Van Bramer Announces Bid For Queens Borough President

LONG ISLAND CITY, QUEENS — City Councilman Jimmy Van Bramer is running for Queens borough president in 2021, he announced on social media Wednesday.

The western Queens representative will kick off his campaign for the borough presidency on May 5, running on a platform of equal justice for marginalized communities, supporting arts and culture in the borough and serving as a check on real estate developers.

"It's kind of a blank canvas. You can make of it what you will," Van Bramer told Patch in an interview. "We can do more with the office, and I'm anxious to give that a go."

Van Bramer, who will be term-limited in 2021, has represented Astoria, Long Island City, Dutch Kills, Sunnyside and Woodside in the City Council since 2009.

Borough presidents primarily serve an advisory role, but they have substantial sway over land use decisions in their borough. The borough president recommends developments for approval or rejection and appoints people to the City Planning Commission and local community boards, which weigh in on zoning and permits.

Van Bramer told Patch he will not take money from the real estate industry and developers in his bid for Queens borough president. Melinda Katz, the current borough president, is a top recipient of real estate-related donations in her bid to become Queens district attorney.

"The borough president's office can and should be a check on real estate developers," Van Bramer said. "In the past there's been a lot of green-lighting going on."

The borough presidency could be up for grabs in 2020 if Katz wins the Queens district attorney race this June. Van Bramer said if that happens, he'll run in the special election to fill the seat.

"I've endorsed Tiffany Cabán for district attorney and I expect her to win, so I expect to be a candidate in 2021," Van Bramer told Patch in an interview. "Having said that, if it doesn't go our way and there's a special election, yes, I would be a candidate in that special election."

I’ve got exciting news to share & I want to share it with you first.
On May 5th, I plan to announce that I am officially running for #Queens Borough President! Please join me & my husband Dan for this history-making moment. You can donate here now! https://t.co/oJdZX2guBW Thanks!
— Jimmy Van Bramer (@JimmyVanBramer) April 24, 2019

Van Bramer studied at St. John’s University. He spent a decade working for the Queens Library and has served on Community Board 2 and the New York State Democratic Committee.

He chairs the City Council's Committee on Cultural Affairs, Libraries, and International Intergroup Relations and served as the council's majority leader from 2014 to 2017.

Tickets for the May 5 campaign launch event at Van Bramer's Sunnyside home start at $25 and run to $1,000, according to a fundraising page. Van Bramer has already raised several thousand dollars since announcing his bid earlier today, he told Patch.