Photo Courtesy of NY City Council/William Alatriste
Incumbent Elizabeth Crowley conceded the race to challenger Bob Holden on Thursday – nine days after the election.
By Michael V. Cusenza
Incumbent 30th District City Councilwoman Elizabeth Crowley (D-Glendale) on Wednesday finally conceded the race to her opponent, Juniper Park Civic President Bob Holden, more than a week after Election Day.
Holden held a razor-thin lead over Crowley—just 133 votes—after all precincts reported. The incredibly tight political fight then turned its weary eyes to paper ballots. After Holden’s lead slightly augmented to 137 tallies, Crowley apparently acknowledged that it was all over.
She was the only incumbent on the council this year to lose her bid for re-election.
“Thank you to everyone who supported my re-election bid. The last nine years have been so rewarding, working hard together to improve our communities,” Crowley said in a statement. “The results of this election will not change my commitment to public service. Whatever the future holds, I will bring the same passion and dedication to fighting for our community that I brought to my work as council member.”
In September, Crowley trounced Holden in the Democratic primary. But Holden was already prepared to run in the general election on the Reform and Conservative lines when he was approached by Queens GOP leadership and asked if he’d like to run on the Republican line via a Wilson Pakula waiver.
He accepted. And the rest is World’s Borough political history.
“I want to congratulate my good friend Councilman-elect Bob Holden. He upset the apple cart last night,” said City Councilman Eric Ulrich (R-Ozone Park), who cruised to victory over Democratic challenger Mike Scala to earn a third, and final, four-year term on the council.
Holden was raised in Maspeth and resides in Middle Village. He has been married to his wife, Amy, for 43 years. They have three children and three grandchildren. Holden is a professor at New York City College of Technology in the Department of Communication Design and a working graphic designer. For 25 years he held the office of president of the Juniper Park Civic Association, which serves Middle Village and Maspeth. He has been a member of Community Board 5 since 1988, and its Public Safety Committee chairman for the past 13 years. Holden also is the founder and president of the Juniper Valley Park Conservancy Inc., an organization that raises funds and organizes volunteers to care for the park.
District 30 covers Glendale, Maspeth, Middle Village, Ridgewood, Woodside and Woodhaven.
