Meeks secures landslide victory
See this story at TimesLedger.com.
By Naeisha Rose
TimesLedger Newspapers
The three-way Democratic primary race between incumbent U.S. Rep. Gregory Meeks (D-Far Rockaway), entrepreneur Mizan Choudhury and Carl Achille, a detective and Iraqi war veteran, in New York’s 5th Congressional District has led to a landslide victory for Meeks.
There is no challenger in the November general election, according to the Board of Elections. Michael O’Reilly, who tried to run on the Reform, Conservative and Republican lines, filed his petition for each party four days after the April 12 election deadline.
Despite low voter turnout Tuesday and lingering confusion about the congressional primary being switched to June from September several years ago, the constituents who did file into voting booths across southeast Queens, the Rockaway peninsula and Nassau County have elected Meeks for another term.
With 84 percent of the precincts reporting, Meeks captured 84.3 percent of the vote vs. 9.1 percent for Choudhury and 6.6 for Achille, according to unofficial results reported by NY 1.
Meeks, who lives in St. Albans, is a 20-year representative of the district and his top campaign goals included saving the protections in the Affordable Care Act, fighting for Dreamers who were brought to this country without documents as children and tightening federal laws on gun control. Choudhury and Achille, who both said Meeks, “was out of touch” with his constituents, focused on jobs and affordable housing as ways of improving the district locally.
Choudhury, a Bengali immigrant who lives in Bellerose and moved to the United States in 1997, also wanted to fight for Dreamers by helping them gain legal status in the United States and reunifying them with their families.
Achille, a resident of Elmont and a Haitian immigrant, called for improving the railways, subways and buses in the district, which he described as a “transportation desert.”
In the end voters wanted more of Meeks.
“I want to thank my constituents for their continued belief and support in that they have shown me over the last 20 years,” said Meeks. “They have been standing by my side knowing that I am going to fight for them. I thank them for the faith they have me and I will continue to work hard everyday to make their lives better.”
Reach reporter Naeisha Rose by e-mail at nrose@cnglocal.com or by phone at (718) 260–4573.
Source: Times Ledger
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