QUEENS, NY – The Stefano Forte campaign announce on July 27 that Democratic City Councilman Bob Holden has crossed party lines to endorse Candidate Stefano Forte in his race against Democrat Toby Stavisky to represent District 11 of Queens in the New York State Senate.

“Now more than ever, with crime spiraling out of control and quality of life deteriorating in New York, we need elected officials who have the will to tackle the issues head on,” said Councilman Bob Holden. “As a member of the Common Sense Caucus in the New York City Council, I believe that Stefano Forte has the common sense solutions necessary to properly represent the interests of the people of State Senate District 11 in Albany. His determination, energy, and willingness to serve make him the best pick for this seat and he has my complete and total endorsement.”

“I am proud to receive an endorsement from Councilman Holden, who has been a steadfast Democratic voice for moderacy on the New York City Council,” stated Forte. “I look forward to partnering with him and other common-sense leaders to begin the hard work of repairing our communities.”

This endorsement is the latest in a long string of endorsements from New York officeholders for Forte, including Council Minority Leader Joe Borelli, Council Member Vickie Paladino whose district overlaps a large portion of Senate District 11, and Republican gubernatorial candidate Lee Zeldin who is running to unseat New York Governor Kathy Hochul in November.

Forte, a Republican who is of Greek and Puerto Rican descent, was born in Astoria and raised in Flushing. Both sides of Forte’s family have lived the “American Dream.” According to his biography, his mother Evdokia Loudaros and her family immigrated to the United States from Amorgos, Greece, in 1971. Forte’s grandmother Sophia Loudaros was a stay-at-home mother who raised her four children while his grandfather George Loudaros supported the family by working on construction sites and ships. Stefano’s father Eric Forte was born in Queens to Luisa Lopez, a single mother who left her family in Puerto Rico to pursue a better life in New York City. All on her own, she worked hard and opened her own clothing factory, eventually selling her clothing in Macy’s and other department stores.

More information about Forte and his campaign is available online: https://stef4senate.com/.