Dao Yin Critizes Governor Cuomo’s Decision to Cancel Special Election
NEW YORK, NY, April 26, 2020. – Dao Yin, a community activist and candidate for Queens Borough President, expressed outrage at an executive order Governor Andrew Cuomo released over the weekend cancelling the special election scheduled to occur on June 23 for Queens Borough President.
“The residents of Queens can thank Gov. Andrew Cuomo for ensuring that they continue to have no voice while the Coronavirus continues to devastate our immigrant and minority communities in Queens,” said Dao Yin. “Residents of Queens will now go on without an elected leader to advocate for them during this tragic COVID-19 outbreak.”
The office of Queens Borough President has been filled by an unelected bureaucrat since January 6, 2020, when Melinda Katz, the prior Queens Borough President, was sworn in as District Attorney for Queens County. The Special Election was designed to fill the office with an elected leader through the end of 2020.
Dao Yin was particularly stunned by the Governor’s decision, given that Cuomo was born and raised in Queens.
“Queens is struggling and has been the hardest-hit borough in the City, with nearly 50,000 confirmed cases of Coronavirus. This is not the time for Cuomo’s political games,” said Dao Yin. “Cuomo is denying the voters of Queens their right to representation during these tragic times. How can he disenfranchise the entire Borough, when he was born and raised right here in Queens?”
Politics as usual appears to be to blame.
“The inside baseball here is that, Cuomo’s actions are designed to manipulate the election,” said Aaron Foldenauer, Dao Yin’s Campaign Manager. “Without a Special Election, only registered Democrats will be eligible to vote for the next Queens Borough President, thus favoring the failed political establishment.”
“There are nearly 1.2 million registered voters in Queens but only approximately 750,000 of them are registered Democrats,” Foldenauer said. “Thus, approximately 450,000 voters now have no voice as to the next leader of Queens during these difficult times.”
The legality of Cuomo’s order has been called into serious doubt, particularly given Governor Cuomo’s history of gamesmanship with respect to Special Elections.
“This is an illegal order, and courts have struck down Governor Cuomo’s previous attempts to manipulate special elections,” said Aaron Foldenauer, an attorney. “When Cuomo refused to schedule a special election following the resignation of Congressman Michael Grimm, a federal judge ordered him to schedule a Special Election in a swift manner.”
“Furthermore, this is a not a State election, but rather, is a City election and which was called by Mayor Bill de Blasio,” said Foldenauer. “Governor Cuomo, as a state official, does not have the authority to cancel the Special Election for Queens Borough President.”
Dao Yin pointed out the unique need for strong leadership in Queens given that Queens has been the hardest-hit borough in the City from the Coronavirus.
“Queens is in a crisis. Our hospitals are overwhelmed. This election on June 23 is the first chance for the people to actually have their voice heard as to how all residents of Queens can turn the corner on this crisis,” said Yin.
“Queens is the epicenter of the coronavirus outbreak, and Queens needs a voice,” said Dao Yin. “By cancelling the special election, there will not be an elected representative for the entire borough of Queens until January of next year. Unfortunately, the Governor is disenfranchising the entire borough of Queens during this Coronavirus crisis.”
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Born and raised in China, Dao Yin is a first-generation immigrant to the United States. Dao Yin has been a Community Activist in Queens for nearly two decades. His experience in the fields of finance, technology, and accounting makes him uniquely qualified to become the next Queens Borough President.
More information about Dao Yin and his policies can be found at http://www.daoyin.nyc/.
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