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Tiffany Cabán to be Sworn Into City Council Wednesday to Fill Vacant Astoria Seat

Tiffany Cabán will be sworn into City Council Wednesday (cabanforqueens.com)

Nov. 30, 2021 By Allie Griffin

Tiffany Cabán will be sworn into the City Council Wednesday to fill the vacant Astoria seat.

Cabán, a former public defender, will be sworn in by the City Clerk at noon — a month ahead of other council members-elect in order to fill the District 22 vacancy left by former Council Member Costa Constantinides.

District 22 — made up of Astoria, Rikers Island along with parts of Jackson Heights, Woodside and East Elmhurst — has been unrepresented in the council for nearly eight months since Constantinides left office on April 9 to take a job in the nonprofit sector.

Cabán, who had significant name recognition following her near-victory in the 2019 Queens district attorney race, will take over after winning both the June Democratic primary and November general election for the position.

She took 62.79 percent of in-person votes in the general election — ahead of Republican Felicia Kalan who took 31.1 percent and Green Party candidate Edwin DeJesus who took 5.84 percent.

Cabán, a staunch progressive, was endorsed by the Democratic Socialists of America and a number of high-profile elected officials during her campaign. She earned the first-choice endorsement of Constantinides ahead of the primary as well as the backings of Congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and U.S. Senator Bernie Sanders.

Wednesday’s ceremony will be largely procedural and will be followed by a celebratory inauguration event on Dec. 15 at the Variety Boys & Girls Club of Queens, where Constantinides is now CEO.

Ocasio-Cortez will conduct the ceremonial swearing-in, Cabán’s chief of staff told the Queens Post.