The 21st St. Pat’s For All parade marched up Skillman Avenue, drawing thousands of participants and spectators on a sunny March Sunday. The St. Pat’s For All parade was founded by Brendan Fay in response to the long exclusion of LGBTQ groups from the large Manhattan parade. That exclusion ended in 2016 but the St. Pat’s For All parade continues as a vibrant Irish celebration drawing enthusiastic involvement from the LGBTQ community and the Jackson Heights and Woodside neighborhoods that host the parade.
St.Pat’s For All founder Brendan Fay, just ahead of the 2020 parade. 3/1/20
The Powhatan and Pocahontas Democratic Club and the Taminent Regular Democratic Club co-hosted a public advocate candidate forum that drew ten candidates to Astoria on a bitterly cold night. Candidates attending included Ron Kim, Danny O’Donnell, Dawn Smalls, Jumaane Williams, Jared Rich, Ydanis Rodriguez, Michael Blake, David Eisenbach, Nomiki Konst and Rafael Espinal.
Neither club endorsed a candidate at the forum and it’s my understanding that neither club intends to endorse in the race. Of the elected officials attending the forum, Council Member Costa Constantinides has endorsed Nomiki Konst and NYS Senator Michael Gianaris and Assembly Member Aravella Simotas each said that they have not endorsed in the race and are uncertain whether they’ll do so.
New terms, lots of candidates, fiercely fought elections, victories and defeats both surprising and not. Lots happened in 2018 New York politics and we’ve distilled the year into our 2018 Year in Photos.
NYS senators Andrea Stewart-Cousins and Jeff Klein join hands following a press conference with Gov. Andrew Cuomo. 4/4/18
New York State senate candidate Jessica Ramos added another elected official endorsement today, as Assembly Member Aravella Simotas expressed her support at a press conference in Astoria. Ramos is running in the Democratic primary against incumbent Senator Jose Peralta. Peralta had been a part of the IDC, the breakaway state senate Democrats who cooperated with Republicans and handed the Republicans control despite being in the minority. Although the IDC and mainline Democrats reconciled in April in an arrangement brokered by Governor Cuomo, Ramos has continued her candidacy and efforts to oust fellow Democrat Peralta.
