Councilwoman Letitia James (D-Brooklyn) secured on Monday backing from the Queens County Democratic Party, while her opponent, state Sen. Daniel Squadron (D-Manhattan, Brooklyn) landed support from other borough legislators in the week leading up to the Oct. 1 run-off.
James and Squadron must participate in the special run-off because neither candidate received the 40 percent of votes in the primary needed to avoid such an election.
The Queens County Democratic Party threw its support being James at the same time they announced they are backing current Public Advocate Bill de Blasio for mayor.
“She brings with herself compassion I’ve witnessed for 25 years,” U.S. Rep. Joseph Crowley (D-Queens, Bronx) said of James. “…As public advocate for New York City, she’ll not only be the public advocate for Brooklyn – her hometown – but for Queens, for the Bronx, for Staten Island, and, of course, for Manhattan.”
James said she was “honored” to land the endorsement.
“Voters in Queens – and in every other borough – understand that New York City must work for everyone, not just the wealthy and the well-connected,” James said. “I have taken on powerful interests on behalf of everyday New Yorkers my entire career. It’s why I voted against Mayor Bloomberg’s third term, helped reform stop-and-frisk and ban racial profiling, and cracked down on deceptive, anti-choice health centers that denied women the right to choose.”
Not all Democratic legislators in Queens, however, are backing the Brooklyn councilwoman, and Squadron has been endorsed by a series of borough politicians – including Assemblyman Phil Goldfeder (D-Rockaway Park), state Sen. Joe Addabbo Jr. (D-Howard Beach), state Sen. Tony Avella (D-Bayside), state Sen. Michael Gianaris (D-Astoria), and Assemblywoman Aravella Simotas (D-Astoria).
Squadron also received the blessing of U.S. Sen. Chuck Schumer (D-NY).
“I endorsed Daniel because he has a record of getting results for everyday New Yorkers, from passing landmark gun laws to fighting for the housing, parks and transit families need,” Schumer said in a prepared statement.
Squadron said in a prepared statement that he was “honored by the deep support our campaign has built around the five boroughs.
“This campaign is all about making the Public Advocate’s office essential to our city so that it gets results for kids, families and seniors who need them.”
By Anna Gustafson
