You are reading

Two Second Place Candidates in Tight Council Races Concede

Jaslin Kaur (left) and Aleda Gagarin (Respective Council Campaigns)

July 6, 2021 By Allie Griffin

Two second-place candidates in tight council races in Queens conceded to their opponents over the weekend.

Candidates Jaslin Kaur and Aleda Gagarin both conceded in their races after preliminary ranked choice voting results were released Friday night.

Kaur and Gagarin trailed the frontrunners in their respective races on election night by a narrow margin, but after ranked choice voting was deployed, the gaps widened.

Kaur was behind leading candidate Linda Lee in the District 23 race by 533 first-choice votes, but after six rounds of ranked choice voting, she fell behind by 696 total votes. Lee ultimately won 53.2 percent of votes — ahead of Kaur’s 46.8 percent.

The preliminary tally, however, doesn’t include 3,451 absentee ballots sent in by Democrats in the district. Nevertheless, Kaur still conceded.

“The final tabulations have not been certified, but it is clear that, though we led for part of the ranked choice process, we will finish a close second in the final round,” Kaur said in a statement Monday. “Congratulations to the winner, Linda Lee.”

Should Lee win, she will represent the neighborhoods of Bayside Hills, Bellerose, Douglaston, Floral Park, Fresh Meadows, Glen Oaks, Hollis, Hollis Hills, Holliswood, Little Neck, New Hyde Park, Oakland Gardens and Queens Village.

The D-23 seat is currently held by Council Member Barry Grodenchik, who decided against running for another term despite being eligible.

Meanwhile, Gagarin conceded in the District 29 race on Saturday.

“Looking at early RCV results, it seems unlikely that I’ll have the honor of representing the 29th district in the Council,” she said in a statement. “I am disappointed, to be sure. But I am also so damn proud of the loving campaign and community we built together.”

She trailed Lynn Schulman by just 221 first-choice votes, but ultimately lost by 1,581 votes after eight rounds of ranked choice voting. Schulman secured 58 percent of votes and Gagarin earned 42 percent.

The tally for the seat representing Rego Park, Forest Hills, Kew Gardens and Richmond Hill doesn’t include 3,846 absentee ballots returned by Democrats in District 29.

Still Gagarin congratulated Schulman on her presumed win.

“What a beautiful thing to see two deeply experienced, capable, LGBTQIA+ women take such strong leads in our district,” she said. “I look forward to continuing to build a loving and caring city.”

Meanwhile in Districts 26 and 32 — two other tight races in which the frontrunners pulled ahead after the ranked choice voting process was applied — neither runner-up has conceded. Amit Bagga is behind Julie Won in the District 26 race, while Mike Scala trails Felicia Singh in District 32.

The Board of Elections is expected to release new ranked choice results — with the absentee ballots factored in — later today. The Board is not expected to certify the results until sometime next week.

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

Union and Quinn Sullivan agree to contract extension after breakout season

The Philadelphia Union and midfielder Quinn Sullivan have come to an agreement on a new contract, keeping Quinn at the club through 2027 with an option for 2028. The homegrown player just finished what was his best season in a Union kit, scoring five goals and contributing to 11 assists in 34 appearances. Sullivan became an important part of Jim Curtin’s side this season as well, starting in 25 of those 34 matches. 

When looking at last season compared to this one, Quinn Sullivan had one of the biggest breakout campaigns on the entire squad. The 20-year-old went from appearing in 22 matches (7 starts) to appearing in 34 matches (25 starts). He brought his goal tally from two to five, and his assist tally from one to eleven.

Op-ed: Time for a rain ready New York

Oct. 23, 2024 By James Gennaro

New York is clearly on the frontlines when it comes to facing the escalating impacts of climate change. Nearly one year ago, Brooklyn and Queens were devastated with another record-breaking rainstorm that poured nearly nine inches of rain at JFK Airport, shut down subway lines and flooded basement apartments. A “new normal,” some say.

Long Islander criminally charged for manslaughter in fatal road rage crash on Long Island Expressway: DA

A Queens grand jury indicted a Long Island man for manslaughter and other related crimes in a fatal road rage collision on the Long Island Expressway in Queensboro Hill in mid-August.

Shaqeem Douglas, 26, of Maple Street in Freeport, was arraigned in Queens Supreme Court on Tuesday for allegedly causing a chain-reaction collision that killed 41-year-old Pradeppa Desai, of Elder Avenue in Flushing, who was a passenger in a Lyft SUV that the defendant cut off. Douglas’ girlfriend, Ariana Seratan, is also being charged in connection with the crash for falsifying business records.