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A Republican running for a New York congressional seat sued a Democrat-run suburban city for allegedly blocking approval of a GOP “voter outreach town hall.”
Joe Cinquemani, who is looking to unseat Democratic Rep. George Latimer in the 16th congressional district, said Monday that officials in the city of Mount Vernon have backed off claims of a “scheduling conflict” after he filed a First Amendment lawsuit in federal court last week.
“I think it is going to happen,” Cinquemani told The Post. “I don’t think they’re stringing me along this time.”
Cinquemani claimed in his lawsuit that the city prevented him from hosting his event at the Doles Recreation Center.
Democrats control every office in the city and registered Democrats outnumber Republicans 29,108-2,619, according to Westchester County Board of Elections figures.
Judge Nelson Roman adjourned the matter until October, allowing the city time to let Cinquemani host the event, thus nullifying the case.
Cinquemani said the city’s corporation counsel flimsily claimed that his Republican politics wasn’t why the event was being held up.
Though he’s agreed that the slate of candidates at the so-called “voter outreach town hall” won’t bring campaign signs or literature.
GOP candidate for Governor Bruce Blakeman, as well as the rest of the statewide GOP ticket, will be invited to speak, according to Cinquemani.
He said the event will focus around issues facing Mount Vernon, which was rocked earlier this summer when Deputy Policy Commissioner Jennifer Lackard was busted for allegedly helping her gangbanger sun attempt a drive-by shooting outside a Bronx courthouse.
“I know as I stand here, the people of Mount Vernon are not happy,” Cinquemani said.
“They feel betrayed and abandoned. They’ve been voting Democrat for generations now and the standard of living if falling in just about every metric,” he added.
The town hall is preliminary on track to be held Sept. 24.
Cinquemani has an uphill battle against Latimer in the Nov. 4 election in the solidly blue district.
Democrats outnumber Republicans 264,463-77,136 in the 16th congressional district, which includes part of the Bronx and Westchester County, according to state data.
Members of Congress serve two-year terms at an annual salary of $175,000.
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