By Ivan Pereira
City Councilman Leroy Comrie (D-St. Albans) successfully won his bid for a third term during Tuesday’s primary by beating his sole opponent, Clyde Vanel, with a significant majority of the vote in the 27th Council District.
Comrie, head of the Council’s Queens coalition, received 62.46 percentwith 5,393 votes, while Vanel, an attorney, received 37.54 percent with 3,242 votes, according to the city Board of Elections.
“As a city council representative of the 27th Council district, first and foremost I want to thank almighty God for his blessings. I am truly grateful to the voters of the 27th District, who have placed their trust in me to continue to build upon what we have accomplished together over the last eight years,” Comrie said in a statement.
Vanel, who runs his own private law firm in the city dedicated to small businesses, thanked the constituents who backed him and promised to help fight for the neighborhood’s needs.
“The community was excited about what was going on and we helped organize the community.,” he said.
Since there is no Republican candidate for the 27th Council District, this will mark the third consecutive term for Comrie. The district includes the neighborhoods of St. Albans, Hollis, Cambria Heights, Jamaica, Baisley Park and Addisleigh Park and parts of Queens Village, Rosedale, Springfield Gardens.
Primary Day did not see a large number of voters head to the polls, but those who went said they wanted to have their voice heard in the council, mayoral, public advocate and comptroller races.
Several southeast Queens voters said they picked Comrie because his experience has helped the community through the rough economic times over the last few years.
“I think he’s very active in our community,” said Collette Phillips, 34 , a stay-at-home mom. “We can reach him when we want. I like to be able to reach out to my politicians.
Vanel’s supporters said they voted for the 34-year-old because they believed that Comrie had not done enough to solve the community’s long-term problems, including helping out the youth.
“There’s nothing geared toward the children. We need something like a children’s center,” said Vanel supporter Rhonda Alston, 48, a small business owner.
Comrie voted last year to extend term limits for Council members and the mayor. Vanel criticized the incumbent for that vote, claiming he ignored the voters, who twice voted for a two-term limit.
The councilman repeatedly defended his decision to increase term limits on the grounds that the city needed experienced leaders to help constituents ride out the recession.
Reach reporter Ivan Pereira by e-mail at ipereira@cnglocal.com or by phone at 718-229-0300, Ext. 146.
