Congressman Joseph Crowley (back) puts his arms on Councilman Peter Koo's shoulders during an event to announce that Koo was switching his affiliation from the Republican to the Democratic Party. Councilmen Jimmy Van Bramer (second r.) and Ruben Wills look on. Photo by Christina Santucci

Councilman Peter Koo (c.) shakes hands with state Sen. Toby Stavisky (l.). Photo by Christina Santucci

Councilman Peter Koo (front r.) shakes hands with Barbara Conacchio, the chief clerk for the Board of Elections' Queens office, after his registration card was stamped. Photo by Christina Santucci

City Councilman Peter Koo (D-Flushing) officially registered with the Democratic Party Monday at the Queens Board of Elections offices in Kew Gardens after running on the GOP line three years ago to win a seat on the Council.

Koo is the wealthy owner of the Starside Drugs pharmacy chain and self-financed his campaign.

“We cherish the diversity of our party,” said U.S. Rep. Joseph Crowley (D-East Elmhurst), chairman of the Queens Democratic Party, during a news conference Monday at the BOE. “Peter’s joining this effort is a boon to our party and I think it’s great for Flushing in particular.”

Koo said infighting within the Queens GOP was part of his decision to switch parties. He said Democrats had “more leadership” and “more members” on the Council.

“From the beginning, I was always a Democrat at heart,” Koo said.

Queens GOP spokesman Robert Hornak said the party expects to work with Koo in the future.

“We’re disappointed to see him go, but we’ve always had a good relationship with him and we think highly of him,” Hornak said.

City Comptroller John Liu, Koo’s predecessor on the Council, said Koo’s stances on social issues were more in line with Democratic views.

“The issues that he’s talked about … [are] ?really much in line with our Queens delegation,” Liu said, shortly before Koo handed in his registration form to Barbara Conacchio, chief clerk at the BOE. “So it’s only rational that Peter Koo is about to be a Democrat.”

Koo’s switch to the Democratic side means Queens has only three GOP elected officials: U.S. Rep. Bob Turner (R-Middle Village) and Councilmen Dan Halloran (R-Bayside) and Eric Ulrich (R-Ozone Park).

“We’re used to electing Democrats, not always converting them,” Crowley said.

After Koo’s switch, Halloran said, “political parties aren’t everything.

“Peter is still my friend and colleague, and I’ll still work with him to cut taxes and create jobs in northeast Queens,” he said.

During Turner’s race, Koo went against his party and endorsed state Assemblyman David Weprin (D-Little Neck).

When Koo ran in 2009, the Democratic field had five candidates running in the primary.

Koo also said the Republican presidential primary process “was a small part of my decision … especially on immigrant issues.

“I understand how hard it is to be a newcomer,” he said.

State Assemblyman Rory Lancman (D-Fresh Meadows) joked that he was mystified why Koo first joined the Republicans in the first place.

“I never quite understood why he was a Republican,” Lancman said. “Such a nice guy. He likes people, he likes the immigrant community.”

Councilman Leroy Comrie (D-St. Albans), dean of the Queens Council delegation, said the party always had a good working relationship with Koo.

“We always treated you like one of our own,” he told Koo. “We always treated him as an equal part of the delegation because it’s about serving people.”

City Councilman Jimmy Van Bramer (pictured) was near the top of his class, according to the Urban Justice Center's Human Rights Report Card, whereas Councilman Peter Vallone's score indicated he could use some tutoring.

City Councilman Jimmy Van Bramer (D-Sunnyside) is going to have to make some room on his fridge.

The chairman of the Council Committee on Cultural Affairs, Libraries and International Intergroup Relations had the best record of the Queens delegation on human rights issues last year, according to the Urban Justice Center’s 2011 Human Rights Report Card.

The report card identified 72 bills introduced over the past year that focused on housing, voting, disability and workers’ rights as well as issues concerning criminal and juvenile justice, health and government accountability.

Each Council member was graded on his or her votes and sponsorship of these bills as well as their response to a questionnaire.

Van Bramer voted in favor of eight bills, sponsored 52 — including two he was the primary sponsor of — and returned his questionnaire, all of which earned him an “A-.”

He fared particularly well when it came to housing rights and government accountability.

On the other end of the spectrum, Councilman Peter Vallone’s (D-Astoria) score of 12 earned him a grade of “D+,” the lowest in the borough.

Vallone was the primary sponsor of two human rights bills and sponsored three others. He voted in favor of four bills and did not respond to the questionnaire.

The councilman criticized the methodology of the report, calling into question the voting records of other Council members who scored higher than he did.

“Apparently, supporting brutal and repressive dictators gets you an ‘A’ from this supposed human rights group. I’m proud to be at the bottom of any list Charles Barron is at the top of,” he said.

Councilman Barron (D-Brooklyn), who praised the late Libyan leader Moammar Gadhafi, earned an “A” on the report card.

Council members James Sanders (D-Laurelton) and Julissa Ferreras (D-East Elmhurst) both received a “B-” and Councilman Daniel Dromm (D-Jackson Heights) got a grade of “B.”

Receiving a grade of “C” were Council members Karen Koslowitz (D-Forest Hills), Elizabeth Crowley (D-Middle Village), Dan Halloran (R-Whitestone) and Leroy Comrie (D-St. Albans).

Councilmen Peter Koo (R-Flushing), Eric Ulrich (R-Ozone Park) and Mark Weprin (D-Oakland Gardens) each scored slightly lower: a “C-.”

Councilman James Gennaro (D-Fresh Meadows) got a “D+” and Councilman Ruben Wills (D-Jamaica), who took office last November, did not receive a grade.

While the report assigned each Council member a grade, its primary criticism was of the political power of the speaker and the Council’s failure to challenge that power.

Of the 72 bills introduced, only eight were brought to a vote, and the report implied this was because Council Speaker Christine Quinn (D-Manhattan) did not support them.

Quinn’s office did not respond to a request for comment.

The report cited two rules that allow the Council to advance the process of legislation that does not have the speaker’s support.

“There are no clear reasons for the Council’s reticence in taking advantage of these two rules. However, based [on] reports that the speaker readily wields political power internally, and on conversations with advocates, we speculate that failure to do so is linked with the desire of most Council members to maintain a relatively friendly relationship with the speaker,” the report read.

