You are reading

Donovan Richards Maintains Narrow Lead in Queens Borough President Race After Absentee Ballots Tallied

Donovan Richards has a 1,044-vote lead over Elizabeth Crowley in the Democratic primary for Queens BP (Richards For Queens)

July 6, 2021 By Allie Griffin

Queens Borough President Donovan Richards maintained a narrow lead in his bid for re-election after absentee ballots were tallied Tuesday.

Richards, who was sworn into office last year following a special election, is all but certain to serve a full term as borough president now that almost all the votes have been counted.

However, the incumbent nearly lost the primary to former Council Member Elizabeth Crowley—in what would have been a big upset, according to political insiders.

Elizabeth Crowley, candidate for Queens Borough President (campaign photo), is 1,044 votes behind Donovan Richards in the race for the Democratic nomination

Pundits were surprised that Richards was only 3,313 votes ahead of Crowley before 35,550 absentee ballots were counted Tuesday.

Richards’ lead actually narrowed, with just 1,044 votes separating them after absentee ballots were added, according to the ranked choice voting results posted by the Board of Elections Tuesday evening.

The Board of Elections is expected to certify the results sometime next week and they are unlikely to change in any meaningful way.

Richards, who appears to have won the Democratic primary, will likely go on to compete in a November general election for the seat, which he would be almost certain to win given the disproportionate number of registered Democrats to Republicans in the borough.

The Democratic primary for borough president also included a third candidate, Council Member Jimmy Van Bramer, who was eliminated in the second round of the ranked choice voting process.

He brought in 29,215 votes, or 17.8 percent of the vote, before he was eliminated and his votes redistributed to the other candidates.

Richards will complete his current term through to the end of the year. Should he win the general election he will serve a full four-year term.

The results after absentee ballots were added (Source: NYC Board of Elections)

email the author: news@queenspost.com
No comments yet

Leave a Comment
Reply to this Comment

All comments are subject to moderation before being posted.

This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.

Recent News

DA Katz introduces Kimi, the facility dog providing comfort to Queens crime victims

Queens District Attorney Melinda Katz introduced one of the newest members of her team on Wednesday as part of her office’s public information campaign during Domestic Violence Awareness Month.

Kimi, a 2-year-old golden retriever/Labrador retriever, has been appointed as a facility dog to provide comfort and companionship to crime victims and witnesses. “Kimi has been an extraordinary addition to our team here at the Queens District Attorney’s Office,” Katz said. “She’s affectionate, highly trained, and has already assisted survivors and witnesses and put them at ease.”

Mets to host playoff watch parties at Citi Field

Oct. 3, 2024 By Ethan Marshall

As the New York Mets look to clinch a trip to the National League Division Series Wednesday night in Milwaukee, the team announced that beginning as early as Thursday, Oct. 3, Citi Field will be hosting watch parties of select away games during the playoffs.