Elizabeth Crowley Plots Comeback In Western Queens Senate Race

LONG ISLAND CITY, QUEENS — Following a string of unsuccessful races that have left her out of office for four years, Elizabeth Crowley is plotting a comeback via a new State Senate District.

Crowley, the onetime City Council member and unsuccessful candidate for Queens Borough President, filed to run last week in the 17th Senate District: one of two brand-new seats that the city is getting through the recent redistricting process. (The filing was first reported by City & State.)

The 17th District runs from the Long Island City waterfront all the way to Central Queens, snaking through neighborhoods including Greenpoint in Brooklyn, Maspeth, Ridgewood, Richmond Hill and Crowley's own neighborhood, Glendale.

The only other candidate to officially enter the district's Democratic primary is Kristen Gonzalez, a democratic socialist tech worker who jumped into the race earlier this month.

A cousin of former Congressman Joe Crowley, Elizabeth Crowley previously served in the City Council from 2009 to 2017, representing much of the same area covered by the 17th Senate District. In an upset, she was defeated for re-election by Bob Holden in 2017 — then lost two consecutive borough president primary races to Donovan Richards, in a 2020 special election and last year's race for a full term.

Crowley lost that latter race by just 1,069 votes, following a contentious campaign in which Richards accused Crowley of racism and Crowley drew criticism for sending campaign mailers resembling eviction notices.

This year's Democratic primary elections will be held on June 28.

Related coverage:

• Borough President Candidate Sends Fake Eviction Mailers In Queens
• 'We Beat Your Racist A**:' Richards Calls Out Crowley, Keeps Lead
• Elizabeth Crowley Concedes To Donovan Richards' Slim Lead In Contentious Queens Borough President Race