Krueger Backs 2 Candidates In Upper East Side City Council Race

UPPER EAST SIDE, NY — One of the Upper East Side's most prominent politicians announced Monday she was supporting two candidates in the neighborhood's competitive City Council race, in what her office called a "rare dual endorsement."

State Sen. Liz Krueger said she will back Kim Moscaritolo and Tricia Shimamura in the District 5 race, an open seat that has drawn seven Democrats seeking to replace term-limited incumbent Ben Kallos.

This year's city elections will be the first to use ranked-choice voting, which allows New Yorkers to pick as many as five candidates and makes joint endorsements like Krueger's more likely.

Moscaritolo, a journalist and community activist, and Shimamura, a social worker and former top congressional aide, have both raised upwards of $200,000 in their bids to represent District 5, which covers the eastern stretch of the neighborhood and Roosevelt Island.

Krueger, who has represented the neighborhood for nearly 20 years, praised both women as progressive leaders who had "put in the work" to serve the Upper East Side's families.

"They’ve shown up time and again, standing up for the local issues that matter to us, and fighting for a more transparent and responsive government," she said in a statement. "I encourage residents of District 5 to take advantage of the opportunity of ranked voting, and make these extraordinary women your top two choices."

Krueger did not say which of the two candidates she would rank first. Her joint endorsement was first reported by Our Town.

Thus far, many of the race's highest-profile endorsements have gone to Julie Menin, the former Census czar and city commissioner whose campaign has been endorsed by U.S. Reps. Jerry Nadler, Adriano Espaillat and Nydia Velázquez, two current councilmembers and a number of prominent unions.

Shimamura, meanwhile, has the backing of U.S. Rep. Carolyn Maloney, for whom she formerly worked as deputy chief of staff. Moscaritolo's supporters include State Sens. José M. Serrano and Jessica Ramos.

Explaining her endorsements, Krueger singled out Shimamura's public service, including on Community Board 8, as well as Moscaritolo's advocacy for small businesses and against the gun lobby.

Ben Kallos, who has represented the neighborhood since 2014, is running for Manhattan Borough President. Fellow incumbent Keith Powers is seeking re-election in neighboring District 4.

Upper East Side Patch will have ongoing coverage of the City Council race ahead of the June 22 primary, including candidate responses to the issues raised in our neighborhood survey.

Recent coverage: 1st Upper East Side Candidate Forum: 6 Quick Takeaways