Queens Borough President Primary 2020: Meet Costa Constantinides

QUEENS, NY — Queens Democrats will get to cast a ballot Tuesday in a collection of local, state and federal primary races — including the primary election for borough president, a position that opened up after former Queens Borough President Melinda Katz took office as Queens district attorney at the start of the year.

The winner of the primary election will face Queens GOP Chair Joann Ariola in November's general election to determine who will serve as borough president for the remainder of Katz's term, which is up at the end of 2021.

Borough presidents oversee major land-use decisions and control a multimillion-dollar budget to support local organizations. They also appoint members of community boards, the City Planning Commission and community education councils, which govern school districts along with the local superintendent.

The primary election on June 23 is open to registered Democratic voters. Voters who requested an absentee ballot must send it in by the date of the election for the vote to get counted.

Click here to find your poll site. Early voting is available from June 13 to June 21.

Patch reached out to all candidates in the race for borough president to create these profiles. Responses have been lightly edited for clarity.

Costa Constantinides

Neighborhood of residence: Astoria

Family: Lori, wife; Niko, son

Education: William Cullen Bryant High School; Queens College; Cardozo Law School

Does anyone in your family work in politics or government?

My wife works for the DOE [Department of Education].

Occupation/experience:

• Toy Store Manager
• Legislative Director, six years
• Council Member, seven years

Current and/or previous elected positions: New York City Council Member, 2014-present

Campaign website: votecosta.com

Why are you running for borough president?

What we do over the next decade for Queens will determine what the next century of our borough looks like. Too many residents live in fear of rising seas and rising rents. We became the epicenter of the epicenter of the COVID-19 crisis, with black and brown communities hit the hardest. The next Borough President has to have a plan to improve access to healthcare, fight climate change, improve mass transit, secure education equity, and create 50,000 union green jobs by 2030. We can do that by reimagining the Borough President's land use, budgetary, and advocacy powers to create a stronger future for the most diverse place on earth.

The single most pressing issue facing Queens is _______, and this is what I intend to do about it:

The single most pressing issue facing Queens is health care and climate change. These two issues are heavily intertwined. We saw over-polluted neighborhoods hit hardest by COVID-19, because toxins in the air gave too many Southeast and Northwest Queens resident asthma and other respiratory illnesses. That's because conversations around race and povery always come back to air quality, which is too often dictated by your zip code. And we saw that when COVID-19 hit those Queens residents the worst, our already over-burdened healthcare system couldn't meet the crush. Queens has lost five hospitals in the last 20 years, largely because real estate-backed policy makers prioritized luxury development over healthcare. My main priority as Borough President is to identify underuse land across Queens where we can build hospitals — particularly in southeast and central Queens.

What is the main difference between you and the other candidates seeking this post?

Our campaign has presented a roadmap for how we can create a stronger Queens, that provides a pathways to the middle class. We have proven that our plans, from solarizing every City building in Queens to rethinking how we build affordable housing, are possible because the work I have done in the Council. I am prepared on day one to execute an ambitious vision to give Queens a brighter future.

What accomplishments in your past would you cite as evidence you can handle this job?

My entire record in the City Council shows I'm a progressive leader who has sought to address root issues, instead of sticking a Band-Aid on it. We all have our time in service, but I believe the work I have done — whether in land use, legislation, or in the budget — shows I can draw a path toward a better future. I am particularly proud of passing the Climate Mobilization Act, a Green New Deal for New York City, which was the largest carbon emissions reduction ever mandated by any city, anywhere. Big Real Estate fought tooth and nail to kill this legislation, which will significantly shrink the City's carbon footprint, including putting out false information. But we passed this because we governed from a place of fact — not fear. At the end of the day, this was a watershed moment for New York City that will create some 141,000 jobs over the next decade. This is the experience and vision I can bring to borough hall.

The best advice ever shared with me was:

My YiaYia told me you can have your dreams come true as long as you work hard. I've always carried that immigrant spirit of hard work into public service. Whether passing bills or fighting for neighborhood improvements, I've tried to be tenacious in my advocacy and work hard for my community. Also Queens College motto: We learn so we can serve.