A Queens Metropolis Council candidate is campaigning as a true-blue Democrat — however he was a longtime Republican who didn’t register to vote as a Democrat till simply final fall.
Paul Pogozelski, who’s operating to exchange term-limited Councilmember Bob Holden, first registered to vote as a Republican in Nassau County in 2000. He moved to Center Village, Queens in 2017, however didn’t register to vote there till October 2024, when he determined to run for the seat, he stated.
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Councilmember Bob Holden
He’s sworn that he’s “not a knockoff Democrat” on his marketing campaign’s Fb account.
In an interview, Pogozelski acknowledged his previous however stated that he’s now “100% a Democrat.”
He stated that he registered to vote as a Republican as a youngster and actively voted within the celebration till 2008, after which lapsed when it got here to political involvement as a result of he felt disillusioned.
“I mean, I apologize, I wish I was more involved with voting… but I just didn’t feel it,” Pogozelski stated.
The reasonable candidate stated that he grew to become extra politically motivated after getting concerned with civic work in Queens. He’s been concerned in cleanup tasks with the Center Village Property House owners and Residents Affiliation and the Center Village Curler Hockey League.
Paul Pogozelski, who’s operating to exchange term-limited Queens Councilmember Bob Holden. (Courtesy of the Marketing campaign)
He determined to run for workplace final 12 months, after which registered to vote as a Democrat.
“There’s no excuses,” Pogozelski stated of the hole in his voting information. “It’s just being disenfranchised, it’s feeling like you can’t be a change.”
Pogozelski final voted as a Republican within the 2008 normal election, information present. He voted within the 2024 election, saying he solid his poll for Kamala Harris.
Additionally within the race for the Council seat are Dermot Smyth, a strategist for the United Federation of Lecturers and Phil Wong, a present staffer for Holden.
Alicia Vaichunas, additionally a Holden staffer, is operating as the one aggressive Republican within the race, along with perennial political candidate Jonathan Rinaldi, often known as the “Sperminator.”
Fr. Mike Lopez, a Ridgewood priest and the founding father of meals non-profit, additionally introduced his run for the seat in February.
Smyth has raised probably the most fundraising cash to this point within the race and snagged endorsements from Queens Borough President Donovan Richards and Manhattan Borough President Mark Levine.
Holden is a registered Democrat however co-chairs of the council’s conservative Frequent Sense Caucus and has run on the Republican line in previous races. In an uncommon transfer, he’s endorsed each Wong and Vaichunas.
