The progressive wave spurred by democratic socialist Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez two years ago continued with a vengeance in Queens Tuesday night, with insurgents toppling two — and possibly three — Assembly Democratic incumbents in Queens.
In Assembly District 34, which includes the hard-hit by coronavirus neighborhoods of Jackson Heights, Woodside, Corona, Elmhurst and Maspeth, Working Families Party favorite Jessica Gonzalez-Rojas led incumbent Michael DenDekker by 20 points with 80 percent of the machine vote in.
In Queens’ Assembly District 38 (Ridgewood, Glendale, Woodhaven, Ozone Park and Richmond Hill), challenger Jenifer Rajkumar led incumbent Michael Miller 52 percent to 25 percent with more than 80 percent of the votes in.
Meanwhile in AD 36 (Astoria, Long Island City) progressive favorite Zohran Mamdani led incumbent Aravella Simotas by seven percentage points with more than three-quarters of the vote counted. The district overlaps with AOC’s congressional district.