Jimmy Van Bramer (Facebook)
Oct. 22, 2019. By Shane O’Brien
Council Member Jimmy Van Bramer has released a campaign video as the race for Queens Borough President begins to heat up.
Van Bramer posted a video to his Facebook and Twitter accounts Tuesday which chronicled his struggles growing up gay.
He likened U.S. President Donald Trump and the “Queens County Democratic machine” to the bullies he faced as a teen and said that he would stand up to racist policies that target the diverse communities of Queens.
Van Bramer said that many people in Queens had been staring into an abyss since Trump was elected, but that he had organized communities to resist and stand up for Queens’ values.
The Council Member announced that he was running for Borough President in April. Several other candidates are also vying for the position.
Council Members Costa Constantinides and Donovan Richards have announced they are running as well as Assembly Member Alicia Hyndman and former Council Member Elizabeth Crowley.
Other contenders are likely to come forward.
The seat is likely to be vacated by current Borough President Melinda Katz in January. She is running to be the next Queens District Attorney and is expected to cruise to victory in the November general election.
The city will hold a special election for Queens Borough President within 45 days of Katz’s vacancy.
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18 Comments
JVB is beloved but a part of the bully democratic machine he has honestly fought for so long. Dark days are when politicians like JVB, Gianaris & AOC go against their constituents for national praise. Local home sales are flat and inventory is at an all time high in addition to local apartment vacancies in 1,2 & 3 family dreadful high for the holiday season. Queens west & north needed that stability that Amazon brought to home owners and Queensbridge housing projects. The kids at Queensbridge can’t all be famous wrappers. Coding would have helped QB housings’ entrepreneur spirit.
Fire job killer Jimmy!
JVB and his buddy Mikey G must go!
JVB says, “Ask not what your borough can do for you. Ask what you can do for your borough…”
Great. I’d like to stop the cops from parking their cars on the sidewalk on 50th Avenue.
Say NO on election day to JVB.
*sigh* A few months ago, there was a DA race. A man named Greg Lasak ran. He was a candidate for DA who was actually a DA. Yet, somehow, the race came down to a machine stooge and a “self-described queer”…How does that happen? Queens, get your priorities in order.
“queer” is not derogatory when used by a member of the group, or even by someone else when it isn’t meant as a slur.
If you knew the basics of what you were talking about your feelings might not get hurt so often.
I think he was pointing to the fact that being a “self described queer” is not a qualification to be Queens DA…actually being a prosecutor, a job which she has never held is usually considered a qualification
They never implied it was “a qualification to be Queens DA” and neither did she.
I don’t see why she needs more experience than the president anyway.
I never said “they” implied it was a qualification…Frank was pointing out one candidates qualifications as a former DA and the others non qualifying self descriptions…he did not use it as a derogatory term as the responding post below Frank’s implied…that person was trying to create a false narrative of bias when Frank was just pointing out how under qualified to the point of ridiculousness they were
Yes, and that’s my point. The false narrative of biased based on a self pompous “its our time to retake “mentality. And yet, I’d love to see how you sheeps will respond had a ” self described man of God” had ran? But of course not, you’d rather elect a “self described foodie”
>biased based on a self pompous
Is that even English? ?
Why does she need more experience than the president? He had zero days experience. You’re saying he’s doing a bad job?
Because the president before his presidency is a billionaire, famed real estate developer with a brand displayed global wide and a celebrity tv star. She? “A self-described queer”. Excellent comparison! For all that you think Trump, he succeeded in wealth, fame, power and a legacy that will last for generations. Judging from your attitude and your brilliant subject lines, you hold none of these qualities.
These guys who are pointing fingers at the “democratic machine” have been a part of that machine for a decade. JVB has been on city council for 10 years. Amazing to watch him and others like Gianaris try to steer left as fast as possible. It’s reckless. Literally cost us billions of dollars and tens of thousands of jobs. Please don’t fall for this, LIC neighbors.
Does he realize that President Trump was raised in Queens and is the product of Queens values??
I don’t think racist things like telling 2 American-born congresswomen to “go back to your own country” or bragging about sexual assault represents Queens values.
“As a closeted gay kid, I knew darkness. Now Trump immigrant attacks threaten us all.”
He’s trying to play every card there is “gay, immigrant”. Using scare tactics “attacks, threaten”.
He needs to go into a closet, cave, under a rock whatever and take the darkness he brought to our community with him.
We need LIGHT…TRANSPARENCY!
No way should this guy be a public official any longer. He was part of the group that ruined the Amazon deal for Queens. Ridiculous.
Wow, a borough president that can travel back in time and accept and encourage himself as a younger man. Sign me up!!