Vickie Paladino

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Vickie Paladino
Paladino in 2024
Member of the New York City Council
from the 19th district
Incumbent
Assumed office
January 1, 2022
Preceded byPaul Vallone
Minority Whip of the New York City Council
Incumbent
Assumed office
February 7, 2025
Preceded byInna Vernikov
Personal details
Born (1954-10-28) October 28, 1954 (age 70)
New York City, New York, U.S.
Political partyRepublican
WebsiteCity Council website

Vickie Albrizio Paladino (born October 28, 1954)[1] is an American politician from the state of New York. Paladino is a member of the New York City Council for the 19th district, a northeast Queens district that includes College Point, Whitestone, Bayside, Douglaston, Little Neck, and parts of Flushing.[2] A member of the Republican Party, she was first elected to the City Council in 2021 and was re-elected in 2023. In 2025, Paladino was named minority whip of the City Council.

Political career

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Paladino gained media attention in 2017 after she confronted then-New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio at a public appearance. Paladino, who was on her way home from a nail salon, stopped to shout at de Blasio for having traveled to Germany to attend a protest a day after a New York City police officer had been shot to death.[3][4][5]

Paladino ran for State Senate in 2018, but was defeated by Democrat John Liu.[4]

In 2021, Paladino narrowly defeated Democrat Tony Avella to win election to the New York City Council. Her predecessor, Paul Vallone, was term-limited.[6][7] Paladino was re-elected to the City Council in 2023, defeating Avella by a wide margin in a rematch.[8]

During her time on the New York City Council, Paladino has been a critic of bicyclists in New York City. She has called for bicyclists to carry liability insurance, register their bikes and carry license plates.[9]

On February 7, 2025, Paladino was appointed minority whip of the New York City Council.[10][11]

Paladino has opposed the construction of a casino near Citi Field in Queens.[12]

Paladino is known for her support for law enforcement and small business; her opposition to migrant shelters, pro-Palestinian protests during the Israel-Hamas War,[8] squatter houses, vaccine mandates, and congestion pricing; her strong support for Donald Trump; her deeply conservative views; and her confrontational, outspoken personality.[4]

COVID-19 vaccinations

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On her first day at work as a member of the City Council, Paladino declined to provide proof that she had been vaccinated against COVID-19. After Paladino said, "'I don’t need to show you my papers... This is not Nazi Germany'", she was not allowed to enter the Council chamber.[4] Paladino later apologized for her remarks and participated in City Council proceedings online;[13] she was eventually granted a religious exemption from the vaccine mandate and was granted access to the Council chamber.[4] Her statements were widely condemned as they were seen as trivializing the holocaust. Paladino later apologized for the statement.[14]

Drag Queen Story Hour

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In March 2023, Paladino was removed from the City Council's Mental Health Committee in what she claimed to be retaliation for her comments about Drag Queen Story Hour, a program in which drag performers read storybooks to children at schools and public libraries. Paladino referred to the program as "'cultural indoctrination'" and "'child grooming'". Paladino added, "'Our kids are lagging in school... They are two and four years behind in basic education, math, reading, science, they need to get back to basics...and to concentrate our efforts on drag queens seems like a terrible waste of time and energy'".[15]

Violent rhetoric

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On May 3, 2024, in response to campus protests against Israel's bombardment of the Gaza Strip, Paladino called college students "monsters" who must be "slayed" in New York City.[16]

In January 2025, in response to a report by a StreetsBlog NYC reporter on illegal parking on sidewalks by the New York City Police Department, Paladino posted on X that “You can just tell when a guy has never been punched in the face.”[17] Paladino's post was criticized for promoting violence by a spokesperson for the New York City Council who said it was "unacceptable and can lead to a dangerous escalation that undermines public safety."

Allegations of nepotism

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Paladino has a son, Thomas Paladino Jr., who has worked as her spokesperson.[18] Paladino has been criticized for her employment of her son after press reported that he was an active user of alt-tech social network Gab where he made posts suggesting Africans were "savages" and implying that California Congresswoman Maxine Waters should be shot.[19] In response to criticism, Paladino Jr. claimed he was not suggesting Waters should be killed and was not being racist when referring to Africans as "savages."

