Bayside Primary Results: Tony Avella Takes Lead In Democratic Primary

BAYSIDE, QUEENS — Council Member Vickie Paladino will soon find out the candidate she's running against in November as three Democrats face off in Tuesday's primaries.

Democrat Tony Avella seemed to be taking the lead as of 11 p.m. Tuesday, with the race still ongoing against challengers Paul D. Graziano and Christopher S. Bae.

The three Democrats have an eye on Paladino's seat as Council Member for District 19, which covers Bayside, Whitestone, College Point, Little Neck, Douglaston, and parts of North Flushing.

Here is the breakdown of votes as of 11 p.m, according to the Board of Election website's unofficial results.

• Graziano: 23.7 percent (1,362 votes)
• Bae: 36.8 percent (2,119 votes)
• Avella: 40 percent (2,243 votes)

Avella is coming back for the seat he used to occupy from 2002 to 2009. He later represented the New York State Senate's 11th district in northeast Queens from 2011 to 2019.

If elected, he said he would re-introduce a bill that applies the current property tax caps associated with class-one properties to co-ops and condos, as well as downzone Northeast Queens to create new zoning categories.

Graziano was the founder and advisor for several homeowner associations in the district, including the Auburndale Improvement Association, Bayside Gables Homeowners Association, Bellcourt Civic Association, and others.

He attended P.S. 21, Louis Armstrong Middle School, and the Bronx High School of Science. He graduated from the University of Massachusetts – Amherst and received his master's degree in Urban Affairs and Planning from Hunter College.

Bae is a first-generation Korean American who served as a prosecutor at the Queens District Attorney's office. He's proposed making the CUNY education system free for all city residents, providing tax credits for caregivers, and increasing the minimum wage, among other proposals.