Queens Borough President Primary 2020: Meet Donovan Richards

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.

Donovan Richards

Neighborhood of residence: Laurelton

Family: Tameeka (wife); Donovan Richards III, also known as D3 (son)

Education: Nyack College, Vaughn College of Aeronautics and Technology

Does anyone in your family work in politics or government? No.

• Chief of Staff for City Council Member James Sanders
• City Council Member, 2013-present

Current and/or previous elected positions: City Council Member for District 31

Campaign website: www.richardsforqueens.com

Why are you running for borough president?

I was born to teenage parents and raised in Queens. I've been proud to be an advocate for my community, but I believe we have an opportunity to do even more for our borough. Queens faces great challenges as we continue to deal with the COVID-19 pandemic and the fight for racial equity. I’ve chaired the Zoning, Environmental Protection, and Public Safety committees in the City Council, so I understand the issues we face creating affordable housing, dealing with climate change and rising sea levels, and with policing across our city. I'm prepared to take on those challenges and work with our communities and partners in government to build a Queens that truly works for everyone.

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

Healthcare. The COVID-19 pandemic exposed what we’ve been saying for years about the disparity in healthcare that exists in our borough. We need to invest in our healthcare system so that all residents have access to high quality affordable care, including expanding our hospitals. And we need to make sure that developers know that we have needs in this area when they come here expecting to build.

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

My record of accomplishment differentiates me from the other candidates. Throughout my time in the City Council I've been successful building infrastructure, expanding our affordable housing stock, and reforming our criminal justice system. Not only have I passed major policy changes but I've made sure that they are applicable with the communities they impact the most. There are going to be many challenges ahead in the coming years, and we need a Borough President who has a record of accomplishment. I believe my record shows that I'm the most prepared to take those challenges on and improve our borough.

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

I've dealt with challenges. When I started in the City Council my district had just been devastated by Superstorm Sandy. There was a lot of work to do to get people back in their homes and to ensure that future storms didn't inflict the damage they did then. I worked to build thousands of new units of affordable housing and a billion dollars in infrastructure improvements. Now the Rockaways are stronger and we're ready for the future. Queens needs a Borough President who has that experience, especially as we start the recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic.

The best advice ever shared with me was:

Former Mayor David Dinkins once told me to stay rooted in your community and never forget who helped get you to where you are. He told me about the importance of staying in touch with constituents and always listening to other people's opinions on the issues, especially those who disagree with you. Those words have helped guide me while in office and I'll continue to follow that advice as borough president.