Q16, which connects Downtown Flushing to Fort Totten, and the Q76, which runs from Jamaica to 131st Street in Whitestone. After we move, feel free to stop by and say hello to us in our new home. As always, our door will always be open to the Queens community. Reach Editor Brian M. Rafferty at brafferty@queenstribune.com or (718) 3577400, Ext. 122.
SEQ PRESS Moves
After 10 years at our home at 174-15 Horace Harding Expy. in Fresh Meadows, the PRESS is moving. As of this Friday, Nov. 5, our new office will be located at 150-50 14th Rd., Whitestone, NY, 11357. Our phone number, fax numbers and e-mail addresses will all remain the same, though we may lose a day or two of connection between Friday and Monday. During the transition, try us first by our regular phone number, (718) 3577400. Should the phones temporarily be down, try again later. We don't expect to be disconnected for an extended period. If there is something urgent that needs to get to the editorial department, the best way will be via e-mail at editor@queenpress.com, which can be checked through our mobile devices. The office can easily be accessed by taking Exit 35 (14th Ave.) on the southbound Cross Island; by taking Exit 34
Fall Back! Don’t forget to change your clocks on Sunday, November 7, 2010 at 2:00 a.m.
Nov. 5-11, 2010 PRESS of Southeast Queens Page 3
tie Addabbo to Senate leaders Malcolm Smith and John Sampson after the state Bucking a national - and to a smaller Inspector General's scathing report on extent statewide - trend, all of Queens' AEG's bid to manage the VLTs at Aqueincumbent Democratic legislators won re- duct earlier this year. Elsewhere in the borough, Assemblyelection. Though the party faced stiff headwinds nationally, Democrats in the man Andrew Hevesi (D-Forest Hills) survived a closer-than-exborough fared very well. For pected challenge from the first time in history, Republican Alex there will be no Republican Powietrzynski 54-41 legislators in Albany from percent with 6 percent Queens. going to Independent After two consecutive Joseph Tiraco, while close races for the seat held Assemblywoman Marge by Sen. Frank Padavan (RMarkey (D-Maspeth) Bellerose) for the last 38 defeated florist Anyears, former Councilman thony Nunziato 60-40 Tony Avella threw the percent. Both candiknock-out punch Tuesday, dates received support defeating the borough's from statewide Republast GOP state legislator 53licans, including from 47 percent. Celebrating at State GOP chair Ed Sullivan's in Bayside on election night, Avella was Chelsea Clinton hands out election Cox, who campaigned joined by Sen.-elect Mike handbills for Anthony Weiner in with them in Forest Hills and Middle Village last Gianaris, who gave up his Forest Hills Tuesday evening. month. Assembly seat to run for Assembly members Audrey Pheffer (Dthe post vacated by retiring George Onorato (D-Astoria). They were joined by Rockaway Park), David Weprin (D-Little Sens. Toby Stavisky (D-Flushing) and Jose Neck), Catherine Nolan (D-Ridgewood), Peralta (D-Corona), as well as Assembly- and Michael Miller (D-Woodhaven) all won decisive victories. woman Grace Meng (D-Flushing). Democrats kept all statewide offices. The rhetoric of the "Queens Coalition" was focused on bringing true reform and In the race for governor, Attorney General transparency to the most dysfunctional state Andrew Cuomo soundly defeated Republegislature in the country. Later in the lican candidate Carl Paladino 62-34 perevening, Avella spoke of bringing "democ- cent. Cuomo won more than 80 percent of racy with a lower-case 'd" back to New York. the vote in New York City. U.S. Sen. The strength of the coalition is bol- Chuck Schumer (D-New York) defeated stered by the re-election of State Sen. Joe his GOP opponent by a 2-1 margin to be reAddabbo Jr. (D-Howard Beach), who elected to a third term, and U.S. Sen. fended off a challenge from former City Kirsten Gillibrand (D-New York) won the Councilman Anthony Como in his South right to finish out Hillary Clinton's Senate Central Queens district, 57-43 percent. term, defeating former U.S. Rep. Joe Addabbo won the seat from longtime in- DioGuardi 62-38 percent. Gillibrand will cumbent Republican Serf Maltese in 2008. face voters again for a full term in 2012. The race to succeed Governor-elect The race appeared to tighten in final weeks and Republicans heavily targeted the seat. Cuomo as Attorney General ended in a Como criticized Addabbo's votes on decisive win for Manhattan State Sen. Eric suspending the STAR rebate program and Schneiderman, who defeated Staten Island reinstating the sales tax, and attempted to DA Dan Donovan 55-44 percent. Mayor BY DOMENICK RAFTER