“However, given its impact on human rights in New York City, business as usual is not sufficient to protect our human rights. Council members should act — individually and as a collective — to challenge the status quo even in the face of political reprisals,” it continued.

Queens GOP Chairman Phil Ragusa (l.) shakes hands with Republican presidential candidate Newt Gingrich. Photo courtesy Queens Republican Party

Republican presidential frontrunner Newt Gingrich met with Queens GOP Chairman Phil Ragusa during a stop in Staten Island Saturday, and while Ragusa heaped glowing praise on the former House speaker, he stopped short of backing him.

Gingrich, a former Georgia congressman and House speaker in the early 1990s, vaulted past former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney in national polls in recent weeks to claim the top spot among Republican primary voters.

Gingrich made an appearance at the Staten Island Hilton before a crowd of Tea Party voters.

New York is such a reliably Democratic state in presidential politics that ?candidates of both parties barely make any appearances here except for raising funds from deep-pocketed city residents.?

The last time a Republican presidential contender won the state’s electoral votes was Ronald Reagan in 1984.

“I am extremely pleased Newt Gingrich took time out to talk with me and some of my Queens leadership team to discuss his plans,” Ragusa said in a statement Monday. “Clearly the speaker appreciates the important role Queens continues to play, and he demonstrated a keen knowledge of the concerns of Queens’ voters.

“Newt Gingrich is a strong and very impressive candidate and is someone I think the American people would have great confidence in when it comes time to turn around our failing economy and put America back on the right track.”

Gingrich’s visit to the city came a week after City Councilman Eric Ulrich (R-Ozone Park) was selected to head Romney’s campaign in the city.

Queens GOP spokesman Robert Hornak said Ragusa has not backed a candidate for president yet.

“This is not an endorsement and there’s no final decision made,” Hornak said.

But a source familiar with Ragusa’s thinking said, “Phil is leaning toward Gingrich.”

Ragusa said Gingrich has “an incredible command of the issues.

“Even former President Clinton described Speaker Gingrich as a problem solver and the thought of him debating Obama is almost irresistible,” he said. “One thing is clear — a mere month to go before the Iowa caucus, the field is thinning and Newt Gingrich is demonstrating his experience and intellectual vigor. I look forward to discussing the Republican slate with my leadership in the coming week. It is great that we have such a strong field!”

The state’s presidential primary is scheduled for April 24.

City Councilman Eric Ulrich will be chairing Mitt Romney’s campaign operation in the city. Photo by Christina Santucci

Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney has tapped City Councilman Eric Ulrich (R-Ozone Park) to head his campaign operations in New York City.

Ulrich, 26, is a rising star in the Republican Party who was first elected to the Council when he was 24.

He is one of five Republicans on the Council and among three GOP councilmen from Queens.

Romney, a former governor of Massachusetts, is the frontrunner for the GOP nomination in the race to decide who will face President Barack Obama in November 2012.

The announcement came from Romney’s New York state chairman, Guy Molinari, the former Staten Island borough president and congressman.

“Since being elected in 2009, Eric Ulrich has emerged as one of the rising stars in the Republican Party,” Molinari said in a statement. “I am honored that he has agreed to work with me to ensure that Gov. Romney assembles a formidable organization here in New York City for our party’s primary and we return New York to the Republican column next November.”

Ulrich said he believes Romney is the best candidate in a crowded Republican field.

“As the debate over our nation’s future reaches a critical stage, I am certain that Gov. Romney has the experience and ideas needed to get our country moving again,” the councilman said in a statement. “In 2009 and 2010 the Republican Party in New York City experienced remarkable gains in city, state and congressional elections. I am looking forward to working with Guy Molinari to build on those successes and elect Mitt Romney the next president of the United States.”

The gains Ulrich was referring to include U.S. Rep. Bob Turner’s (R-Kew Gardens) upset victory in September over state Assemblyman David Weprin (D-Little Neck) in the special election to replace former U.S. Rep. Anthony Weiner and the elections of GOP City Councilmen Peter Koo (R-Flushing) and Dan Halloran (R-Whitestone).

Assemblyman Phillip Goldfeder (c.) is sworn into office as his wife, children and U.S. Sen. Charles Schumer (from second r.) and state Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver look on. Photo by Ivan Pereira

Assemblyman Phillip Goldfeder (l.) talks with state Sen. Malcolm Smith following his inauguration. Photo by Ivan Pereira

Elected officials from all over the state gathered at Junior High School 210 in Ozone Park Sunday to pass the torch to the community’s newest representative in Albany.

State Assemblyman Phillip Goldfeder (D-Howard Beach) was inaugurated before his family, friends, community members and fellow elected officials.

Goldfeder, who worked in the political offices of City Councilman James Sanders (D-Laurelton), Mayor Michael Bloomberg and U.S. Sen Charles Schumer (D-N.Y.), succeeded former Assemblywoman Audrey Pheffer, who became the Queens county clerk in June after serving the 23rd Assembly District for 24 years.

The new Assembly member said he was grateful for all the support he received from both the party and constituents and vowed to improve their quality of life.

“As the new assemblyman, I’m going to do the things I promised on the campaign,” he said.

The district includes the neighborhoods of the Rockaways, Howard Beach and portions of South Ozone Park.

Several Democratic members of the state Legislature, including state Sen. Malcolm Smith (D-St. Albans), Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver (D-Manhattan) and Assemblywoman Grace Meng (D-Flushing), were in attendance for the event, at 93-11 101st Ave., ?and said the rookie elected official will be making big waves in office.

Smith noted that two key Republicans — U.S. Rep. Bob Turner (R-Kew Gardens) and Councilman Eric Ulrich (R-Ozone Park) — were at the inauguration and he called on Goldfeder to continue to lead in a bipartisan manner.

“The aisles shouldn’t matter. You should do what is right,” he said.

Silver agreed and said Goldfeder’s long career in the New York political arena has made him a strong community activist, and he would not only be able to convey the community’s voice to Albany but also bring Albany’s side of the issues back home.

“You are part of a young collection of leaders who continue to define themselves as defenders of working families,” he said.

Pheffer, who was Goldfeder’s former boss, said she was confident he would be able to fill her shoes.

“There are so many, many problems that need to be worked on,” she said. “I am confident that he is going to do a better job [than me]. ?He is confident.”

Goldfeder said he is working on solving those issues, including the elimination of the toll at the Cross Bay Bridge and creating new incentives for neighborhood store owners during the down economic times.

