Robert F. Holden (born October 12, 1951)[1] is an American professor, graphic designer, and the New York City Council member for the 30th district, representing the neighborhoods of Glendale, Maspeth, Middle Village, Ridgewood, and parts of Woodside and Woodhaven in the borough of Queens.[2]
Bob Holden | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Member of the New York City Council from the 30th district | |
| Assumed office January 1, 2018 | |
| Preceded by | Elizabeth Crowley |
| Personal details | |
| Born | October 12, 1951 New York City, New York, U.S. |
| Political party | Democratic |
| Other political affiliations | Republican (2017–present, ballot line) |
| Spouse | Amy Holden |
| Children | 3 |
| Education | New York City College of Technology (AS) Queens College (BA) Hunter College (MFA) |
| Website | Official website |
Early life and education
editHolden was raised in Maspeth, Queens.[3] He earned an AAS from the New York City College of Technology, a BA from Queens College, and an MFA from Hunter College,[4] all CUNY schools.
Career
editHolden is a professional graphic designer and a professor of the same at the New York City College of Technology.[3][4]
Holden has also worked as an editor and art director for Juniper Berry magazine,[3] and as a photojournalist published in newspapers and magazines in the United States and Europe.[4] He has had his work exhibited at International Center of Photography, and other galleries.[4]
Holden has been a member of Queens Community Board 5 since 1988.[3]
New York City Council
edit2017 election
editHolden, a long-registered Democrat,[1] ran in the 2017 Democratic primary for New York City Council against incumbent Democrat Elizabeth Crowley, but lost 63.6% to 36.1%.[5] In the general election, Holden ran on the Republican, Conservative, Reform Party lines, as well as the independent "Dump de Blasio" line.[6] Despite not being a registered member of the Republican party, he was able to receive the county's nomination by obtaining a Wilson Pakula authorization.[6][7]
Holden won a tight race, garnering 10,653 votes to Crowley’s 10,426.[6][8][9]
2018
editHolden was the prime sponsor in introducing and passing resolutions 420, 421, and 422. The resolutions declared November 11 as Polish Independence Day, October 15 as Tadeusz Kosciuszko Day, and October 11 as Casimir Pulaski Day in New York City, respectively.[10][11][12][13] The bills all passed unanimously on October 31, 2018.
2020
editHolden has been a staunch critic of proposals to implement congestion pricing in the most congested and polluted areas of New York City.[14] Holden argued, "This ridiculous tax that's going to kill New York City."[15]
2024
editIn 2024, Holden fought to keep parking minimums in New York City. During negotiations to reform zoning in New York City, there were proposals to reduce parking requirements for buildings near transit stations.[16] Holden argued for parking mandates, saying, "It’s gotten so bad in parts of my district, including Maspeth, Middle Village and Ridgewood, that the firehouses are telling me when they go to a fire they can’t find the hydrant because it’s blocked by somebody parking."[16]
In December 2024, Holden voted against a modified version of Mayor Adam's new zoning proposal called The City of Yes legislation; it would allow the conversion and construction of 80,000 new and legal housing units for families across New York City. It awaits Mayor Adam's signature.[17]
Election history
edit2017
edit| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic | Elizabeth Crowley (incumbent) | 3,621 | 62.5 | |
| Democratic | Robert Holden | 2,050 | 35.4 | |
| Write-In | 16 | 0.2 | ||
| Unattributable | 107 | 1.8 | ||
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Republican | Robert Holden | 8,720 | 40.5 | |
| Conservative | Robert Holden | 1,507 | 7.0 | |
| Reform | Robert Holden | 189 | 0.9 | |
| Dump De Blasio | Robert Holden | 147 | 0.7 | |
| Total | Robert Holden1 | 10,563 | 49.0 | |
| Democratic | Elizabeth Crowley | 9,351 | 43.4 | |
| Working Families | Elizabeth Crowley | 911 | 4.2 | |
| Women's Equality | Elizabeth Crowley | 164 | 0.7 | |
| Total | Elizabeth Crowley (incumbent) | 10,426 | 48.4 | |
| Write-in | 11 | 0.2 | ||
| Unattributable | 123 | 2.4 | ||
2021
edit| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic | Robert Holden | 5,250 | 54.6 | |
| Democratic | Juan Ardila | 4,324 | 45.0 | |
| Other | 38 | 0.4 | ||
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Republican | Robert Holden | 10,555 | 52.4 | |
| Democratic | Robert Holden | 7,991 | 39.6 | |
| Conservative | Robert Holden | 1,167 | 5.8 | |
| Total | Robert Holden | 19,713 | 97.8 | |
| Write-ins | Write-ins | 440 | 2.2 | |
| Total votes | 20,153 | 100.0 | ||
- ^ Holden is a registered Democrat but received the Republican party's nomination after losing the Democratic primary.
