STATEN ISLAND — A special election to replace Vincent Ignizio in the City Council is already a done deal — only a single candidate has filed to run.
Assemblyman Joe Borelli will run unopposed for the 51st Council seat, which serves the South Shore of Staten Island, as nobody else had entered the race by the Monday deadline, according to the Board of Elections.
"I'm glad to hear I'll be representing the people of the South Shore once again," Borelli said.
"This doesn't effect how we're going to campaign. We'll still be at block parties, we'll still be knocking on doors, we'll still be at supermarkets."
The Republican Borelli, who was officially put on the ballot last week, will run on the "South Shore First" line since the special election is non-partisan.
Borelli will have to run again in 2016 to keep the council seat and will vacate his assembly seat as soon as he's sworn in. Gov. Andrew Cuomo can call a special election to fill that vacancy or wait until the next State Assembly general election in 2016.
Borelli, who previously served as Ignizio's chief of staff, promised to fight for middle class residents of the outer boroughs when he gets into the council.
"The council's much more of a hotbed of controversy and I intend to insert myself as appropriate," he said.
"Somebody has to speak for the millions of outer-borough, middle class homeowners that are lately placed on the back burner of city policy."
