Katz: We all want the same things in our family

Queens Borough President Melinda Katz wore her look of relief like a crown when she took the stage Wednesday night at City & State’s Queens Power 100 reception.

“So,” she asked the crowd, “what’s new?”

A lot for her, since it was her first public speech since her rival Tiffany Cabán conceded Tuesday night in the Democratic primary for Queens district attorney, effectively guaranteeing Katz would be the borough’s next top prosecutor. 

Katz’s brief speech spoke to unity in the borough, following a bruising primary that featured accusations of stealing the election, slams against U.S. senators and wrongly claimed endorsements. 

“No matter what happens, we have each others’ backs. And I think in the political climate that’s happening now, I think it is important to remember that,” Katz said. “As I say to my kids, we fight sometimes, but I’m always fighting on your side. Because no matter what, we all want the same things in our family.”

State Sen. Michael Gianaris, who topped this year’s power list, echoed Katz’s message. Despite backing Cabán in the primary, he praised Katz as “the candidate of my party and of all Democrats in Queens.”

Much of the Queens political cognoscenti filled the rooftop event space at the Bordone LIC, including Reps. Greg Meeks, Grace Meng and Carolyn Maloney, and state Sens. Jessica Ramos, Toby Ann Stavisky, Leroy Comrie and Joe Addabbo. Also in attendance was Brooklyn Borough President Eric Adams, whose path to victory in the 2021 mayoral race runs through Queens. 

But much of the talk among attendees focused on who would be the next Queens borough president, with an election to succeed Katz expected sometime in early 2020. Most of the interested candidates showed up, including New York City Council members Costa Constantinides, Donovan Richards and Paul Vallone, former New York City Councilwoman Elizabeth Crowley and Assemblywoman Alicia Hyndman.

Council colleagues Constantinides and Richards greeted each other warmly, and Constantinides mentioned that his own son is a fan of Richards: “He’s like, ‘Why do you have to run against him?!’”