Councilmember Jimmy Van Bramer (D-Sunnyside) at Aubergine Cafe yesterday after his win (photo courtesy of Jimmy Van Bramer)
Nov. 8, 2017 by Nathaly Pesantez
Councilmembers Jimmy Van Bramer (D-Sunnyside) and Costa Constantinides (D-Astoria) were overwhelmingly elected to represent Districts 26 and 22, respectively, once more in the Nov. 7 general elections.
Van Bramer, who has represented Sunnyside and Long Island City since 2010, received 85 percent of the vote, securing a third-term in city council. His opponent, Republican candidate Marvin Jeffcoat, came in with 14 percent of the vote, according to the Board of Elections.
Councilmember Costa Constantinides (Photo courtesy of Costa Constantinides)
In Astoria, Constantinides was chosen to represent the district for a second time after winning the city council seat in 2013, with 92 percent of all votes received. Kathleen Springer, his main opponent and Astoria activist who ran as an independent, received a little less than 7 percent of the votes.
Van Bramer, a member of several city council committees and caucuses, and chair of the Committee on Cultural Affairs, ran a re-election campaign with a focus on strengthening education, supporting libraries and the arts, and enhancing quality of life in the district. Jeffcoat, an Army veteran and facility manager for the Department of Health, pointed to education, job creation, and safer streets in his bid.
“We won!” Van Bramer tweeted yesterday after celebrating at Aubergine Cafe on Skillman Avenue. “A resounding victory for our #QueensValues! Thank you all! #Grateful.”
Constantinides re-tweeted a slew of congratulatory statements on his win from constituents.
In other Queens neighborhoods, Daniel Dromm (D-Jackson Heights) ran unopposed and secured a third term in office.
The results of District 30’s race, forming parts of Maspeth, Middle Village, Ridgewood, Woodside, and Glendale, have been too close to call since last night. Elizabeth Crowley, who has served the district since 2010, trails behind Robert Holden, a community advocate who ran under the Republican and “Dump de Blasio” ticket, by 133 votes per the last reported numbers by the Board of Elections.
“”I am proud of my record and the campaign my team and I ran based on truth and hard work,” Crowley said in a statement. “…I am confident once all of the numbers come in, we will have four more years to build on that success.”
Crowley will be the only incumbent city council member to lose her seat if Holden wins the election.
Mayor Bill de Blasio was re-elected to a second term, with 66 percent of the vote. His main challenger, Nicole Malliotakis, received 27 percent of the vote, with the majority of them coming from Staten Island.
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59 Comments
Can I live in it?
No not me, but I have a driveway parking spot near queens blvd and 43st for rent. Without garage, $400, with garage, $$800 if your interested.
I got jacked up once at an OJJ concert circa 1978. Since then I haven’t left my apartment. Been living off SSI ever since. Basically scared of my own shadow and living off government dough now. The bodega up on 47 Avenue and 48 St even delivers the food to my door.
Whats up with this ridiculous post from Bruno? The owner of the blog lets this nonsense pass his sensors but sensors actual truth fact and history.
There is some talk of Bruno’s bizarre posts on the Arts and Crafts thread. He’s hard to understand.
Is that Al from a Sunnyside wearing the blue JVB t-shirt in photo standing next to JVB aka Bruno aka Sir Walter D-Bag?
“Massive landslide” – in which hardly anyone voted. Yes, it is a “victory” but let’s not exaggerate. #newyorkersaresodumb. #kaitlinjennerilovelyandamazing. #jimmywearsapinkhat
Must we not forget Mr Van Bramer took a knee with some city council members in front of city hall…i understand its easy for him to be on his knee’s but I surely did not agree with his stance on this issue…
Diblasio is 6 foot 5 and JVB about 5 foot 5…That is about the only difference between the 2 of them..JVB says his priority is keeping the neighborhood safe for children and fighting for our values…Don’t piss on us and tell us it’s raining!!!!
At least JVB didn’t assist in the taking away of healthcare access from tens of millions working fellow Americans. At least JVB didn’t vote for Right to Work legislation putting millions of working Americans into the ranks of the working poor. Supporting a silent protest has never killed or harmed anyone like blocking access to healthcare or throwing someone into poverty. People need to base their vote on issues that actually affect peoples lives not a smoke screen issue like a silent protest . Also remember forced patriotism is facistism.
And did you vote against him ?
Let’s see how happy you will all be with JVB who is aware of everything in the community . He’s our as councilman – the Community Homeless Shelters arriving in the neighborhood in the coming months – Sunnyside, fringe portions of LIC being targeted, read that several homes in the neighborhood in Sunnyside are in the procurement process for leasing and placement of half-way houses, two buildings 39th and 50th Ave and 37th St and Queens Blvd will be shelters and more homeless hotels coming. Already approached just yesterday by one of our new neighbors of the Best Western aggressively panhandling last night and angry when I did not give him $$.
