Avella Tamps Down Boro President 'Rumor'

State Sen. Tony Avella, D-Bayside, said he is focusing on his reelection bid to the legislature and not a “rumored” run for Queens borough president.

In a Tuesday article, City & State wrote that Avella might jump into the race, but the senator insisted during a phone call that he was putting all his energy into this year’s Senate race.

“Right now, I’m focused on running for reelection in the Senate,” he said. “Everybody likes to speculate what will happen next. People continue to tell me to run for higher office. It’s nice to be considered, but now I’m concentrating on my Senate race.”

He said the idea that he could jump into the borough president race is a “rumor.”

Currently, the Queens BP seat has a raft of names associated with it, including former Forest Hills City Councilwoman Melinda Katz. City Councilman Leroy Comrie, D-St. Albans, and Deputy Borough President Barry Grodenchik have also been rumored to covet the position currently held by Helen Marshall.

Avella previously held the City Council seat for northeast Queens from 2001 to 2009. He ran in the 2009 mayoral race and, one year later, unseated long-time state Sen. Frank Padavan.

This year, he will face off against Republican Joe Concannon, a retired city Police Department captain and former adviser to Mayor Rudy Giuliani.