Adrienne Adams’ staffer wants to succeed her. One of his opponents is attracting GOP support.

The race to succeed City Council Speaker Adrienne Adams in her southeast Queens district is heating up, with Adams herself donating to a top staffer looking to take over the seat.

So far, three candidates have started fundraising; Tyrell Hankerson, a district leader and district chief of staff to Speaker Adams; LaToya LeGrand, a constituent services representative for Assembly Member Vivian Cook; and Romeo Hitlall, a Community Board 10 member and real estate broker. 

Hitlall, a longtime community activist, is running in the Democratic primary, but his candidacy has already attracted notable – if seemingly unlikely – support in the Republican Party. “I think that he would be an excellent public servant, because he's been doing a lot of work for the community already as a volunteer, and I think that it’s just a natural progression for him to want to run for public office so that he can do even more for the community that he lives in,” Republican City Council Member Joann Ariola said in an interview, noting Hitlall’s work in community organizations, including in the Lion’s Club.

Asked whether they would get involved in the Democratic primary in any way, a spokesperson for the Queens County Republican Party said they’re focused on the 2024 election and has not yet screened candidates for next year. Ariola said she had no knowledge of whether the county party would or not, but suggested that in a district as blue as the 28th district, candidates running on the Republican Party line don’t face good odds. “In cases where the district is designed in a way where registered Democrats have a larger percentage over registered Republicans, I’ve always been of the belief that I'd rather see a conservative Democrat win than have that seat go to (a Democratic Socialist candidate) or anyone who is further to the left of center,” she said.

Hitlall said his top priorities include public safety and quality of life concerns, saying that those issues haven’t been focused on enough, though he refrained from describing that as Speaker Adams’ failure. “I can’t blame anyone for that,” he said. “But this is what I want to do. I want to make our community better, our district better, safer, cleaner, and a better place for all of us to live in.”

Hankerson, who started out in Adams’ office as a scheduler during her first year in the council in 2017, is taking the well-worn approach of a council member’s chief of staff vying for their term-limited boss’s seat. Council Member Diana Ayala’s chief of staff Elsie Encarnacion is running in the 8th District, and Council Member Bob Holden is hoping his chief of staff will take a run at his 30th District seat. “It’s something that I’ve been thinking about for some time now, and with the support of several civic leaders across the district, community and faith leaders as well, I feel like this is the right move to make right now,” Hankerson said in an interview.

Hankerson not only attracted donations from Adams ($50 in July), but also former 32BJ SEIU President Kyle Bragg ($500 in June). Asked about a $100 donation from the vice president of community development of Resorts World – one of the casino companies vying for a downstate license – Hankerson said that he doesn’t have an official stance on the prospect of a casino in his district yet, he called Resorts World a “good partner” that gives back to the community. Resorts World, located at the Aqueduct Race Track, is already a so-called “racino” and in part because of the existing infrastructure is thought to be one of the front-runners for a full casino license.

Also running in the Democratic primary is LaToya LeGrand, a staffer for Assembly Member Vivian Cook and chair of the Education Committee on Queens Community Board 12. LeGrand was not immediately available for an interview. 

So far, before matching funds, Hankerson has brought in nearly $14,000 in donations, Hitlall has brought in over $12,000 and LeGrand has brought in just over $2,000.

Adams herself has not yet joined some of her term-limited colleagues in declaring interest in running for other elected office – whether that’s comptroller, Manhattan borough president or Bronx borough president.

Asked on Thursday, she did not entirely rule out continuing in politics but opened the door to the private sector too. “I’m really, really thankful to have multiple opportunities available,” she said. “I come from the corporate world, and I’ve also been an elected official for over seven years, so I have the best of both worlds.”