It was upbeat disappointment at the election night party of public advocate candidate Eric Ulrich as one of the very few Republican elected officials in New York City placed second in a field of 17 candidates. With such a large field, including seven present or former members of the NYC Council and NYS Assembly, Ulrich had a rare realistic opportunity for a Republican victory in a citywide election.
Attendees were clearly disappointed at Ulrich’s loss but there was also widespread satisfaction at his besting 15 candidates, including many elected Democrats.
Council Members Steven Matteo, Joe Borelli and Bob Holden were the only elected officials joining Ulrich. Party leaders attending included New York State Republican Chairman Ed Cox and the five Republican county chairs from New York City, Brendan Lantry of Staten Island, Joann Ariola of Queens, Ted Ghorra of Brooklyn, Mike Rendino of the Bronx and Andrea Catsimatidis. NYS Conservative Party Chairman Jerry Kassar also attended.
Council Member Eric Ulrich got more than he bargained for this morning as supporters joining a protest he organized overwhelmed the press Q&A portion of that protest, driving Ulrich and other elected officials to abandon the effort.
Ulrich, a Council Member from Queens who’s running for mayor and long a critic of Mayor de Blasio, organized the rally and press conference to “protest Mayor de Blasio’s failed homeless policies.” Joined by State Senators Joe Addabbo, Jose Peralta and Tony Avella and Council Member Elizabeth Crowley, Ulrich decried the de Blasio administration’s actions around placement of homeless shelters, particularly in the Playland Motel in Rockaway and the Holiday Inn Express in Maspeth. Both efforts by the de Blasio administration have generated intense neighborhood opposition. It’s a good issue for Ulrich in many ways as many of his Rockaway constituents are strongly opposed to the administration’s efforts and it provides a means for greater exposure to the City’s full electorate.
His rally spun out of control as Ulrich began taking press questions, with several attendees jumping in to shout over Ulrich and Council Member Elizabeth Crowley. Those shouting attendees (including state senate candidate Michael Conigliaro) and the elected officials attending aren’t at odds, they all oppose the shelter placements, but the deep anger flowing out of many attendees overwhelmed the more measured complaints from Ulrich and the other electeds.
Well, sort of. This two week old video is from a forum held on April 25, 2013 by the Good Government Regular Democratic Club. The Rockaway-based club hosted four Democratic mayoral candidates, Christine Quinn, Sal Albanese, Bill Thompson and John Liu. Each candidate appeared separately, giving a lengthy presentation and then engaging in Q&A with the audience
In this Report from Rockaway we look at the aftermath of the Rockaway Beach Boulevard fire, which burned several blocks of businesses and homes, and at recovery progress in Rockaway Park.
We talk with Lew Simon, an elected District Leader, and visit the wreckage of his office, which was destroyed in the Rockaway Beach Boulevard fire.
This is our fifth Report from Rockaway. You can view our previous reports here, here, here and here.
Insight, analysis and reporting on New York and national politics
