Two Vying in Congressional Primary

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The New York Sun

A rare Republican primary will pit a retired Immigration and Naturalization Service officer against a businessman in Queens and Long Island today.


Rep. Gary Ackerman, a Democrat from Bayside, has held the 5th Congressional District seat, which includes northern Nassau Country and dense immigrant Queens communities such as Jackson Heights, Flushing, and Elmhurst, for 21 years.


Gonzalo “Jun” Policarpio and Stephen Graves say it is time for him to go. But first they have to fight it out for the opportunity to run against him November 2.


In a district that has one of the nation’s greatest number of foreign-born residents, Mr. Policarpio, a Filipino immigrant who worked for the INS in New York and at Newark International Airport, has tried to promote himself as the immigrant’s candidate.


Still, that was not enough to get Mr. Policarpio the local Conservative and Republican Party endorsements.


Instead, party leadership encouraged, Mr. Graves, a native of Tennessee and president of Bio Nutrition Research Labs, to run in District 5.


“I thought Mr. Policarpio was the one doing it, and then I was told by the country leadership he was not their choice and those who knew me would rather support me,” Mr. Graves said, citing communication skills as a significant reason.


Both candidates have followed traditional party stances on taxes, education, immigration, and jobs – all key issues for the district – but Mr. Policarpio, whose English is heavily accented, has paid particular interest to immigration issues and the need for Asian and Hispanic representation in Washington.


“The differences between our platforms is primarily that I am looking to represent all of our constituents and it does seem in some of his statements he is desirous to represent only a selection,” Mr. Graves said.


Mr. Policarpio could not be reached for comment.


Running under the slogan, “A man for all Americans,” Mr. Policarpio describes himself on his Web site as a man who has “opted to use the many good laws passed by Congress to protect the people’s civil and human rights.”


Regardless of the outcome of tomorrow’s primary, Mr. Ackerman said he is ready to meet his challenger.


“Whoever comes out ahead is going to face a full and vigorous campaign putting all the issues before the voters in a very positive way,” Mr. Ackerman said, noting he has seen very little activity from the Republican candidates. “We’ve done that since 1983 and my voting majority in elections years seems to indicate each year that I am doing a job that is at least very satisfactory with the voters.”


Political strategist Hank Sheinkopf sees little chance, despite the candidates’ descriptions of Mr. Ackerman as out of touch with the district, of an upset. “It’s going to be tough to beat Gary Ackerman,” he said, noting the trend line in New York suburbs is Democrat, not Republican. “The district is carved to ensure Ackerman has a better than even shot.”


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