Oh you are so wrong..JVB is fighting to keep the neighborhood safe!!..He has his pink hat on and is on the front lines protecting us from those Nasty Trump supporters!!!..More bike lanes so our illegal alien bicycle riders can get back and forth to their restaurant jobs and the taxpayers will have less parking..
waaaaaaaa who are the snowflakes now! I bet none of you Trumpites have any understanding of the Repugnant Tax Plan which will screw all of you Royally but you keep supporting the Orange Buffoon. The Trump Train is about to get derailed it’s Mueller Time Pendejos.
Sir doosh — you are the meaning of snowflake. Look in the mirror pansy. You are a snowflake
The Trump train will be running express to the next election,by the way the only waaaaaaa’s I’ve heard are coming from the original snowflake democrats like you.
I am presently out of the country. I can’t tell you where I am for security reasons.
Who cares. Stay wherever you are. Nobody misses you at all.
It is not really a landslide when 20% of registered voters voted. I would have loved it if a real candidate ran against JVB. I voted voted and left the city council part of the ballot blank. This guy is totally in the pocket of real estate interests.
Anonymous- Yes, the guys district just happens to be one subway stop away from Manhattan and contain some of the most dynamic views of the most recognizable skyline in the world and contain large swats of real estate that is just converting from obsolete industrial tracts to residential use. Nobody would want to live in such a place. You sound jealous. Since only the voters who turn out are the only ones who “count” and whose votes get counted means the man did win by a landslide no matter how you want look at it. Congratulations JVB. Anonymous eat your heart out!
I can’t see “some of the most dynamic views of the most recognizable skyline in the world” any more. They just built crummy condo and motels used to launder money in front of it.
Anonymous – That’s capitalism. If someone is willing to pay, someone will build it. Back in the 70’s a building I worked in sued a newly built building for obstructing their view. The same will happen here.
Yeah…. so that’s your excuse for not getting off your couch to vote ? Sorry excuse “”””
Issues will come and go but for anyone who thinks its a good state for the civic body politic to have political races that are so noncompetitive this should serve as a wake up call. One party in ascendance to this degree is asking for a Tammany Hall run state. The only thing that keeps politicians in line is fear of being turfed out next election and the cycle out of office often brings reforms and new policy thoughts that are health to a party. Personally I like Van Bramer but its a growing problem for the polity particularly with dropping voter participation rates it becomes a slow cancer. You can blame the increasingly partisan state of affairs but its a worry for both parties long term.
How many people do you know that actually voted?
Hey Singer 2, I voted ! In fact I voted 12 times on the same day….and I don’t even live in this district, my last address was in Colorado. They told me I didn’t need ID, so I just kept voting…it was more fun than the pinball bar on Roosevelt Avenue where I sleep on sidewalk in front of. It’s so much fun to vote.
All of them
Singer that the point every one that don’t want the Christmas elf could have voted against him but no, the complain here. Sunnyside, all talk
This guy is a bum
More bike lanes more movie shoots
Where are we to park can we park in his driveway
He has zero ideas just a deadbeat
I hate pointless trolls but I agree that he hasn’t done anything that made a difference to quality of life in sunnyside. I don’t know who he is representing. Putting a few garbage cans and naming streets doesn’t address the drunk people on the street, or the increasing traffic, commercial deliveries blocking roads, bikes on sidewalks, etc.
Don’t forget the new traffic lights, new street lamps, the refurbished parks and playgrounds, new benches throughout the commercial districts, new trees and dog parks. Thank you JVB. Good work you deserve another term.
the reason we needed more schools is because of all of the illegals that are here that is why and dog parks walk your dog like everyone else does —
Anonymous- Maybe the people using the illegal labor should be the ones who pay for the new schools and school expansions. What’s your issue with dogs? You sound bitter.
But you didn’t vote did you. Yup yup yup
At least you voted against him,right? ….right? …..right? Oooooh you didn’t vote. How come everyone who bashes half pint are the ones who don’t vote ?
True. Did you vote against him? No? Oh you don’t vote oh so then don’t complain.
Real shame re-electing the people who voted against the term limits and allowed Bloomberg and themselves to run for a third term against the people’s original votes on two occasions. Our district people are to blame for this,
Marie J – You don’t want someone in office then don’t vote for them. We should be allowed to vote for whoever we want to without restriction.
Tammany Hall wins again. Looking at you Anoroc Club. Nothing changes. I’m a Sandinista too. Want to play? Ya gotta pay.