“Right here, there are many businesses that need to survive,” he said.

Both former City Councilman Tom Ognibene (l.) and Phil Ragusa claim to be chairman of the Queens Republican Party. Ognibene photo by Howard Koplowitz/Ragus photo from file

Two factions within the Queens Republican Party each elected their own chairman last week, setting up a court battle over who is the party’s legitimate leader.

Queens GOP Chairman Phil Ragusa, who is recognized by the state GOP, was re-elected during a reorganizational meeting at Reception House in Flushing Sept. 28.

Former City Councilman Tom Ognibene, who is backed by another faction led by the Haggerty brothers Bart and John was elected chairman during a meeting at Villa Russo in South Richmond Hill.

Both sides claim the other’s leader is illegitimate.

Lawyers for Ragusa were in Queens Supreme Court Tuesday to file an action against Bart Haggerty and Ognibene.

Queens GOP spokesman Robert Hornak said the Haggerty faction violated a court order that prevented them from holding an official Queens GOP meeting and filed an emergency action to prevent the Haggerty faction from filing certification with the state Board of Elections.

During a reorganization meeting two years ago attended by both factions, Ragusa was elected chairman, but the Haggerty faction walked out, claimed the voting was flawed and held a separate meeting to install Bart Haggerty as chairman.

Ragusa spokesman Robert Hornak said there was a temporary restraining order in place to prevent the Haggerty faction from holding a meeting, but the group went ahead and elected Ognibene anyway.

“There’s only one chairman and that’s Phil Ragusa,” Hornak said. “Clearly, he is the recognized chairman.”

Ognibene was chosen in a vote by acclamation with Councilman Eric Ulrich (R-Ozone Park) nominating him for chairman.

“For the good people of Queens, we need new leadership,” Ulrich said. “There’s only one man in the borough who can … unite the various factions and that is Tom Ognibene.”

Ognibene claimed the Ragusa faction was disorganized and did little to help Republican candidates.

“For some reason, we’ve been drifting back and away from that,” Ognibene said. “The important thing is right here in our own county we can make changes.”

Ognibene called Ulrich “the brightest young candidate the Republicans have had in years” and said Ragusa tried to sabotage Ulrich’s election in a 2009 special election when he “put up a shill named Ricatto,” referring to former GOP Council candidate Michael Ricatto.

Ognibene also claimed Ragusa “tried to derail Bob Turner’s candidacy,” when Ragusa mulled nominating little-known Republican Juan Reyes. Turner went on to win the seat that had been held by Democratic U.S. Rep. Anthony Weiner, who resigned because of a texting scandal.

Vallone said increased funding and hours for receiving centers across the city does not make up for Queens not having an animal shelter. Animals found in Queens are often sent to other boroughs, like Wilbur the pig, who was found in College Point but sent to Manhattan.

City Councilman Peter Vallone Jr. (D-Astoria) criticized a bill passed by his fellow Council members and championed by Mayor Michael Bloomberg that increases funding and the hours of operation for animal receiving centers but gets rid of a requirement for full-service shelters in Queens and the Bronx.

“We will probably see it rain cats and dogs in Queens before we ever see a shelter,” Vallone said.

The law provides more than $10 million in funding to Animal Care and Control, the nonprofit group which runs the city’s animal shelters. The operating hours of receiving centers, which take in animals so they can be put through the shelter system, have also been increased from eight hours a day once or twice a week to 12 hours a day seven days a week.

“This bill paves the way for a significant increase in public funding for the city’s animal shelters, which will greatly expand and improve care for homeless animals,” Council Speaker Christine Quinn (D-Manhattan) said in a statement.

In exchange, the city will no longer be required to build two full-service shelters, one for Queens and one for the Bronx, in accordance with a law passed in 2000. Vallone Jr.’s father, former Council Speaker Peter Vallone Sr., oversaw the passage of the previous law.

The new law was passed Sept. 21, with 46 votes in favor. Four Queens councilmen — Vallone Jr., Leroy Comrie (D-St. Albans), Dan Halloran (R-Whitestone) and Eric Ulrich (R-Ozone Park) — were the only ones to vote against it. Bloomberg signed the bill Tuesday.

Vallone Jr. said that while he was in favor of the increased funding and hours, a receiving center was no substitute for a shelter. He said he had heard a story about one family who lost their dog and after they eventually tracked it to a Manhattan shelter six hours later, they found the dog had been killed, with the shelter claiming it was sick. Vallone Jr. said he believed the situation could have been avoided if Queens had had a shelter.

The councilman said that since 2009, the nonprofit Stray from the Heart has sued the city Department of Health for not complying with the 2000 law and claimed Bloomberg pushed the new law to avoid an unfavorable court ruling. Stray from the Heart won its suit in New York Supreme Court, but lost a Health Department appeal that said the nonprofit did not have the standing to bring the claim to court. Vallone Jr. said the nonprofit was working to appeal the decision.

“The mayor wanted it done so there would not be a court ruling that the city was in contempt of the law and the City Council did it for him,” Vallone Jr. said.

The mayor’s office did not respond to requests for comment on Vallone Jr.’s claim.

Jane Deacy speaks to supporters in her Rockaway office to kickoff her run for the 23rd state Assembly seat. Photo by Joe Anuta

Jane Deacy, who is running for the 23rd state Assembly seat vacated by Audrey Pheffer, officially opened her Rockaway Beach office Saturday to kick off what will be a short campaign designed to boost Republican political clout in the area.

“It’s fast and furious,” she said in an interview inside the storefront office, at 112-20 Beach Channel Drive, referring to the roughly month-long period she has to stump until the Sept. 13 special election.

Deacy, who has been a Republican district leader for the last four years, had only three weeks to prepare before opening her office, and lacked the long-term fund-raising efforts many politicians rely on to increase their visibility before an election.

“I’m relying on my supporters,” she said. “This is definitely a grass-roots campaign.”

Handmade sign-up posters hung on the walls of the room, which looked like it could have previously housed a small cell phone store or photo gallery. Colored markers attached to strings dangled from the posters, which many supports used to write their names under categories like “election day volunteers” or “special events.”

Deacy hopes to fill the seat left by Pheffer, a Democrat who was first elected to the Assembly in 1987, but left in May after she was appointed the Queens county clerk.

The seat was left vacant for several months, but on July 1 Gov. Andrew Cuomo called for the special election to be held on Primary Day.

