By Adam Kramer

The race for the 14 Queens seats in the City Council is on and wide open. So far there are 46 candidates who have made their wish to represent the borough on the Council known to the public.

As of the first deadline of the year for candidates’ campaign finance disclosures Jan. 11, 46 hopefuls have thrown their hats into the ring and hit the campaign and fund-raising trail. There are other prospective candidates who have hinted that they will run and many more are expected to announce their intentions as the June 1 deadline date to join the campaign finance program draws near.

John Liu, a Democrat running in Council District 20 in Flushing has raised more than any other Queens candidate for City Council with $131,370 in his war chest, followed by fellow Democrat Melinda Katz in CD 29 in Forest Hills with $113,995 and Democrat Arthur Cheliotes in CD 19 in the Bayside-Whitestone area with $101,635 in the bank.

Candidates have to declare their intentions to run for one of the city council seats with the New York City Board of Elections before July 12.

Queens is the only borough in the city where all of its incumbents in the City Council are barred from seeking re-election due to the 1993 term limit law.

In District 19, Councilman Mike Abel’s (R-Bayside) seat, there are five candidates who have filed with the Campaign Finance Board. Arthur Cheliotes (D) leads the pack with $101,635 followed by Tony Avella’s (D) $78,680, Jerry Iannece’s (D) $10,925, Joyce Shepard’s (I-D) $13,250 and Christopher Butler’s (R) $7,700.

After Liu in the race for Councilman Julia Harrison’s (D-Flushing) seat in District 20, Democrat Ethel Chen has $46,675 and Democrat Martha Vazquez-Flores has $540.

In the race for Councilwoman Helen Marshall’s (D-East Elmhurst) spot in District 21, Hiram Monserratte leads with $23,040, followed by Aida Gonzalez-Jarrin with $24,376. Marvin Bently had raised nothing as of the Jan. 11 filing period.

Peter Vallone Jr. (D) leads in the race for his father’s seat in District 22 in Astoria with $75,495 followed by Mike Zapiti at $28,570 and John Ciafone’s (D) $200.

In the race for Councilman Sheldon Leffler’s (D-Hollis) seat in District 23, David Weprin (D) is in first place with $69,305, Bernice Siegal (D) has $56,910 and J.D. Thakral (D) has $29,550.

The contest for Councilman Morton Povman’s (D-Forest Hills) District 24 seat finds five candidate hoping to replace the longest tenured councilman. Barry Grodenchik (D) has $63,342, Jim Gennaro (D) has $52,037, Jeff Gottleib (D) has $37,756, David Reich (D) has $18,677 and Morshed Alam (D) has $6,771.

The are seven candidates for Councilman John Sabini’s (D-Jackson Heights) District 25 seat. Ellen Raffaele has raised $41,012, Rudolph Greco raised $25,584, James Van Bramer $17,501, Michael Dendekker $9,340, Al Blake Jr. $4,300, and Rodolfo Flores $2,006. Wayne Mahlke had zero as of the filing deadline.

Five people are vying for District 25 Councilman Walter McCaffrey’s (D-Woodside) seat with Eric Gioia (D) leading with $58,026 followed by Joe Heaphy (D) with $20,075, Matthew Farrell (D) with $16,450, Michael Kearney with $14,855 and Joe Smyth with $500.

District 27 Councilman Archie Spigner’s (D-St. Albans) seat has two candidates who have filed, but many more are expected to enter the race. Leroy Comrie (D) has $3,835, Helen Cooper-Gregory’s (D) $2,575 and Ishmael Morgan’s (R) $860.

In District 28 only Anthony Andrews Jr. (D) with $12,248 has filed to replace Councilman Tom White (D-Jamaica).

Katz (D) is second in raising funds for all council candidates in Queens with $113,995 in her bid to succeed Councilwoman Karen Kolowitz (D-Forest Hills) and so far no opponent has filed with the Campaign Finance Board.

Dennis Gallagher (R) has raised $20,980, Robert Cermeli (D) $4,176 and Linda Sansivieri has zero in their bids to replace Councilman Tom Ognibene (R-Middle Village) in District 30.

In District 31 Councilwoman Juanita Watkins’ (D-Laurelton) seat has James Sanders Jr (D). leading with $8,298, followed by James Blake (D) with $5,395, Ed Lewis (D) with $4,466 and Charlotte Jefferson (D) with zero.

The race for Councilman Al Stabile’s (R-South Ozone Park) District 32 seat finds only Joseph Addabbo filing with no funds reported.

The law passed by city voters limits council members to two consecutive four-year terms, but if they sit out a term, they can run again. Thirty-six of the 51 councilmen and women will lose their seats in 2001 and another 11 will be pushed out in 2003.

Each candidate who enters the race has a spending limit of $137,000 for the primary and another $137,000 for the general election. Candidates are also eligible for a maximum of $75,350 in matching funds.

The total in each candidate’s campaign chest is determined by all the money the candidate has raised.

Frank Barry, a spokesman for the Campaign Finance Board in Manhattan, said the city matches funds donated to candidates by a ratio of $4 to every $1 of donations up to $250. He said if a person donates $500 to the candidate, the political contender receives $1,000 in matching funds.

Barry said matching funds are only available for donations from individuals who live in the five boroughs. A political action committee and individual donations from people from outside the city are not eligible for matching funds.

According to the Campaign Finance Board, there is a ban on corporate and political committees that have not registered with the board contributions to the candidates. The board said the bans were put into place in order to limit campaign contributors ability to “buy influence” and lower overall spending.

Reach reporter Adam Kramer by e-mail at Timesledgr@aol.com or call 229-0300, Ext. 157.