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.


The reCAPTCHA verification period has expired. Please reload the page.

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

Recent News

Episcopal Health Services’ new CEO initiates series of meet-and-greets to engage with team members across facilities

May. 2, 2024 By QNS News Team

In an effort to strengthen connections and ensure alignment with the organization’s mission, the new CEO of Episcopal Health Services (EHS), Dr. Donald T. Morrish, MD, MMM, has launched a comprehensive series of meet-and-greets with team members throughout the health system. This initiative took place over the first two weeks of April, following his assumption of leadership on Mar. 15.

Jamaica teen faces up to 25 years in prison for attacking grandmother heading to church: DA

A 16-year-old Jamaica boy was indicted by a Queens grand jury for shoving a grandmother down the steps of a Jamaica Hills church as she was heading to Sunday mass on the morning of Apr. 7.

The defendant, of 89th Street in Jamaica, was arraigned Wednesday in Queens Supreme Court on a 12-count indictment charging him with first-degree assault and first-degree robbery for attacking 68-year-old Irene Tahliambouris in front of St. Demetrios Greek Orthodox Church and stealing her property and car.