The election is especially important for the Queens Republican Party, which is trying to gain a foothold on three tiers of government.

City Councilman Eric Ulrich (R-Ozone Park) represents the party on the city level. If Deacy is elected, it would give Republicans a foothold in the state Legislature.

The party is also backing Bob Turner on the federal level. Turner is involved in a special election against Assemblyman David Weprin (D-Little Neck) for the congressional seat previously held by Anthony Weiner, who abruptly resigned in June over a sexting scandal.

Both Ulrich and Turner attended the kickoff, and touted the ideals of low taxes and small government they share with Deacy.

“We are on the same page ideologically,” Turner said.

Ulrich said that having an ally on the state level would be helpful in dealing with entities like the Metropolitan Transportation Authority to get better service for constituents in the Rockaways.

Deacy said that one of her main priorities would be to repeal the $3.25 toll on the Cross Bay Bridge.

“The toll has to go,” she said. “It’s a noose around the peninsula.”

The toll discourages business development, Deacy said.

She also would investigate how the possible closure of Peninsula Hospital would affect the island’s extensive senior care business.

“They are pulling the plug on a lifeline in the Rockaways,” she said.

She also said quality-of-life issues surrounding the Aqueduct racino project and repealing the MTA payroll tax, which comes out of payrolls of small businesses in the city, would be on her radar.

Former U.S. Rep. Anthony Weiner announces his resignation from Congress during a news conference in Brooklyn. Nominees for his seat from the heads of the borough's two major parties are expected to be announced by July 11.

The heads of the borough’s two major parties are expected to name their nominees to replace former U.S. Rep. Anthony Weiner by later this week at the earliest after Gov. Andrew Cuomo called for a Sept. 13 special election to fill the vacant 9th Congressional District seat in Forest Hills.

Weiner resigned in disgrace last month after admitting to tweeting a photo of his boxer-clad crotch to a Seattle college student. He initially lied and claimed his Twitter account was hacked.

A source close to the Queens Democratic Party said state Assemblyman Rory Lancman (D-Fresh Meadows) is the odds-on favorite to be picked as the Democratic candidate for the seat by Rep. Joseph Crowley (D-Jackson Heights), who also doubles as the Queens Democratic Party chairman.

“If I was gambling, I would bet on Rory,” the source said, claiming the assemblyman is out of favor with Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver (D-Manhattan).

“He’s had some run-ins with Shelly,” the source said.

But Lancman denied butting heads with the speaker.

“I haven’t had clashes with [Silver],” Lancman said. “We have a good relationship, I have excellent committee assignments.”

On the Republican side, the Queens GOP is not tipping its hand as to who it will designate as the party’s nominee, but among the contenders is retired Rockaway businessman Bob Turner, who mounted an unsuccessful campaign against Weiner in 2009.

City Councilman Eric Ulrich (R-Ozone Park) said Tuesday he would not run for the seat.

Queens GOP spokesman Robert Hornak said seven or eight candidates have expressed interest in running on the Republican side.

“We’re going to screen every potential candidate before we make a final decision,” he said. “We’ve cast a wide net.”

Both parties have until Monday to name their nominee, who will run under the party’s line during the special election.

With the state set to lose two congressional seats due to redistricting following the 2010 census, most political observers believe the 9th Congressional District — which covers Forest Hills, Rego Park, Kew Gardens, Richmond Hill, Howard Beach, part of the Rockaways and Brooklyn — will be eliminated, which makes the seat less attractive to ambitious politicians.

Other Democratic names mentioned to be in the running include former City Council members Eric Gioia and Melinda Katz, City Councilmen Mark Weprin (D-Oakland Gardens) and Peter Vallone Jr. (D-Astoria), Assemblyman David Weprin (D-Little Neck), former Borough President Claire Shulman and former Congresswoman and city Comptroller Elizabeth Holtzman of Brooklyn.

“It’s going to be interesting,” the source said.

The special election is set for Sept. 13, Primary Day, when there will also be special elections to fill the seats of former Assemblywomen Nettie Mayersohn in Flushing and Audrey Pheffer in Rockaway Beach.

Mayersohn, 85, retired in April after nearly 30 years in the Assembly, while Pheffer stepped down last month to fill the vacant county clerk position.

U.S. Rep. Anthony Weiner announces his resignation from Congress in the same Brooklyn senior center where he started his political career. Photo by Christina Santucci

After three weeks of media frenzy surrounding Weinergate and a curt final press conference last Thursday, U.S. Rep. Anthony Weiner officially left Congress Tuesday, creating a unique political vacuum in his district that stretches across much of Queens into Brooklyn.

The Forest Hills Democrat submitted his official resignation letter Monday and was out at midnight Tuesday. His staff will continue to operate his offices for the time being, but the names of several Queens prospects are already being tossed around as replacements for the disgraced lawmaker.

Elected officials like City Council members James Gennaro (D-Fresh Meadows), Eric Ulrich (R-Ozone Park), Elizabeth Crowley (D-Middle Village) and Mark Weprin (D-Oakland Gardens) as well as state Assemblymen Rory Lancman (D-Fresh Meadows) and David Weprin (D-Little Neck) have already been mentioned as possible successors to Weiner.

Republican Bob Turner, who ran against Weiner last year, and former Council members Melinda Katz and Eric Gioia, both Democrats, have also been mentioned as possible replacements.

Most on the list could not be reached for comment by press time, but talk about the vacant seat has increased now that Weiner has ceased to make headlines around the country and draw a hoard of photographers who followed him from home to office and even to the Laundromat. The frenzy culminated with last Thursday’s press conference, where scores of reporters gathered and a heckler interrupted his farewell speech.

“It is a great privilege to serve as a member of the City Council and as chairman of its Committee on Environmental Protection, and I have been very fortunate to have had my environmental work recognized nationally. And, as the only prospective candidate for the 9th Congressional District who has a national profile on any important issue, it makes sense that I consider this opportunity, which I am doing,” Gennaro said in a statement. “But I cherish my current job, and have not yet made a decision.”

Gov. Andrew Cuomo will ultimately decide how the seat will be filled. Cuomo can call a special election, which must take place 70 to 80 days after the announcement.

If the governor wanted to hold the election on Primary Day, since voters will already be out and machines set up, he would have to call the election no later than June 24. Alternatively, Cuomo could choose to leave the seat vacant until 2012.