Jimmy, did you notice the homeless people near the 52nd Street subway station including in the tiny park near the bodega? One fine lady used the trees to hang out her wet clothes! What a lovely sight! Yes, Jimmy and Big Bird DeBlasio are working hard for us – to destroy our quality of life. And the 7 train, which used to be a good reliable line, is a nightmare during morning rush hour. And let’s not forget the eternal “signal” trouble.
Pearl- Take the MTA issue up with the Republican controlled state house since they’re the ones who have control over the agency. When you speak with them, thank them for that multi billion dollar LIRR grand central station direct extension that benefits the Long Island suburbs over the city residents and our much needed transportation needs.
How could he see them from his freebie dinner on skillman
If you get a chance ask that homeless lady about her meeting with JVB at his office and how he got her a metro card and best of all why she moved there next to the bodega because Jimmy’s staff told her when he comes into the park she needs to leave and come back after his meetings with the press. Jimmy is nothing but a phony two faced piece of shit and all you suckers voted him back in.
Sorry, anonymous anti-JVB commenter.
Ha ha! Liz Crowley is out!! Never understood how she got elected in the first place. Good riddance to this phony imbecile.
Get ready for the shit show. This will be a fun thread.
Mark my words a Republican or Conservative will never win these districts again. I also guarantee no Republicans will become mayor of NYC anymore. Take it to the bank. I suggest all Republicans who are a minority now in this city to pack your bags and move to a Red state. Don’t bother voting anymore!
I must agree with you…the republicans will most likely never win again in nyc…all these Dem’s with their socialist programs and of wanting to tax the rich more and more, cause they ran out of ways of taxing you, the middle class.The day will come when we all will make the same amount of money. The goverment created the education dept, lol i see that working.. they created the energy dept after the energy crisis in the 70’s to get us off foreign oil, lol. Their losing huge amounts of our money with our post office… oh must we forget tons of money the government that runs our high tech, 3rd world Amtrak. Social Security is to be out of money shortly… with all that said we now have the goverment running health care…all these give aways,,, but for me i have to pay a water tax, then go into the store and see some person with a iphone and buy water with food stamps…they may be able to take more and more of my money,,, but they will never take away my right to bear arms…our founding fathers were not stupid
VBI- Our founding fathers gave us a constitutional right to postal service. Food stamps are just a way to keep payroll expense in check for the corporate world. You understand you’re a pro business Republican. Oh by the way the post office actually turns a profit.
The annual losses the post office has reported since fiscal 2007 have ranged from a low of $2.8 billion in 2008 to a high of $15.9 billion in 2012…and this past year 2016 a loss of 5.6 billion
Snowflake- U.S. Postal Service quarterly net profit. The $307 million in net income for the first quarter of fiscal year 2016, which ended Dec. 31, is a $1.1 billion turnaround from the $754 million net loss during the same period a year earlier. Second speaker, Chief Financial Officer and Executive Vice President Joseph Corbett. You really need to turn off Fox News and Rush the “Slob” Limbaugh they’re deliberately misinforming you and using you as a useful idiot.
Significant financial losses result from a legislative requirement, unlike any other public or private entity, under a 2006 law, the Postal Service pre-fund its retiree health benefits. Most private sector companies use a “pay-as-you-go” system, by which the entity pays premiums as they are billed. Shifting to such a system would equate to an average of $5.65 billion in additional cash flow per year through 2016, and save the Postal Service an estimated $50 billion over the next ten years.Adopting a traditional “pay-as-you-go” method would produce an average of $5.65 billion in additional cash flow per year through 2016. If it wasn’t for this unreasonable provision by Republicans the US Postal Service would show a profit every year.
Veterans before illegals – If you truly cared about veterans you’d get educated and informed on a topic that involves them in such large numbers, before you shoot your uninformed mouth off and spread misinformation and lies on the topic. In addition. The Postal Service is the single largest employer of veterans, which make up 130,000, or 22% of its ranks, according to a 2014 report on postal operations. Of those veterans, 50,000 — nearly a third — are disabled.
Mike D … its one thing not to agree to someones opinion, but do call one an idiot and such is bit little childish
Anonymous- The posts you are referencing have nothing to with “opinions”. One stated a so called fact about the post office not an opinion and Mike corrected him, plain and simple. From the wording of the post from the guy who is posing as an advocate for veterans, you can see he gets information from right wing propaganda outlets and is speaking against the best interest of veterans by spreading deliberate misinformation about the single biggest employer of veterans. He is the very definition of “useful idiot”.
This is a sick comment. Why publish it?
You right,everybody getting something for nothing… that something is my pay check. Just dont take away my 2nd amendment rights, we will need this right in the future…
Food stamp ice creme -Guns aren’t needed to take over the low wage economically enslaved such as yourself. The beauty of subtle mind control of the feeble minded is you believe a gun will protect you from something that has already happened. Keep the gun you’ll need it to hunt your dinner.
Ok comrade snowflake.