City Council candidate, ex-wife of slain NYPD officer, withdraws candidacy

STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. — Jozette Carter-Williams withdrew her candidacy for the North Shore City Council seat Wednesday amid an ongoing legal battle over petition signatures, but said she intends to fight on.

Representatives for Councilmember Kamillah Hanks, the incumbent Democrat, brought petition challenges against Carter-Williams‘ candidacy last month. John Ciampoli, the attorney representing Carter-Williams, said fraud allegations brought Wednesday led to the candidate withdrawing her candidacy in the Democratic primary.

Carter-Williams confirmed Wednesday that she would no longer be pursuing the Democratic nomination for the seat, but said that she would be seeking the seat on an independent line.

The candidate, the ex-wife of slain NYPD Officer Gerard Carter, said she hopes to run on the “Stop the Bulls---” line in November, but will have until the end of the month to secure a new set of signatures to secure her position on the November ballot.

“Don’t count me out,” Carter-Williams said of her plan to continue her candidacy.

The murder of Gerard Carter in 1998 thrust Carter-Williams and her family into the headlines, and she has since remained a staunch advocate for her late ex-husband’s legacy. Though the two were officially divorced at the time of his death, Carter-Williams has described Carter as her “best friend” at the time of his passing.

A memorial just outside the 120th Precinct Station House on Richmond Terrace, St. George, honors his service and sacrifice, and Stapleton’s Gerard Carter Center has served the community since it opened in 2011.

Representatives for Hanks’ campaign brought multiple petition challenges against rival candidates, but according to the New York City Board of Election, the Democratic primary for the North Shore City Council seat will have four candidates.

Hanks took aim at the remnants of Carter-Williams Democratic campaign Wednesday calling her out for not making the ballot.

“If you believe being a New York City Councilmember is easy, I’m here to disabuse you of that notion. After four years in this role, I can tell you — it is a job that demands not just passion, but precision," the councilmember said. “If she wants to run on a line called ‘Stop the Bulls---,’ she should start with her own campaign. If you can not qualify legally for the ballot, how are you going to manage a complex $116 billion city budget, chair hearings, navigate the land-use process, complete the intricate documentation required for discretionary funding, handle constituent issues, or make law for over 8.5 million New Yorkers? My campaign is focused on real integrity, fighting for our quality of life, and building a better North Shore for all. We have done that for the past four years, and we will continue to do so for the next four years.”

The incumbent will face off against Sarah Blas, Abou Diakhate, and Telee Brown.

Assemblyman Michael Tannousis, chair of the Staten Island Republican Party and a state representative for the East Shore and part of South Brooklyn, said the party will be backing John Shea, a retired cop and firefighter, in the November election.