According to political insiders familiar with the situation, the seat will most likely be in existence for one year only.

After each census, state lawmakers appoint a committee to redraw the lines of electoral districts to reflect any shift in population. ?Since New York will is set to lose two seats, congressional and state politicians from both parties will each decide one seat to eliminate. Since nobody is likely to volunteer, Weiner’s seat was basically served on a silver platter, sources said.

Because of the position’s limited lifespan, Democrats must be careful not to endorse anyone too ambitious, sources said. If the seat is eliminated, the newly elected lawmaker, now out of a job, might try to run against other party members to gain a seat again, sources said.

But Democrats cannot put up too weak of a contender, other insiders said, since the Republican Party had a strong candidate last year in the form of Bob Turner.

Turner garnered 41 percent of the vote and has publicly expressed his desire for the seat.

“This is more than a place holder,” Turner said. “I think there will be many important points that Congress will make running up to the 2012 election of the president.”

But for each party, picking the right candidate right after a scandal also proves complicated, sources said, which is why a woman might do well to take constituents’ minds off the scandal.

City Councilman Peter Koo (c.) stands with recipients of his personal awards for community service and others at an event he hosted in Flushing. Photo courtesy Peter Koo

Flushing’s city councilman has announced he will be running to remain in that role for another four years.

Peter Koo (R-Flushing) made the official disclosure before a crowd of hundreds at a gala ceremony at Mudan Banquet Celebration Center Feb. 17, drawing cheers of support and rousing applause.

“Tonight I am raising money to help me as I seek re-election as your Council member. I know firsthand how tough these economic times are for all of us and, therefore, I thank you from the bottom of my heart for your support and generosity,” he said. “With your friendship, help and support, not only will we be victorious in 2013, but we will create a better community for our loved ones.”

The event at Mudan, on the second floor at 136-17 39th Ave., brought together a wide group of local community members, civic leaders and a range of Koo’s Republican colleagues, including Councilmen Dan Halloran (R-Whitestone) and Eric Ulrich (R-Ozone Park). It also attracted people of various nationalities, including many members of both the Chinese-American and Korean-American communities,? demonstrating the cross-appeal Koo has built in his ethnically diverse district.

James McClelland, Koo’s chief of staff, said it exceeded their expectations for fund-raising, although he declined to say how much the councilman actually raised. That number will be available when Koo next submits a campaign finance disclosure statement.

“What was revealed was the amount of support Peter has today rather than when he first ran. There’s a wider base of support,” McClelland said. “We had over 350 people there for his first re-election event. It’s definitely encouraging to see all these people come out to support him.”

No challengers were listed Tuesday on the city Campaign Finance Board’s web site as planning to run against Koo in 2013, but the race is still in its absolute infancy and there are rumblings among northeast Queens political types that the field could eventually include as many as six or seven candidates as it did in 2009.

Koo has officially begun the gritty work of raising money for his campaign, but his remarks still focused in large part on the future during his address Tuesday night.

“Government can no longer turn a blind eye to the plight of the people or deaf ear to the pleas of the hardworking taxpayer,” he said. “I will fight for the real change that will make a positive difference in people’s lives.”

Koo also distributed personal awards for community service to eight local leaders, including Don Capalbi, president of the Queensboro Hill Neighborhood Association.

“To me, a recognition for community service has special meaning when coming from Peter Koo, who has long exemplified generosity to our community,” Capalbi said.

A panel of Council members -- including Ruben Wills (from r.), Eric Ulrich, Julissa Ferraras and James Sanders -- listen to negative testimony about Walmart at the Council's second hearing. Photo by Joe Anuta

Anti-Walmart demonstrators rally across the street from a smaller group of pro-Walmart demonstrators outside of the second Council hearing on the retail giant. Photo by Joe Anuta

City Councilman Eric Ulrich (R-Ozone Park) fought a lonely battle against a barrage of Walmart criticism in Manhattan last Thursday when the Council held its second hearing on the retail giant’s possible move into the five boroughs.

Walmart has been eyeing a site in Brooklyn, and has attempted to sway public opinion in its favor with an aggressive ad campaign in newspapers and on the radio.

But there was no need to convince Ulrich. The Queens Republican was the sole official in favor of the retailer opening a New York City store and served as a voice of opposition in the largely one-sided discussion.

“In the City Council, we do a fair and balanced hearing,” said Councilman James Sanders (D-Laurelton), chairman of the Committee on Civil Service and Labor. “I’m sorely disappointed that Walmart didn’t come.”

The nation’s largest retailer did issue a statement saying it declined to participate but also benefitted from the defense of Ulrich, whom Sanders allowed extra time to speak.

At one point in the hearing, Ulrich questioned four people who testified against the company and cited multiple court cases accusing the retailer of discriminating against women and exploiting employees.

Ulrich asked whether they believed the practices mentioned — locking employees in the store overnight and prohibiting organized labor — would continue in the city, which he characterized as home to the toughest labor laws in the country.

“I find it hard to believe that that would happen in New York City,” Ulrich said. “Walmart realizes that doing business in New York is different than doing business in Alabama or Arkansas.”

To support his point, he said Walmart had mentioned allowing union labor to construct future stores.

But Annette Bernhardt of the National Employment Law Project said enforcement of labor laws is lax in the city due to an overloaded city Department of Labor, so the laws while tough are not actually enforced.

“There are 150 inspectors for the millions of workers and half a million workplaces,” she said. “The only option is to file lawsuits.”

But Ulrich took issue with many of the lawsuits that were provided as evidence of Walmart’s employee discrimination and violations of labor laws, since the retailer often decided to settle out of court.

“A settlement is not an admission of guilt,” Ulrich said. “It is unfair to characterize a corporation as basically wholly unscrupulous just because they settled out of court.”

Adam Klein, a lawyer at ?Outten and Golden in Manhattan, said Walmart had in fact lost several court cases.

Despite the retailer’s legal entanglements, Ulrich also asked why an employer that claims to pay $12 an hour is a bad thing.

“Walmart is coming to New York City and paying $12 an hour,” Ulrich said. “That’s higher than the living wage bill that my co-Council members are sponsoring.”

The panelists expressed skepticism that the company would make good on that promise and accused Walmart of hiring predominantly part-time workers for less pay.

