Republican Council Members Joann Ariola of Queens (left) and David Carr of Staten Island (proper) are dealing with off to be the chamber’s subsequent minority chief. Taken on Jan. 23, 2025.
Credit score John McCarten/NYC Council Media Unit
The Metropolis Council’s Republican convention is ready to vote Tuesday on a brand new minority chief after the place’s present occupant, Staten Island’s Joe Borelli, introduced over the weekend he will likely be stepping down on Jan. 31 to turn into a lobbyist.
The contentious race for who will lead the six-member convention subsequent is between Borelli’s fellow Staten Islander, Council Member David Carr, and Council Member Joann Ariola of Queens.
Borelli mentioned he plans to take part within the Tuesday vote and is backing Carr for the submit. Carr represents the midsection of Staten Island and a small piece of Brooklyn.
“Beyond him being the most skilled and respected candidate in the race, there is a zero percent chance of me taking any action that gives Staten Island less leverage in the council and on the Budget Negotiating Committee,” Borelli mentioned in a textual content message to New York News Metro explaining his help for Carr.
Carr labored for Borelli when the latter was within the Meeting between 2012 and 2015. He additionally served as chief of workers to Borelli’s predecessor as council minority chief, Steven Matteo, for eight years.
Along with Borelli, Carr has Brooklyn Council Member Inna Vernikov standing with him. Ariola informed New York News Metro that she has fellow Queens GOPer Vickie Paladino and Kristy Marmorato of the Bronx in her camp.
Ariola makes her case
Metropolis Council Member Joe Borelli speaks at a rally deamnding a listening to on Intro 0758 at a rally exterior Metropolis Corridor on Dec. 6, 2023. (Photograph by Gabriele Holtermann)
Revealed stories have indicated that with the present vote breakdown, Carr would win. That’s as a result of Carr’s seniority serves as a tie-breaker; he was sworn into workplace simply a few months earlier than Ariola.
Nevertheless, Ariola mentioned she believes not solely that she will be able to nonetheless win, however that she is much extra certified for the place.
The council member highlighted her capability to work with the council’s Democratic majority to cross laws that she mentioned wouldn’t usually get by way of the overwhelmingly blue chamber.
Ariola represents a lot of the Rockaway peninsula and southern Queens neighborhoods, together with Howard Seashore, and chairs the physique’s Fireplace and Emergency Administration Committee. Previous to turning into a council member, she held many positions in Queens Republican politics, together with serving as chair of the county GOP.
Ariola contended she has already been performing lots of the minority chief’s duties for a very long time, as Borelli has needed to step again from the day-to-day to deal with discovering his subsequent job.
“I think that Joe is a very smart council member, and he is a very smart minority leader, and he was, as many of the term-limited council members are, kind of checked out because they are looking for positions elsewhere,” she mentioned.
Ariola mentioned she has been the “go-to person” for the council’s Republican and Frequent Sense Caucuses—the latter of which is a bipartisan group of Republicans and conservative Democrats—since taking workplace in 2022.
“They would come to me for guidance, for advice on what to do, whether it was in their offices, or projects that were happening in their districts, and look for guidance as to where to go, who to speak to, who were the right people to negotiate the best deal for their district,” Ariola mentioned. “They would come to me, I was already doing the job of the minority leader without having the title.”
‘Staten Island sticks together’
Ariola additionally blasted Borelli’s choice to again Carr over her.
“I think that it shows that Staten Island sticks together,” Ariola mentioned. “Honestly, that’s just not a good enough reason to pick a leader. You should pick a leader because you’re able to lead, not because they’re your friend from the same borough that you live in and represented.”
She added that Staten Island Republicans have managed the minority chief place for roughly twenty years, and in her view, it needs to be Queens’ time to fill it.
Ariola and Carr share many similarities. They’re each conservative Republicans who help President Trump, have been extremely important of the town’s method to the migrant disaster, and fiercely opposed the Metropolis of Sure for Housing Alternative zoning overhaul handed final yr.
Carr didn’t reply to a reporter’s name or textual content message in search of remark.
