19th City Council District rematch between incumbent Vickie Paladino and Tony Avella shaping up to just as tight this time
NEW YORK -- Charges and counter charges have been flying in the battle for the 19th City Council District in northeast Queens, where incumbent Republican Vickie Paladino is facing another challenge from the guy she beat the last time by only a few hundred votes.
It's one of the most combative races in the city.
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You may wonder what a number of handwritten "Vote for Avella" signs are doing in Councilmember Paladino's campaign office.
"Tony Avella, who has raised zero dollars compared to what I've raised, he finds it necessary to spray paint over my name and on the back writes his own lawn sign or one of his people does," Paladino said.
No matter who's behind the lawn sign caper, it's just another indication of the bitter revenge match between Republican Paladino and Avella, a Democrat, who lost to her by some 300 votes last time in Council District 19, which includes Whitestone, College Point and Bayside.
"She's an embarrassment," Avella said.
"He has a very big problem with his ego," Paladino said.
"I will not appear next to her on any platform," Avella said.
"I call him 'No-show Tony,'" Paladino said.
Avella's resentment is so deep, he won't give her credit for getting the city to close a controversial migrant shelter at Saint Agnes Parochial School in College Point.
"Did she do that or is she taking credit for that?" Avella said.
When told by CBS New York's Marcia Kramer that Avella said she's not responsible for closing the shelter at Saint Agnes, Paladino responded by saying, "I've heard that. Well, that's another lie. You were there. You saw. You were on one of the first reporters on the ground with me."
Kramer interviewed Avella in a spartan campaign office in the basement of his Whitestone home and Paladino in her campaign office in a Bayside shopping center. They disagree on a lot of things, but, despite their party affiliations, there are some areas where there is a meeting of the minds
Both worry about crime and say there should be a new police precinct in the district, and that closing troubled Rikers Island is a mistake. They also oppose congestion pricing, but are miles apart on how to raise money for the MTA.
"I believe we should be taxing the 1%," Avella said.
"The 1% right now is what's keeping this city ticking," Paladino said.
The political makeup of the district makes it real hard to handicap the race. Just under 50% of the residents are registered Democrats. The rest split between Republicans and Independents. But in the last gubernatorial race, the Republican took the district. The same thing happened in the last mayoral race.
The Paladino-Avella race is just one of 51 City Council races that will be decided when voters go to the polls in New York City on Nov. 7.