“A job is a job. If they hire 1,000 people they would be taking 1,000 people off of the welfare list,” Ulrich said.

“If it is such a terrible company to work for, why do 1.4 million people work there?” he asked.

Sandra Carpenter, a former employee of Walmart in Massachusetts who testified against the company, replied, “They need jobs.”

After the hearing, Ulrich said he would like to see the retailer in the city, although he likes some spots more than others.

“I want Walmart anywhere in the five boroughs,” Ulrich said. “But I would gladly take them in my district.”

Ulrich also stressed that the location should be in a spot where it would not harm small business.

He cited other big box stores in Brooklyn that are removed from small commercial districts as examples.

The City Coucil voted to extend the city's smoking ban to include parks and beaches. AP Photo/Gerry Broome

The City Council voted last week to expand the smoking ban by prohibiting smokers from lighting up in city parks and beaches.

Councilman Peter Vallone Jr. (D-Astoria) was the author of a compromise bill that would have designated smoking areas in parks and beaches but the legislation never made it to the Council floor.

“Unfortunately, we were given an all-or-nothing choice,” Vallone said. “It was a very difficult vote for me.”

Vallone said he was torn over whether government should be telling citizens where they can and cannot smoke.

Besides city parks and beaches, the ban includes pools, recreation centers and city Parks Department properties, equipment, buildings and facilities.

Places exempt from the ban include sidewalks immediately adjoining parks, squares and public spaces; any pedestrian route through any park strip, median or mall that is adjacent to vehicular traffic; and parking lots.

Actors who have to smoke as part of theatrical performances are also not included in the ban.

Anyone in violation of the ban is subject to a $50 fine for each infraction.

The Council voted in favor of the ban by a 36-12 vote.

Vallone’s district includes Astoria Park and the Astoria Pool, where smoking will be prohibited.

“The vast majority of people are happy about this bill,” he said. “They can enjoy the park and the pool without the dangers of secondhand smoke.”

City Councilman Eric Ulrich (R-Ozone Park) was one of the 12 Council members to vote against the ban.

“While I understand the health concerns that prompted the introduction of this bill, it is nothing more than another example of government intruding into the private lives of New Yorkers,” he said in a statement. “The city should be less concerned about correcting people’s bad habits and more focused on solving real problems facing the city. Whether we like it or not, smokers pay taxes and they have rights, too. We need to be mindful of the fact that we’re infringing on the rights and freedoms of everyday residents who are not breaking the law.”

Proponents of the ban say it protects city residents from second-hand smoke and will reduce trash at beaches.

“The statistics don’t lie: Secondhand smoke kills,” said Council Speaker Christine Quinn (D-Manhattan). “With this bill, all New Yorkers can now breathe easier and breathe cleaner air.”

“No one should have to inhale deadly cigarette smoke when they go to the park or beach,” she said. “My Council colleagues and I know that Big Tobacco will never rest in its efforts to recruit new smokers to replace those customers who are dying prematurely from using their products. But this summer, when people visit our beautiful parks and beaches, they will be able to relax and not worry about dodging deadly secondhand smoke.”

Melissa Herzog signs in to vote at JHS 185 in Flushing with daughter Kaela, 6, and poll workers Raymond Flynn (c.) and Irving Fromowitz. Preliminary numbers show voter turnout was lower for this election than in 2001. Photo by Christina Santucci

During an election marked by turmoil over term limits and a tempestuous Democratic primary season, Queens Republicans last week gained two seats in the City Council and solidified their hold over a third in a borough where the GOP is heavily outnumbered.

Flushing businessman Peter Koo triumphed over Yen Chou, a former aide to Councilman David Weprin (D-Hollis); Auburndale lawyer Dan Halloran defeated Kevin Kim, a former aide to U.S. Rep. Gary Ackerman (D-Bayside); and Councilman Eric Ulrich (R-Rockaway Beach) won re-election over longtime civic leader Frank Gulluscio.

Just over 1.1 million people voted in the mayoral race Nov. 3, compared with the nearly 1.3 million who voted in 2005, and the lower interest in that race appeared to have been reflected among Council contests.

Each Republican candidate won with a voter turnout considerably lower than the 2001 elections, the last time term limits created widespread turnover in the Council. Halloran won with 52.5 percent of 26,074 votes, according to preliminary numbers from cable news channel NY1. Full election results were not available from the city Board of Elections by press time Tuesday.

By contrast, current Councilman Tony Avella (D-Bayside) won with 48.8 percent of 34,089 votes in 2001.
Koo took Flushing with 49.6 percent of 16,293 votes compared with current Councilman John Liu’s (D-Flushing) 53.3 percent of 19,881 votes in 2001.

Ulrich, who won by the largest margin — 59.1 percent of 20,607 votes — still triumphed with a far smaller turnout than the previous councilman, state Sen. Joseph Addabbo (D-Howard Beach), enjoyed in 2001: 55.1 percent of 27,451 votes.

Michael Krasner, a professor of political science at Queens College, said both Democrats and Republicans suffered from voter apathy over the mayoral race, which many saw as a walk for Mayor Michael Bloomberg up until the votes were tallied.

“I think it’s clear that the Democrats have work to do,” Krasner said. “They’ve lost a whole bunch of mayoral elections and their strongest candidates didn’t run. … The party organizations were challenged successfully in several City Council races. That’s a sign that they don’t have the sway over their voters that they once have had.”

Krasner said the Republican victories in the 19th, 20th and 32nd districts were due more to area-specific issues than any over-arching political trend.

“I think that Halloran won in part because the Democrats had beat each other up pretty bad in the primary there, and also he’s an extremely able candidate,” Krasner said, noting he also believed Chou lost in large part because of the harsh criticisms of her Democratic primary foes. “I don’t know the opponent, but I think he probably wasn’t as good a campaigner.”

Vincent Tabone, executive vice chairman of the Queens GOP, seemingly stopped short of saying the Republican victories were a sea change in Queens politics, but praised his party for being in touch with voters.

“The unifying factor was that each of our victors were genuine community leaders involved with their communities and ran races focused on issues and challenges facing their communities,” he said in an e-mail.

Tabone characterized the perceived inevitability of Bloomberg’s re-election as shifting the spotlight on local races.

“Against this backdrop candidates with the best command of community issues tended to do very well,” he said, noting the GOP would look for similar qualities in candidates for state Legislature next year.
Krasner, meanwhile, doubted the Republican Council victories would translate to gains in next year’s state Legislature elections.