Calls for the deportation of Zohran Mamdani

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On June 2, 2025, Paladino called for the deportation of the State Assembly member and New York City mayoral candidate Zohran Mamdani. She made the comment via an X post, questioning his opinion of the United States and his political views. (Mamdani, a United States citizen who was naturalized in 2018, immigrated to the US from Uganda as a child.)[20][21]

References

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  1. ^ "Vickie Paladino". legistorm.com.
  2. ^ "District 19 - Vickie Paladino". council.nyc.gov. Retrieved February 9, 2025.
  3. ^ Rauh, Grace (July 20, 2017). "Whitestone resident gives de Blasio earful over Germany trip". ny1.com.
  4. ^ a b c d e Krichevsky, Sophie (January 21, 2025). "Yes, Vickie Paladino is for real". City & State NY.
  5. ^ "'You Let Your Police Officers Down:' Queens Woman Confronts De Blasio About Germany Trip". www.cbsnews.com. July 21, 2017.
  6. ^ "Republican Vickie Paladino Defeats Democrat Tony Avella For New York City Council Seat". www.cbsnews.com. November 17, 2021. Retrieved May 20, 2023.
  7. ^ Toor, Faraz (November 17, 2021). "Democrat Tony Avella concedes in Queens Council race". www.ny1.com. Retrieved May 20, 2023.
  8. ^ a b Balk, Tim (November 8, 2023). "NYC Councilwoman Vickie Paladino reelected in northern Queens". New York Daily News. Retrieved November 8, 2023.
  9. ^ Sommerfeldt, Chris (February 13, 2023). "NYC Councilwoman Vickie Paladino says bicyclists should be licensed". New York Daily News.
  10. ^ Motherway, Colum (February 7, 2025). "Joann Ariola rises to Minority Leader in NYC Council after contested vote, appoints Vickie Paladino as Minority Whip". qns.com.
  11. ^ Liotta, Paul (February 7, 2025). "Queens Councilwoman dethrones S.I.'s David Carr from City Council GOP leadership role". silive.com.
  12. ^ Gannon, Michael (March 20, 2025). "Two Queens GOPers oppose Citi casino". Queens Chronicle.
  13. ^ Dorgan, Michael (January 21, 2022). "Queens Lawmaker Vickie Paladino Given Vaccine Waiver to Take Seat in NYC Council Chamber". Jackson Heights Post.
  14. ^ Sales, Ben (January 12, 2022). "NYC Council member apologizes for comparing vaccine mandates to Nazism". www.timesofisrael.com.
  15. ^ Levine, Jon (March 11, 2023). "GOP Councilwoman Vickie Paladino booted from NYC Council panel after criticizing Drag Queen Story Hour". New York Post. Retrieved May 3, 2024.
  16. ^ Rissman, Kelly (May 4, 2024). "NYC councilwoman calls protesting students 'monsters' and it's 'our job to slay them'". The Independent. Retrieved May 7, 2024.
  17. ^ Schwach, Ryan (January 29, 2025). "Paladino draws criticism after suggesting violence in social media post". Queens Eagle.
  18. ^ "'Law-and-Order' Council Member Had Fake, Illegal License Plate in Her Driveway". nyc.streetsblog.org. July 24, 2023.
  19. ^ "Paladino's son lands himself in controversy". nyc.streetsblog.org. October 25, 2018.
  20. ^ "'Enough': Zohran Mamdani torches Trump after getting deportation threat". Times of India. 3 June 2025.
  21. ^ Mays, Jeffrey C. "In N.Y.C. Mayor's Race, Mamdani Responds to a Call for His Deportation". The New York Times. AG Sulzberger. Retrieved 4 June 2025.
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Political offices
Preceded by Member of the New York City Council
from the 19th district
2022–present 		Incumbent