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 switch 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 mentioned.
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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 mentioned that he’s now “100% a Democrat.”
He mentioned that he registered to vote as a Republican as a teenager and actively voted within the get together 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 mentioned.
The reasonable candidate mentioned that he turned extra politically motivated after getting concerned with civic work in Queens. He’s been concerned in cleanup initiatives with the Center Village Property House owners and Residents Affiliation and the Center Village Curler Hockey League.
Paul Pogozelski, who’s operating to switch 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 mentioned of the hole in his voting data. “It’s just being disenfranchised, it’s feeling like you can’t be a change.”
Pogozelski final voted as a Republican within the 2008 basic election, data present. He voted within the 2024 election, saying he forged 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, also called 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 essentially the most fundraising cash to date 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.
