James Gennaro is the former City Council Member for District 24, a seat he held for 12 successful years. Gennaro is once again seeking to lead our community in this very seat, recently vacated by Rory Lancman, and has announced that he is being backed by Shimi Pelman.

Pelman, a familiar face to the community, built a career caring for those confined to nursing homes. With his brilliant business acumen, Pelman is a pioneer and innovator in healthcare administration and has many decades of experience in New York City residential healthcare facilities. In 1979, Pelman began to dedicate his time to Tomchei Shabbos of Queens, delivering meals to the needy, and now sits as its president. Pelman is well-versed in the political arena, as the male Queens County Democratic District Leader for the 27th Assembly District and a Community Board 8 member.

“Through my various roles, I have watched James support the Jewish causes dear to our community,” explained Pelman to the Queens Jewish Link. “For 12 years, Jim was a stellar representative advocating for our needs in the City Council and throughout New York City.”

Gennaro vows to deliver just as he has before. He has pledged to fight to further improve our yeshivos. During his tenure in office, he secured over $68 million in funding for local schools and $38 million for youth programs.

Regarding quality of life, Gennaro intends to continue the fight to rezone our area and prevent overdevelopment. In the past, Gennaro had worked on getting laws passed that protected our neighborhoods from deceitful developers.

Gennaro was never shy to take a national stand, often speaking out and being a vocal advocate throughout the City. The environment is one area where America took notice. More specifically, Gennaro wrote the nationally acclaimed New York City Climate Protection Act, which reduced greenhouse gas emissions.

Gennaro also hopes to continue his legacy of protecting victims of domestic violence.


 The Tuesday, February 2, special election will see early voting begin on January 23, and continue through January 30 at Queens Borough Hall, Queens College, and York College. Please visit findmypollsite.vote.nyc to find your polling location.

Most Read