Heard Around Town
Vickie Paladino’s challenger touts fundraising haul
Ben Chou has raised about $30,000 in private donations as he tries to unseat the conservative City Council edgelady. He expects to reach the campaign spending limit this cycle.
City Council candidate Ben Chou Alvin Tran Photography
Democrat Ben Chou, who is challenging Queens Republican City Council Member Vickie Paladino, has raised about $30,000 in private donations and expects to max out on fundraising with city public matching funds, his campaign exclusively told City & State ahead of the Oct. 3 filing deadline. That means he expects to meet the Campaign Finance Board spending cap of $228,000 with matching funds. The CFB will make the final determination on allotting matching funds.
"I’m deeply grateful for the generosity of our supporters. These are hardworking people, everyday New Yorkers, the vast majority small dollar donors, who want to see someone that relates with them and understands what’s really important to them in City Hall,” Chou said in a statement. “Maxing out our fundraising now comes with the responsibility of honoring their trust by running an efficient, honest, and issue-focused campaign."
Paladino, the conservative Whitestone firebrand known for her no-nonsense attitude and online confrontations, appears to have already maxed out on fundraising, per campaign finance records.
Chou, 33, grew up in Douglaston as the son of Chinese and Burmese immigrants. A firefighter since 2014, he is president of the New York City Fire Department’s Phoenix Society, a group that advocates for the department’s Asian and Asian American employees.
The district, which covers Whitestone, College Point, Bayside, Bay Terrace, Douglaston, Little Neck and parts of Flushing, had been somewhat purple a few years ago. Paladino defeated former state Sen. Tony Avella by less than 400 votes in 2021, when the late former Council Member Paul Vallone, a Democrat, was term-limited. But the district has swung dramatically to the right since then, and Paladino has gained in popularity. Not only did Paladino defeat Avella in a rematch in 2023 by 20 points, but the area also went solidly for President Donald Trump in 2024.
Still, public safety is a key issue in the district, which is home to a sizable East Asian population. Both could play in Chou’s favor come Election Day.
Paladino’s camp, however, does not seem concerned. Asked for comment on Chou’s fundraising, Thomas Paladino Jr., the lawmaker’s son and chief campaign strategist, said in a text message to City & State, “Ben who?”