Avella's Name Will Remain on Queens BP Ballot

State Sen. Tony Avella, D-Bayside, may have announced that he was dropping out of the Queens borough president race last week, but his name will still appear on the ballot.

On Aug. 14, Avella said he was dropping out of the race to focus on his work in the state Senate, leaving only Councilman Peter Vallone Jr., D-Astoria, and former state Assemblywoman Melinda Katz to face off in the Sept. 10 Democratic primary.

But a spokesman for Avella said that the state senator’s name would remain on the ballot due to city election laws that only remove candidates from the ballot if they have moved to another state, announced runs for higher office or died.

Avella had no further comment on the matter. A spokeswoman for the city's Board of Elections said the senator's name would remain on the ballot because it was too close to the primary.