Vickie Paladino is an American politician, and a member of the

New York City Council The New York City Council is the lawmaking body of New York City. It has 51 members from 51 council districts throughout the five Borough (New York City), boroughs. The council serves as a check against the Mayor of New York City, mayor in a may ...

for the 19th district, which covers College Point, Whitestone, Beechhurst, parts of Flushing and Bayside in Eastern

Queens Queens is a borough of New York City, coextensive with Queens County, in the U.S. state of New York. Located on Long Island, it is the largest New York City borough by area. It is bordered by the borough of Brooklyn at the western tip of Long ...

. A member of the Republican Party, she was elected in 2021, replacing former City Council Member

Paul Vallone Paul Angelo Vallone (born June 2, 1967) is American politician and attorney who served as the Council member for the 19th district of the New York City Council from 2014 to 2021. He is a Democrat. His district included Alley Pond Park, Bay Ter ...

who was term limited. Paladino was re-elected to the New York City Council in 2023, successfully winning the race against

Tony Avella Anthony Avella Jr. (born October 27, 1951) is an American politician. A member of the Democratic Party, he represented the New York State Senate's 11th district in northeast Queens from 2011 to 2019. The district included the mostly affluent ne ...

for the 19th district seat. During her time on the New York City Council, she has been a critic of bicyclists in New York City. She has called for bicyclists to carry

liability insurance Liability insurance (also called third-party insurance) is a part of the general insurance system of risk financing to protect the purchaser (the "insured") from the risks of liabilities imposed by lawsuits and similar claims and protects the i ...

, register their bikes and carry

license plates A vehicle registration plate, also known as a number plate (British English), license plate (American English), or licence plate ( Canadian English), is a metal or plastic plate attached to a motor vehicle or trailer for official identificat ...

. In March of 2023, Paladino was removed from NYC City Council's mental health committee in what she claimed to be retaliation for her

homophobic Homophobia encompasses a range of negative attitudes and feelings toward homosexuality or people who are identified or perceived as being lesbian, gay or bisexual. It has been defined as contempt, prejudice, aversion, hatred or antipathy, m ...

comments about Drag Queen Story Hour, a program in which drag performers read storybooks to children at public libraries. Paladino referred to the program as “cultural indoctrination” and “child grooming.” On May 3rd 2024, in response to campus protests against Israel's bombardment of the Gaza Strip, Paladino called college students "monsters" who must be "slayed" in New York City. She has a son, Thomas Paladino Jr, who has also worked as her spokesperson.

References

21st-century American politicians 21st-century American women politicians Living people New York (state) Republicans New York City Council members People from Whitestone, Queens Women New York City Council members 1954 births {{NewYork-politician-stub