Queens Council Member Robert Holden (Emil Cohen, NYC Council)
Dec. 15, 2020 By Michael Dorgan
Queens Council Member Robert Holden has formerly announced that he is running for re-election for his 30th District Council seat.
Holden made the announcement in a campaign video Tuesday and vowed that he would continue to fight for law and order and work to address the homelessness crisis. He took aim at the mayor and some of his council colleagues for the rise in violent crime and the wave of homelessness across the city.
“Our city has lost its way as many of our elected officials have abandoned the policies that kept our streets safe for decades,” Holden said in the video announcing his bid for reelection. “City Hall has tried to govern with protest slogans instead of common sense.”
Holden, who was elected to the city council in November 2017, has been an outspoken critic of the mayor and his agenda.
The lawmaker has criticized de Blasio’s approach to crime. For instance, he opposed the mayor’s decision to cut the NYPD budget and the administration’s plan to close Rikers Island.
He has also sparred with the mayor on the homelessness crisis; the administration’s expenditure on ThriveNYC; and the mayor’s attempt to abolish the SHSAT test for specialized high schools.
Holden said he would focus on helping the city recover from the COVID-19 pandemic if reelected, and would also work on creating a better environment for small businesses.
Holden, whose district includes Glendale, Middle Village, Ridgewood, Maspeth, Woodhaven and Woodside, said he would continue to tackle quality of life issues, such as graffiti, litter, illegally parked vehicles, and noise pollution during his second term.
“Over these past three years, I have never stopped fighting for you,” Holden said. “We’ve done a lot together these last three years, and there’s a lot more we need to do.”
Holden was encouraged by some of his constituents to run for mayor next year. In September, residents took part in a rally calling for him to run. Holden thanked his constituents for the endorsement but decided not to run.
The council member does face a challenger in the council race. Juan Ardila, a progressive, has declared he will run for the seat and he has already received endorsements from State Sen. Jessica Ramos and City Council Member Brad Lander.
Eleven council members in Queens will be forced to step down at the end of next year due to term limits.
In Queens, only four council members — Holden, Barry Grodenchik, Adrienne Adams and Francisco Moya — are eligible for another term. Grodenchik has already announced he is not seeking another term.
Holden has also recently launched his campaign website https://holdenforcitycouncil.com/.
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9 Comments
Good guy in politics?
Here is one of the few.
I just saw Robert Holden on the Tucker Carlson show tonight, 2/11/21. What a WONDERFUL man. I’m a republican but found myself admiring this man of honor. They are rare. Bravo. He does the right thing because it is the right thing. How refreshing.
Well he promised us we were not getting a homeless shelter and guess what we got one. Thanks
He is such a wonderful representative.
He is the only candidate who is not afraid to stand up to progressives and their insane policies to systematically import poverty and crime into good neighborhoods. Since when was living in a good neighborhood a bad thing? But progressives these days cant stand that people focused on building abundance and wealth moved to safe neighborhoods with good schools and clean streets. They aim to take this all down and make every neighborhood bad.
I wish Sunnyside had a representative with as much of a backbone as Holden. Preserve good neighborhoods! We deserve it!
Middle Village stand up!!
Actually, calling Robert Holden a “representative” is somewhat of a misnomer. Even ardent supporters admit he was elected in a fever pitch over the single issue of stopping a homeless shelter being built- something he utterly FAILED to do by the way.
Holden’s overtly racist views on policing have lit a fire among progressives in the district and he is expected to lose the primary handily because his Republican base cannot vote in the primary. He can run as a Republican again, but he is a very unattractive candidate who is out of step, out of his league, and wrong for the 30th district in just about every way.
Come election day, if he makes it that far, voters must reject hatred and racism and vote Holden out of office!
This man is a real representative. A man of decency, real morals and integrity. Not the egg noodles and ketchup of councilman we have here in Sunnyside
Should be easy pickings in the primary.
No. People don’t want someone who picks criminals over citizens…is he kidding me? He wants to put housing next to single family homes?? No! Those people deserve to keep their neighborhood pristine. Keep housing projects far far away. Middle village supports Holden!
I wish we had someone like Holden in Sunnyside.
One of the best politicians in NY.