By Zach Patberg
Quinn, 39, was seen as a frontrunner from the start, having captured the most Democratic backing as well as being the most senior of her six challengers, which included three from Queens. She was also considered to be the favorite of her predecessor, Council Speaker Gifford Miller (D-Manhattan), who left his post under term limits.The Queens candidates – Council members Melinda Katz (D-Forest Hills), Leroy Comrie (D-St. Albans) and David Weprin (D-Hollis) – seemed to have little chance because the borough already controlled most of the powerful committees in the Council. But in a race full of quiet negotiations among a tight-knit circle of party heads and Council colleagues, the Queens Democratic Organization held much of the decisive power since it carried just over half the 26 votes a candidate needed to win a majority in the 51-member Council.”I've said all along that the Queens Democratic Party would drive the end result. In the end it did,” said Weprin, who along with Katz and Comrie spent a considerable amount of money and time maneuvering to win their bids for the speakership.Thomas Manton, the Queens' Democratic Party chief, said he was consulting with Council members on a daily basis before choosing Quinn.”In general, I saw a high rate of approval of her,” he said. “We think she's going to be a great leader.”Manton said his decision to choose a candidate outside Queens was not to protect his borough's high-profile committee chairmanships but was based rather on Quinn's merits.Others say it goes well beyond that, however, with a lot of give-and-take between the borough leaderships.”The politics came together for this three years ago,” said an official involved in the speaker selection who requested anonymity. “Christine is very close to Gifford Miller. Queens had a great relationship with Gifford, so this is a continuation of that.”Council members say the Bronx and Brooklyn will be awarded handsomely with leader positions in the Council. Councilman Bill de Blasio (D-Brooklyn) was a strong contender for the speaker post along with Quinn.”They felt that going with Christine would provide the best opportunities to give everything they wanted to their Council members,” said Comrie, the majority whip, who was seen by some as the lead candidate in Queens.Comrie said Manton approached him Friday to inform him of the decision to back Quinn and ask Comrie for his support.”It didn't come as a surprise,” Comrie said. “I was working closely with colleagues in the running and had a good sense of the dynamics.”Quinn, who was elected to the Council in 1999 and was chairwoman of the Health Committee, is the city's first woman speaker and the first openly gay Council member.On the whole, Queens Council members expressed faith in their new leader.”She'll be a great advocate for Queens issues in general and for hospitals specifically, ” Councilman James Gennaro (D-Fresh Meadows) said.Reach reporter Zach Patberg by e-mail at news@timesledger.com or by phone at 718-229-0300, Ext. 155.