Personal life
editAs of 2017, Holden had been married to his wife, Amy, for 44 years.[3] They have three children and three grandchildren.[3]
References
edit- ^ a b "Robert Holden". Retrieved May 5, 2018 – via council.nyc.gov.
- ^ 30th District, New York City Council "New York City Council". Retrieved December 1, 2016.
- ^ a b c d e f "Bio - Robert Holden for City Council". Retrieved December 18, 2017.
- ^ a b c d Team, CIS Web. "Faculty Profile". www.citytech.cuny.edu. Retrieved November 17, 2017.
- ^ Coltin, Jeff; Lentz, Jon (September 23, 2017). "New York City's 2017 primary election results". City & State New York. Archived from the original on September 14, 2017. Retrieved November 17, 2017.
- ^ a b c Runyeon, Frank G. (November 16, 2017). "How Holden beat Crowley – and why he's not loyal to either party". City & State New York. Archived from the original on November 17, 2017. Retrieved November 17, 2017.
- ^ Kelley, Ryan (January 17, 2018). "Queens Councilman Holden remains a Democrat and is eager to Contribute to Council Committees". qns.com. Archived from the original on January 18, 2018. Retrieved July 19, 2018.
- ^ "Winners & Losers of 2017". City & State New York. Archived from the original on December 22, 2017. Retrieved December 18, 2017.
- ^ a b "Statement and Return Report for Certification: General Election - 11/07/2017" (PDF). Board of Elections in the City of New York. November 7, 2017.
- ^ Legislative Research Center. "Resolution declaring November 11 as Polish Independence Day in the city of New York". legistar.council.nyc.gov. Retrieved November 3, 2018.
- ^ Legislative Research Center. "Resolution declaring October 11 as Casimir Pulaski Day in the city of New York". legistar.council.nyc.gov. Retrieved November 3, 2018.
- ^ Legislative Research Center. "Resolution declaring October 15 as Tadeusz Kosciuszko Day in the city of New York". legistar.council.nyc.gov. Retrieved November 3, 2018.
- ^ Hallum, Mark (November 1, 2018). "Ridgewood's Polish American residents honored with City Council resolutions". qns.com. Retrieved November 3, 2018.
- ^ "Bipartisan group of lawmakers stumps to oppose congestion pricing". Crain's New York Business. September 12, 2022.
- ^ "MTA: Money made from congestion pricing will be used to address existing issues - CBS New York". www.cbsnews.com. August 17, 2023.
- ^ a b "NYC Gets Historic Push for 80,000 Homes With $5 Billion Pledge". Bloomberg News. November 22, 2024.
- ^ https://queenseagle.com/all/2024/12/5/city-of-yes-gets-final-yes-from-city-council
- ^ "Statement and Return Report for Certification: Primary Election - 09/12/2017" (PDF). Board of Elections in the City of New York. September 26, 2017.
- ^ "2021 Primary Official Ranked Choice Rounds" (PDF). Board of Elections in the City of New York. July 20, 2021.
- ^ "Statement and Return Report for Certification". Board of Elections in the City of New York. November 3, 2021.