ASTORIA – The offices of the Democratic Party in Astoria, which was also the primary election headquarters for Greek-American New York State Senate Deputy Leader Michael Gianaris, was tagged with graffiti by unknown individuals before the June 23 elections.

As Senator Gianaris told The National Herald, despite the fact that he and his associates were informed about the incident on June 24, it seems that it had taken place two days earlier, with the perpetrators sending a clear message ahead of the Democratic primary, which Gianaris won with a comfortable majority against his opponent, Ignazio “Iggy” Terranova.

In particular, the perpetrators spray-painted the anarchy symbol, making a pun with the initials of U.S. Congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, AOC, who had supported Gianaris in the run-up to the elections.

"If someone disagrees with us, there is the possibility of dialogue. We have democracy. The people have the right to vote and the case is over. Unfortunately, I see a lot of tension in politics. I don't know what those people had in mind. Clearly, however, because they targeted the Democratic Party building, they obviously wanted to send a message against the candidates,” Gianaris told TNH.

Gianaris also expressed his satisfaction with the primary results of June 23, estimating that his lead over Terranova, which is already at the level of 74% to 26%, will increase after the absentee ballots are counted.

"The people who voted for me with 74% said in this way that they approve of the policy I am pursuing. Those who criticize me, mostly the financially secure who think they will sustain losses due to my policies should know that I am here to support the ordinary working citizen and not those who want to multiply their profits at his expense,” Gianaris said.

Finally, when asked about the issue of rent, Gianaris reiterated his firm position that a solution should be found to relieve tenants, warning that, after the end of the moratorium on evictions, we may see thousands more people facing housing problems.

“When the moratorium ends, you'll see big business owners – and I'm talking about companies, not small and medium-sized property owners who live near us and love the community – try to send thousands more to the streets. In that case, everyone will understand why I was pushing for something to happen right away. We must act to prevent this result,” concluded Gianaris.