Photo: Richards For Queens
May 17, 2021 By Christina Santucci
Queens Borough President Donovan Richards scored an endorsement last week from Congressmember Grace Meng in his bid for re-election.
In a statement, Meng praised Richards as “an extraordinary leader who is fighting every day to make life better for the people of Queens.”
“In just his first few months in office, he has traveled throughout our great borough, meeting with residents from across many different communities, and doing all he can to make Queens the best that it can be,” the congressmember said.
Meng’s district covers a large swath of central and eastern Queens – including Bayside, Elmhurst, Flushing, Fresh Meadows, Forest Hills, Glendale, Maspeth, Kew Gardens, Middle Village and Rego Park.
The congressmember said that Richards “has worked tirelessly to help hard-working families, assist small businesses, expand affordable housing, and has strongly stood in solidarity with the Asian-American community in our fight against the rise in hate and violence.”
Earlier this month, Richards organized a rally and march in downtown Flushing in solidarity against anti-Asian racism. Meng and Attorney General Letitia James were special guests at the event that drew about 2,000 attendees.
In the upcoming June 22 Primary, Richards will face Councilmember Jimmy Van Bramer and former Councilmember Elizabeth Crowley. The primary will be the first time that ranked-choice voting – in which voters rank up to five candidates in order of preference – is used for the seat.
Richards previously won a special election for Queens borough president in 2020, beating out several Democratic candidates including Crowley in the primary and Joann Ariola, the chair of the Queens County Republican Party, in the November Election.
In a campaign email sent Friday, Richards said he was humbled by the support for his reelection that he has received so far.
He described Meng as “a great asset to our borough.”
“I’m excited to keep working with her,” Richards said.
