Denise Keehan-Smith kicks off her campaign for the 26th Council District seat in October. The primary is schedule to take place in June (Photo: Queens Post)
Dec. 28, 2020 By Christian Murray
Nearly 20 candidates have come forward to run in next June’s Democratic primary for the 26th District Council seat currently held by Jimmy Van Bramer, who is term limited.
In today’s podcast, we talk to Denise Keehan-Smith who is one of those candidates vying for the seat that covers Sunnyside, Woodside, Long Island City and a portion of Astoria.
Keehan-Smith was born and raised in Woodside and currently lives in the Big Six Towers on Queens Boulevard. She was the chair of Community Board 2 from 2016 to 2020 and is a lifelong Democrat.
In the podcast, Keehan-Smith expresses her views on Amazon, the NYPD, transportation and real estate development.
She says she supported Amazon coming to Long Island City and believes that the tech-giant’s decision to abandon plans to come to Queens was a missed opportunity.
Keehan-Smith, in the podcast, also argues that the the NYPD budget should not be cut, saying that public safety is a priority.
Another topic dealt with the DOT’s redesign of Skillman Avenue in Sunnyside/Woodside in 2018. She said the project was a failure and says that there was no need for protected bicycle lanes on the avenue.
Keehan-Smith also addresses the Phipps Houses’ affordable housing development on Barnett Avenue. She says that she is opposed to the project, arguing that the developer’s track record is shoddy and that the infrastructure in the area is lacking.
She also discusses community board appointments and the role council members and borough presidents play in choosing who sits on the board.
For more information on Keehan-Smith, click on her campaign site at DeniseKeehanSmith.com.
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