Lancman Drops Out Of Queens DA Race, Endorses Katz

SOUTH JAMAICA, QUEENS — City Council Member Rory Lancman announced he is dropping out of the race for Queens district attorney, just days before the hotly-contested Democratic primary that is expected to determine the borough’s next chief prosecutor.

Lancman, who was one of seven Democratic candidates on the ballot June 25, said he will support Queens Borough President Melinda Katz in the race.

"The numbers are simply not there for me," Lancman said in a Friday press conference in South Jamaica, as Katz stood beside him. "I’m especially concerned of splitting the vote in south Queens."

Lancman's name will still appear on the ballot Tuesday, given the short notice.

State Sen. James Sanders Jr., of Southeast Queens, and the Rockaway Youth Action Fund switched their endorsements from Lancman to Cabán, they announced Thursday night as rumors of Lancman’s decision circulated.

The stunning news adds to an already-dramatic race that has drawn national attention.

Presidential candidates Bernie Sanders and Elizabeth Warren endorsed public defender Tiffany Cabán on Wednesday, further boosting a campaign that has attracted scores of profiles and the support of U.S. Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez.

To experts and Cabán supporters, Lancman's decision represents the hold that the Queens County Democratic Party still has on the borough’s politics. The party is backing Katz, a longtime Queens politician, in the race.

"It's no surprise that the establishment is closing ranks as Tiffany surges," Cabán campaign spokeswoman Monica Klein said in a statement. "There's only one independent candidate in this race fighting for real justice for working people — and that's Tiffany."

Lancman and Katz pushed back on that interpretation.

"I had no conversations with the Governor, with the Queens County Democratic Party, there's no deal," Lancman said Friday. "That's not actually actually things work. It's never worked that way with me. Nobody offered me anything to get out of this race or threatened me."

Q: What are you getting in return for this? @RoryLancman insists nothing and that Cuomo and the Queens Democratic Party made no deal with him. pic.twitter.com/cI45XqLW7G
— Maya Kaufman (@mayakauf) June" class="redactor-linkify-object">https://twitter.com/mayakauf/s... 21, 2019

Asked why he chose to endorse Katz over Cabán, Lancman acknowledged that his criminal justice stances more closely align with those held by Cabán but said she hasn't adequately engaged the black and Jewish communities of Queens.

"[Katz] has made the effort to successfully garner support within every community in our borough," Lancman said.

Lancman had harshly criticized Katz throughout his campaign. He has called Katz's promises to end cash bail a "sham" and a "cruel joke" and has lambasted her for her past support for the death penalty.

At a candidate forum in May, Lancman had called Cabán and himself the "only two criminal justice reformers" in the district attorney race.