Robert Holden (politician)

For other people named Robert Holden, see Robert Holden (disambiguation).

Robert Holden
Member of the New York City Council
from the 30th district
In office
January 1, 2018 – December 31, 2025
Preceded byElizabeth Crowley
Succeeded byPhil Wong
Personal details
Born (1951-10-12) October 12, 1951
New York City, New York, U.S.
PartyDemocratic
SpouseAmy Holden
Children3
EducationNew York City College of
Technology (AS)
Queens College (BA)
Hunter College (MFA)
WebsiteOfficial website

Robert F. Holden (born October 12, 1951)[1] is an American professor, graphic designer, and a former New York City Council member from the 30th district, representing the neighborhoods of Glendale, Maspeth, Middle Village, Ridgewood, and parts of Woodside and Woodhaven in the borough of Queens.[2]

Early life and education

Holden was raised in Maspeth, Queens.[3] He earned an AAS from the New York City College of Technology, a BA from Queens College, and an MFA from Hunter College,[4] all CUNY schools.

Career

Holden is a professional graphic designer and a professor of the same at the New York City College of Technology.[3][4]

Holden has also worked as an editor and art director for Juniper Berry magazine,[3] and as a photojournalist published in newspapers and magazines in the United States and Europe.[4] He has had his work exhibited at International Center of Photography, and other galleries.[4]

Holden has been a member of Queens Community Board 5 since 1988.[3]

New York City Council

2017 election

Holden, a long-registered Democrat,[1] ran in the 2017 Democratic primary for New York City Council against incumbent Democrat Elizabeth Crowley, but lost 63.6% to 36.1%.[5] In the general election, Holden ran on the Republican, Conservative, Reform Party lines, as well as the independent "Dump de Blasio" line.[6] Despite not being a registered member of the Republican party, he was able to receive the county's nomination by obtaining a Wilson Pakula authorization.[6][7]

Holden won a tight race, garnering 10,653 votes to Crowley's 10,426.[6][8][9]

Animal welfare

Holden opposes the operation of horse-drawn carriages in Central Park, which he describes as "torture". He has authored legislation to phase out the horse-drawn carriage industry and retrain drivers in other fields.[10]

Polish heritage recognition

In 2018, Holden sponsored resolutions to recognize Polish Independence Day, Tadeusz Kosciuszko Day, and Casimir Pulaski Day in New York City. The Ridgewood neighborhood in Holden's district has a significant Polish American population.[11]

Land use and zoning

In 2024, Holden fought to keep parking minimums in the New York City zoning code. During reform negotiations, there were proposals to reduce parking requirements for buildings near transit stations.[12] Holden argued for parking mandates, saying, "It’s gotten so bad in parts of my district, including Maspeth, Middle Village and Ridgewood, that the firehouses are telling me when they go to a fire they can’t find the hydrant because it’s blocked by somebody parking."[12]

Holden voted against a modified version of Mayor Eric Adams's zoning proposal called The City of Yes, which would allow the conversion and construction of 80,000 new and legal housing units across New York City. The plan was approved by the council in December 2024.[13]

Transportation

Holden is a staunch critic of proposals to implement congestion pricing, calling it a "ridiculous tax that's going to kill New York City."[14][15]

Election history

2017

New York City Council, 30th District, Primary election[16]
Party Candidate Votes %
Democratic Elizabeth Crowley (incumbent) 3,621 62.5
Democratic Robert Holden 2,050 35.4
  Write-In 16 0.2
  Unattributable 107 1.8
New York City Council, 30th District, General election[9]
Party Candidate Votes %
Republican Robert Holden 8,720 40.5
Conservative Robert Holden 1,507 7.0
Reform Robert Holden 189 0.9
Dump De Blasio Robert Holden 147 0.7
Total Robert Holden1 10,563 49.0
Democratic Elizabeth Crowley 9,351 43.4
Working Families Elizabeth Crowley 911 4.2
Women's Equality Elizabeth Crowley 164 0.7
Total Elizabeth Crowley (incumbent) 10,426 48.4
  Write-in 11 0.2
  Unattributable 123 2.4

2021

New York City Council, 30th District, Primary election[17]
Party Candidate Votes %
Democratic Robert Holden 5,250 54.6
Democratic Juan Ardila 4,324 45.0
  Other 38 0.4
New York City Council, 30th District, General election[18]
Party Candidate Votes %
Republican Robert Holden 10,555 52.4
Democratic Robert Holden 7,991 39.6
Conservative Robert Holden 1,167 5.8
Total Robert Holden 19,713 97.8
Write-ins Write-ins 440 2.2
Total votes 20,153 100.0
  1. ^ Holden is a registered Democrat but received the Republican party's nomination after losing the Democratic primary.

Personal life

As of 2017, Holden had been married to his wife, Amy, for 44 years.[3] They have three children and three grandchildren.[3]

References

  1. ^ a b "Robert Holden". Retrieved May 5, 2018 – via council.nyc.gov.
  2. ^ 30th District, New York City Council "New York City Council". Retrieved December 1, 2016.
  3. ^ a b c d e f "Bio - Robert Holden for City Council". Retrieved December 18, 2017.
  4. ^ a b c d Team, CIS Web. "Faculty Profile". www.citytech.cuny.edu. Retrieved November 17, 2017.
  5. ^ Coltin, Jeff; Lentz, Jon (September 23, 2017). "New York City's 2017 primary election results". City & State New York. Archived from the original on September 14, 2017. Retrieved November 17, 2017.
  6. ^ a b c Runyeon, Frank G. (November 16, 2017). "How Holden beat Crowley – and why he's not loyal to either party". City & State New York. Archived from the original on November 17, 2017. Retrieved November 17, 2017.
  7. ^ Kelley, Ryan (January 17, 2018). "Queens Councilman Holden remains a Democrat and is eager to Contribute to Council Committees". qns.com. Archived from the original on January 18, 2018. Retrieved July 19, 2018.
  8. ^ "Winners & Losers of 2017". City & State New York. Archived from the original on December 22, 2017. Retrieved December 18, 2017.
  9. ^ a b "Statement and Return Report for Certification: General Election - 11/07/2017" (PDF). Board of Elections in the City of New York. November 7, 2017.
  10. ^ O'Brien, Shane (August 19, 2025). "CM Holden hosts rally supporting Ryder's Law as part of efforts to wind down NYC's horse carriage industry". QNS. Retrieved October 21, 2025.
  11. ^ Hallum, Mark (November 1, 2018). "Ridgewood's Polish American residents honored with City Council resolutions". qns.com. Retrieved November 3, 2018.
  12. ^ a b "NYC Gets Historic Push for 80,000 Homes With $5 Billion Pledge". Bloomberg News. November 22, 2024.
  13. ^ "City of Yes gets final 'yes' from City Council". December 5, 2024.
  14. ^ "Bipartisan group of lawmakers stumps to oppose congestion pricing". Crain's New York Business. September 12, 2022.
  15. ^ "MTA: Money made from congestion pricing will be used to address existing issues - CBS New York". www.cbsnews.com. August 17, 2023.
  16. ^ "Statement and Return Report for Certification: Primary Election - 09/12/2017" (PDF). Board of Elections in the City of New York. September 26, 2017.
  17. ^ "2021 Primary Official Ranked Choice Rounds" (PDF). Board of Elections in the City of New York. July 20, 2021.
  18. ^ "Statement and Return Report for Certification". Board of Elections in the City of New York. November 3, 2021.
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