The scramble to fill the seat of former Assemblywoman Audrey Pheffer has taken another turn, with her longtime aide announcing she will not run for the post.
Our Lisa L. Colangelo reports:
That clears the deck for Phillip Goldfeder, an aide to U.S. Sen. Chuck Schumer. Goldfeder is being touted as the Queens Democratic Party's pick to replace Pheffer, who recently stepped down from her legislative post to become the Queens County Clerk.
The district includes parts of Ozone Park, Howard Beach and the Rockaways.
"I've been very blessed being able to work with Audrey for all those years," said Joann Shapiro. "It allowed me to serve at a certain level, and I think I did it well."
Shapiro said she made the decision not to run after having discussions with her family. "I don't plan on leaving the community," she said. "I will continue to serve in a different capacity and am looking forward to it."
Goldfeder, a Far Rockaway native, has worked for both Republicans and Democrats, including a stint on Mayor Bloomberg's 2005 campaign and City Councilman Simcha Felder's unsuccessful campaign for state Senate. He could not be reached for comment yesterday.
The seat will be filled by a special election, possibly on Primary Day in September.
The four Democratic district leaders - Shapiro, Frank Gulluscio, Lew Simon and Geraldine Chapey - will decide who runs on the party line for that race.
Former Police Officer Jane Deacy is the likely candidate on the Republican ballot.
Supporters said Goldfeder's connections in Far Rockaway could help bring out the important Jewish vote.
Others said he has few community ties outside of Far Rockaway and only recently started attending local civic and political club meetings.
"I think Jane's chances have gotten better," said City Councilman Eric Ulrich, a Republican who is touting Deacy as a candidate. "Outside of Far Rockaway, Phil is virtually unknown."
And he pointed out that political connections can only go so far during an election.
"At the end of the day, political capital is not transferrable," Ulrich said. "They don't care who you work for and who you know. They will vote for the candidate who will do the best job."
