Politics & Government
Avella Drops Out of Queens Boro President Race
State senator drops out of race, leaving only Vallone and Katz to compete in primary.
State Sen. Tony Avella, D-Bayside, has dropped out of the Queens borough president race, leaving only Councilman Peter Vallone Jr., D-Astoria, and former state Assemblywoman Melinda Katz to face off in September's Democratic primary.
Avella announced Wednesday afternoon that he would not continue his bid for the seat and that he would return to focusing on his work in the Senate.
"After much thought and consideration, I have decided to withdraw from the Queens borough president race," Avella said. "This was certainly not an easy decision and I am eternally grateful for the overwhelming amount of support I received from people throughout Queens."
Avella cited the fight against hydrofracking and preserving women's rights as issues he intended to focus on in his current seat in the near future.
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