Voters in central Queens will head to the polls for a special election on September 12 to pick a replacement for departing state lawmaker Assemblyman Dan Rosenthal, Gov. Kathy Hochul announced Monday.
Rosenthal, a Democrat, is leaving his post before his term is up to take a job at a major charity, the United Jewish Appeal-Federation of Jewish Philanthropies of New York.
“With Daniel Rosenthal’s departure from the Assembly, a special election to ensure representation for the 27th District will be held in September,” said Hochul in a statement.
He was first elected in 2017 to represent the politically competitive 27th District, which covers Kew Gardens Hills, College Point and Whitestone and is home to large populations of Asian Americans, Orthodox Jews and ethnic white voters.
The Republican, Lee Zeldin, won nearly 56 percent of the vote in 2022, but Joe Biden carried it during the 2020 presidential election.
Rosenthal, who was first elected at 26, is backing a 25-year-old to replace him: Sam Berger, who is also Orthodox and the son of a Democratic district leader.
“Sam has tremendous character. He cares deeply about the neighborhood,” said Rosenthal, who is one of the four district leaders recommending Berger to Queens County Democratic Party chairman Gregory Meeks, who represents the borough in Congress.
The Republican candidate appears to be less certain: Hamodia reported that the GOP is considering nominating David Hirsch, a 34-year-old political consultant who is also Orthodox and a rabbi.
