Hiram Monserrate won’t be heading back to Albany, at least for now.
Larinda Hooks, a Democratic district leader who was backed by labor unions, easily fended off Monserrate in the Democratic primary for the 35th state Assembly district in Queens, which stretches from East Elmhurst to Rego Park.
With almost 99% of vote scanners reporting, Hooks had 2,052 votes to Monserrate’s 1,405, according to the New York City Board of Elections’ unofficial results.
Monserrate was making yet another attempt at a political comeback after he was ejected from the state Senate in 2010 for assaulting his girlfriend and later served prison time for fraud. His loss Tuesday marks his sixth unsuccessful bid to reclaim a seat in the state Legislature or City Council.
Now, Hooks is in line to succeed longtime Assemblymember Jeff Aubry, who backed her and is stepping down at the end of his term that runs through the year.
The Hooks-Monserrate race was one of several contested Assembly primaries in New York City on Tuesday, including a handful that pitted Democratic incumbents against challengers — some on their left, others from the center.
Among the other results in New York City:
- With almost all precincts reporting, 11 Democratic Assemblymembers appeared to ward off primary challenges: Landon Dais, Michael Benedetto and Amanda Septimo of the Bronx; Eddie Gibbs, Manny De Los Santos and Al Taylor of Manhattan; Emily Gallagher, Stefani Zinerman and Jo Anne Simon of Brooklyn; and Jessica González-Rojas and Ron Kim of Queens.
- On the Upper West Side, Micah Lasher — Gov. Kathy Hochul’s former policy director — won a five-way race to replace retiring Assemblymember Danny O’Donnell.
- City Councilmember Kalman Yeger won a primary to replace retiring Assemblymember Helene Weinstein in Brooklyn.
- Claire Valdez, a democratic socialist, won a three-way, Queens-based primary to oust incumbent Juan Ardila, who was accused of past sexual misconduct shortly after taking office last year.
- Jordan J.G. Wright, son of current Manhattan Democratic Party chair and former Assemblymember Keith Wright, won a four-way primary to replace the retiring Assemblymember Inez Dickens in Harlem.
On the state Senate side, freshman Sen. Kristen Gonzalez easily warded off a challenge from fellow Democrat Gus Lambropoulos in Brooklyn.
There was only one Republican primary in the city on Tuesday and it was for an Assembly seat.
Kenneth Paek defeated Kenneth Chiu for the right to face off against Democratic Assemblymember Nily Rozic in a Queens district that includes all or part of Flushing, Queensboro Hill, Hillcrest, Fresh Meadows, Oakland Gardens, Bayside and Douglaston.