| 09/16/2004 |
| Graves scores primary win against GOPer Policarpio |
| By Sophia Chang |
Capturing 73 percent of the vote in Tuesday's primary, Flushing businessman Stephen Graves defeated Gonzalo "Jun" Policarpio to become the Republican candidate running against U.S. Rep. Gary Ackerman (D-Bayside) in the general election, according to unofficial election results from NY1.
"Obviously it's good," Graves said from his victory party at Bayside restaurant First Edition on Bell Blvd. "(Policarpio) ran a spirited campaign and I am happy to have it behind me. I'm looking forward to running against Mr. Ackerman and getting some real representation for the district." |
Ackerman will be unopposed on the November ballot as the Democratic and Working Families party candidate.
Policarpio said he is still on the ballot as an Independent Party candidate.
"I'm still fighting. I feel that's not a bad performance, running against a party machine," he said. "I'm not discouraged. I will campaign hard. Anything can happen."
Graves entered the race only a couple of months ago when he found out that Policarpio had not received the Republican Party endorsement. Policarpio, a Douglaston resident who retired from the Immigration and Naturalization Service, began campaigning for the seat last year and was endorsed by state Sen. Frank Padavan (R-Bellerose).
Graves is running on a platform of tax cuts, increased defense support, and privatizing Social Security. As expected, voter turnout was low in the 5th Congressional District where many people may have been unaware there was a primary. The district covers most of northern Queens and a part of Nassau County.
"It's been very slow," said Joseph Giglo of Whitestone, a Board of Elections volunteer working at the Bayside High School polls.
Both candidates had appeared at the Little Neck Pines Civic Association's Candidates Night Friday along with Ackerman. During an informal question-and-answer session, the three men spoke about issues such as education, gun control and prescription drugs.
Graves said he supported getting weapons off the streets rather than gun control. "The people who have to register and go through the waiting period are generally not the people who go out and hold up stores," he said. "How do we get the guns out of the hands of criminals and off the street?"
"I'm not in favor of gun control, but making assault weapons available to the public - I won't tolerate it," Policarpio said of the federal ban on assault weapons that expired Monday. Citing self-defense, he said, "we have to protect our properties, we have to protect ourselves against criminals."
"We no longer live in the Wild West," Ackerman said, speaking in favor of gun control. "You can't get a driver's license, you can't get a marriage license without filling out an application. I think common sense says you should have to fill out a form when you're getting a gun."
In addition, state Assemblywoman Ann-Margaret Carrozza (D-Bayside) and her Republican challenger Peter Boudouvas, an electrical engineer from Bayside, spoke at the civic meeting, touching upon healthcare and senior citizens' issues.
Carrozza and Boudouvas will square off for the state Assembly seat on Nov. 2.
Reach reporter Sophia Chang by e-mail at news@timesledger.com, or by phone at 718-229-0300, Ext. 146.
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