“I think it’s more a question of whether the Democrats can get their act together both in terms of local factors and in terms of the governor’s race,” he said.

Reach reporter Jeremy Walsh by e-mail at jewalsh@cnglocal.com or by phone at 718-229-0300, Ext. 154.

The race between Ulrich, 24, and Gulluscio, 60, pitted young against old, and new ideas vs. experience, in a district made up largely of people with deep roots in their neighborhoods.

Voters could choose to return a fresh voice of discord to the Council in Ulrich, who became only the third Republican in the entire Council Feb. 24 when he was voted into office in the special election to fill the spot Joseph Addabbo Jr. (D-Howard Beach) vacated after winning a state Senate seat in November 2008.

The young candidate from Ozone Park ran on the strength of his proven ability to “bring real results” to District 32 residents and to only make promises he could keep, he said repeatedly during the campaign. As he and his supporters canvassed District 32, which includes Howard Beach, Ozone Park, Hamilton Beach, Lindenwood, Woodhaven, Richmond Hill, Broad Channel, Rockaway, Belle Harbor and Breezy Point, they highlighted his success in his seven months in office with graffiti removal and securing funding for local libraries.

Or they could go with Gulluscio, who has a lifetime worth of experience but has not served on the Council. He was taken off the Feb. 24 ballot after petition challenges and was running in his first standard Council race as was Ulrich.
Gulluscio, who won the Democratic primary, has served the district for more than 30 years in roles that include schoolteacher, activist, district leader and aide to Addabbo when he was a councilman.

His campaign, which focused on his lifetime of experience, was boosted by the backing of several key players of the area’s formidable Democratic political machine, which includes the powerful local Addabbo family dynasty, members of the Congress, the state Assembly and others.

Both men cited transportation, quality of life and public safety as the issues they considered most important and made a case that they would work to make government more open and accessible to their potential constituents, so the election came down to a referendum on party alliance and experience.

The election brought to the end a campaign that was fought hard on the ground with extensive canvassing and allegations of dishonesty hurled by both campaigns.

Reach reporter Connor Adams Sheets by e-mail at csheets@cnglocal.com or by phone at 718-229-0300, Ext. 138.

One of only three Republicans in the 51-member Council, Ulrich is also the youngest member at 24.

Transportation is the issue Ulrich considers most important, followed by quality-of-life concerns. He points to his success in removing graffiti from more than 400 district locations and bringing more than $1 million to local libraries as evidence he is able to produce results for residents.

The next challenges Ulrich wants to tackle are traffic congestion on Woodhaven and Cross Bay boulevards, noise nuisances and increasing the district’s police presence and security.

“In seven months we’ve done what hasn’t been accomplished in seven years in regards to cleaning things up in the neighborhoods,” he said. “… And I represent a working- and middle-class district and they deserve tax relief and they deserve it now.”

Gulluscio, 60, is looking to use his years of experience in civics, education and business to serve residents of District 32, which includes Howard Beach, Ozone Park, Hamilton Beach, Lindenwood, Woodhaven, Richmond Hill, Broad Channel, Rockaway, Belle Harbor and Breezy Point.

He cites transportation and quality of life as his key issues as well and points to experience in these areas going back more than two decades to when he advocated successfully to improve safety in Howard Beach by changing a number of residential streets from two-way to one-way.

He also says he is fed up with the way the middle class is “nickel and dimed” in his district.

“Everywhere we go the message is the same: People are tired of being crushed by higher taxes and rising fines,” Gulluscio said in a statement Monday. “The community needs an advocate who will address the needs of all their constituents.”

Reach reporter Connor Adams Sheets by e-mail at csheets@cnglocal.com or by phone at 718-229-0300, Ext. 138.

Democratic council candidate Frank Gulluscio (c.) joins community activist Betty Braton (l.) and state Sen. Joseph Addabbo at an intersection in Howard Beach in support of two transportation bills before the Council. Photo by Connor Adams Sheets

“Nineteen days left,” Democratic City Council candidate Frank Gulluscio told a supporter who greeted him as he entered Sapienza Bagels and Deli in Howard Beach last Thursday for a buttered sesame bagel and coffee, referring to the scant time remaining before the Nov. 3 general election.

Gulluscio was recognized by several other voters during his breakfast in the community he has served for more than 30 years in roles that include schoolteacher, activist, district leader and aide to state Sen. Joseph Addabbo Jr. (D-Howard Beach) when he was a city councilman.

In the past month he has highlighted his plans for his top issue: improving the area’s transportation if elected. He has hosted events in District 32 to lay out his proposed solutions for Rockaway commuters, announce his support for transportation bills currently before the Council and support eliminating the Cross Bay Bridge toll in order to benefit Rockaway businesses.

This race is Gulluscio’s second bid for elected office. He ran in the Feb. 24 special election to fill the Council seat vacated by Addabbo, but was taken off the ballot after petition challenges. Councilman Eric Ulrich (D-Rockaway Beach) won that race and is Gulluscio’s incumbent Republican opponent next month.

Gulluscio, 60, said he has been concerned about transportation issues in the area ever since he first delved into civics more than two decades ago, successfully advocating to have many of Howard Beach’s two-way residential roads changed to one-way in order to protect children.

Coming in as a close second are quality-of-life issues, which he said he also plans to address if he is elected to the Council.

“The city’s not perfect and the district is not perfect. There are things we need to do, from litter baskets to the nickel and diming of the middle class through excessive parking and traffic tickets,” he said.

As the winner of the Democratic primary, Gulluscio has the endorsements of many longtime New York Democrats, including Addabbo, U.S. Reps. Anthony Weiner (D-Forest Hills) and Gregory Meeks (D-St. Albans), Councilwoman Elizabeth Crowley (D-Middle Village) and mayoral candidate Bill Thompson.

He has also been endorsed by many unions, including the New York Hotel and Motel Trades Council, Food and Commercial Workers Union Local 1500 and Uniformed Fire Officers Association.

He said if he is elected he will work with the community, establishing “grassroots connections ” and keeping his office staffed six days a week and late at night to address constituent concerns.

“One of my main goals is to bring the government to the people,” he said. “We’re the complaint department of New York City.”

When they head to the polls early next month, voters should consider Gulluscio’s extensive experience, he said, which will yield more benefits for the people of District 32 than the younger Ulrich has been able to bring.

“I bring to the table real-life experience. I’ve had business experience, government experience with City Hall, everyday experience working with agencies with Community Board 6, educational experience teaching kids, and neighborhood experience for 30 years as a community activist,” he said. “Above all, it’s real experience, not six-month stints.”

Reach reporter Connor Adams Sheets by e-mail at csheets@cnglocal.com or by phone at 718-229-0300, Ext. 138.

Councilman Eric Ulrich (front l.) shares the stage with former Mayor Rudy Giuliani (c.) and Mayor Michael Bloomberg during the opening ceremonies of the Howard Beach Columbus Day Parade Sunday. Photo by Ken Maldonado.

Liam McCabe, manager of City Councilman Eric Ulrich’s (R-Rockaway Beach) re-election campaign, busily worked the phones last week in the campaign’s one-room Ozone Park headquarters.

A printer was late sending yard signs, a banner was posted in the wrong location, there was an issue with the installation of a billboard and constituents were requesting signs for their windows.

As the campaign reaches its final weeks, Ulrich, the youngest serving Council member and one of only three Republicans in the 51-member body, is making his final push for votes.

“We’re still reaching out to voters, going door-to-door. We’re going to compete for every voter, irrespective of party affiliation, on Election Day,” he said last Thursday. “We are also going to make sure we get our voters out to the polls.”

The walls of the 24-year-old incumbent’s office are lined with newspaper clippings, campaign signs and large maps of District 32, with lines drawn in black marker around blocks he has canvassed, shaking hands with residents and telling them why they should check the box next to his name Nov. 3.

The fast-approaching election is crucial for Ulrich, who was born and raised in Ozone Park, because it is the first time he has run for the Council in a general election. Voted into office in the Feb. 24 special election to fill the spot Joseph Addabbo Jr. (D-Howard Beach) vacated after winning a state Senate seat in November 2008, he is looking to defend his seat against Frank Gulluscio, the Democratic primary winner.

Ulrich said his record of keeping promises and getting work done during his short stint in office are key reasons voters should choose him.

“I’m not going to go out there and make promises I can’t keep, but I have realistic expectations of where this community could be in four years, and if community members are concerned about the long-term sustainability and viability of this community, then they will return me to office on Nov. 3,” he said.

Ulrich, who has been endorsed by three New York City mayors — Michael Bloomberg, an independent; Rudy Giuliani, a Republican; and Ed Koch, a Democrat — points to his success in removing graffiti from more than 400 district locations and bringing more than $1 million to local libraries as evidence he is able to produce results for residents.

He marched through windy rain alongside Bloomberg and Giuliani in Howard Beach’s annual Columbus Day parade Sunday morning, in a show of support for his candidacy.

Ulrich, who said he will fight for tax relief for working-class people if he is re-elected, said his main priorities will be transportation and quality-of-life issues. The next challenges he wants to tackle are traffic congestion on Woodhaven and Cross Bay boulevards, noise nuisances, and increasing the district’s police presence and security.

In the end, he said he hopes to use his time in office to help his district in tangible ways.

“Eventually when I’m out of office, I’d like people to look back and say my district is better off because of my service and I left it better than I found it,” Ulrich said.

Reach reporter Connor Adams Sheets by e-mail at csheets@cnglocal.com or by phone at 718-229-0300, Ext. 138.

Community activist Betty Braton, Democratic council candidate Frank Gulluscio, and state Sen. Joseph Addabbo speak at an intersection in Howard Beach Oct. 13 in support of two transportation bills before the council. Photo by Connor Adams Sheets

Residents woke up one morning to tickets on their windshields when the parking laws on a section of 108th Street in Queens were changed overnight earlier this year.

Bike lanes were quickly installed in 2008 by the Department of Transportation throughout Howard Beach without soliciting input from local officials, the public, or Community Board 10, causing confusion among some residents.

These are just two examples of easily avoidable types of problems that District Leader Frank Gulluscio, who won the Democratic primary last month for the City Council seat currently held by Eric A. Ulrich, state Senator Joseph Addabbo (D-Howard Beach), and local community activist Betty Braton say could be avoided in the future if two bills currently before the New York City Council are passed.

The three met Tuesday afternoon at a busy intersection in Howard Beach to announce their support of the bills.

The bills, which were heard before the Council’s Transportation Committee on Thursday, would require that DOT present to the public plans to begin work on certain projects 60 days before implementation, and to the relevant community board 30 days before implementation.

“When there’s a pilot construction project or major construction, it’s important that the community knows it’s happening,” Gulluscio said. “One of the ways we to let them know it’s happening is to have a public notice … to let the community know the start and end date, the cost of the projects, and any studies associated with the project.”

Addabbo said that constituents have called his office “plenty of times” with questions and concerns about under-publicized construction projects, and that the legislation would allow officials to hear and address those issues before construction begins.

“In this day of modern technology with e-mails, text-messaging, Twitter … we can get this information out almost instantaneously and get it to our residents, and it costs the city nothing,” he said.

Braton called the bills a “simple, common-sense approach” in that they will open new lines of communication and keep residents from being surprised when new construction begins.

“Nothing should ever be implemented in a community where the people say, ‘I didn’t know anything about it,’” she said.

DC 37, which has more than 125,000 members in various fields including nursing, sanitation and education workers, predominantly selected the Council’s Queens incumbents for their election choices.

The union went against the status quo in the race for Democrat James Sanders’ 31st Council District seat and the race Republican Eric Ulrich’s seat in the 32nd Council District.

Marq Claxton, who will be challenging Sanders in the Democratic primary in September, got the nod by the union. Frank Gulluscio, a Democrat who ran against Ulrich in the February special election for the seat but was removed from the ballot by a petition challenge, was also endorsed by DC 37.

For the elections for the seats left vacated by current Council members, the union endorsed Democrat Jerry Iannece for Democratic Councilman Tony Avella’s seat in the 19th District, Democrat S.J. Jung for Democratic Councilman John Liu’s seat in the 20th District, state Assemblyman Mark Weprin (D-Little Neck) for the 23rd District seat vacated by his brother David Weprin, Democrat Jimmy van Bramer for the District 26 seat vacated by Councilman Eric Gioia and former Queens Deputy Borough President Karen Koslowitz (D) for her run for the 29th Council District seat that will be vacated by Melinda Katz (D).