Vickie Paladino

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
In office
February 7, 2025 – January 7, 2026
Preceded byInna Vernikov
Succeeded byInna Vernikov
Personal details
Born (1954-10-28) October 28, 1954[1]
New York City, New York, U.S.
PartyRepublican
SpouseThomas Paladino Sr.[2]
Children2
WebsiteCity Council website

Vickie Albrizio Paladino (born October 28, 1954) 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. A Republican, she was first elected to the City Council in 2021 and was re-elected in 2023 and 2025. Paladino was named minority whip of the City Council in February 2025.

Paladino has openly expressed Islamophobic[3] and homophobic[4] views. She has also opposed pro-Palestinian protests during the Gaza War, squatter houses, Drag Queen Story Hour, congestion pricing, and COVID-19 vaccine mandates.

Political career

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. Paladino told de Blasio, "I want to know why you let your police officers down and our country down by going to Germany and protesting against our country."[5][2][6]

Paladino ran for State Senate in 2018, but was defeated by Democrat John Liu.[2] After she spoke at a showing of Dinesh D'Souza's Death of a Nation in 2018, Paladino approached some protesters and argued with them. A Proud Boy carried her away from the protesters; Paladino has said that she was rescued by the Proud Boy and that one protester had almost hit her with a belt.[7]

In 2021, Paladino narrowly defeated Democratic former State Senator Tony Avella to win election to the New York City Council. Her predecessor, Democrat Paul Vallone, was term-limited.[8][9]

Paladino represents New York City's 19th City Council district, a northeast Queens district that includes College Point, Whitestone, Bayside, Douglaston, Little Neck, and parts of Flushing.[10]

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.[2] Her statement was widely condemned for allegedly trivializing the Holocaust; she later apologized for it.[11] Paladino later participated in City Council proceedings online.[12] She was eventually granted a religious exemption from the vaccine mandate and was allowed to enter the Council chamber.[2]

A 2022 video of Paladino confronting an alleged squatter house resident went viral.[2] The video depicts Paladino telling a man that his house is "a disgrace"; an exchange of profanities follows. Paladino then adds, "You got an eviction notice... you'd better make sure you get out because we won't have these goings-on in this neighborhood." Paladino then asks the man if he is dealing drugs out of the house and what he is smoking; he responds, "Weed", and proceeds to blow marijuana smoke at her.[13]

Paladino was re-elected to the City Council in 2023, defeating Avella by a wide margin in a rematch.[14]

Paladino has a son, Thomas Paladino Jr., who has worked as her spokesperson and running her campaign social media. Thomas posted racist and white supremacist content on far‑right platform Gab.[15] In 2023 Paladino faced criticism when a vehicle allegedly owned by Thomas was parked in her driveway with an allegedly fraudulent license plate. Paladino had sponsored a bill to address the use of fake temporary plates on vehicles.[16]

On February 7, 2025, Paladino was appointed minority whip of the New York City Council.[17][18]

On November 4, 2025, Paladino defeated Democrat Ben Chou and was re-elected.[19]

Political positions

Paladino is a conservative lawmaker.[2] She is known for her opposition to pro-Palestinian protests during the Gaza War,[14] squatter houses, COVID-19 vaccine mandates, and congestion pricing; her support for law enforcement, small businesses, and Donald Trump;[2] her controversial social media presence;[20] and her outspoken personality.[2]

In 2022, Paladino spoke out against the proposed use of the Hotel de Point as a migrant shelter.[21] In 2023, she opposed the use of the former St. Agnes Parochial School as a migrant shelter and worked toward the shelter's closure.[22]

Paladino has expressed support for the state of Israel and has called for Hamas to end the Gaza War by surrendering to Israel.[23] She has asserted that "the progressives and anarchists marching through our streets, shutting down our bridges, harassing Jewish businesses, and taking over our universities FULLY support" the actions taken by Hamas in its conflict with Israel.[24] In 2024, Paladino described American pro-Palestinian protesters as "the worst people our society has ever produced".[25] 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.[25]

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.[26] In January 2025, Paladino – a "constant critic of congestion pricing" – posted information suggesting that laser pointers could be used to "permanently damage the cameras used to track drivers entering the new toll zone in Manhattan".[27] 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." An unnamed spokesperson for the New York City Council criticized Paladino's post.[28]

Paladino has opposed the construction of a casino near Citi Field in Queens.[29] Paladino has advocated for legislation to waive fees for gun permits and to delay reduction requirements regarding greenhouse gases.[30]

Following the 2025 Bondi Beach shooting during the Hanukkah celebration, Paladino wrote an Islamophobic post calling for the "expulsion of Muslims from western nations." Paladino deleted the post following condemnations from her City Council colleagues and other politicians, including New York City Mayor-elect Zohran Mamdani, the city's first Muslim mayor. The progressive faction also called for Paladino to be reprimanded for her anti-Islamic posts on social media.[31]

Drag Queen Story Hour

In March 2023, Paladino was removed from the City Council's Mental Health Committee in response to her 2022 comments about Drag Queen Story Hour,[32] a program in which drag performers read storybooks to children at schools and public libraries. Paladino had referred to the program as "cultural indoctrination"[33] and "child grooming".[34] Paladino received death threats following her 2022 remarks.[34]

Zohran Mamdani

On June 2, 2025, Paladino called for the deportation of New York State Assemblymember and then-candidate for New York City Mayor 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 United States from Uganda as a child.[35][36]

References

  1. ^ "Vickie Paladino". legistorm.com.
  2. ^ a b c d e f g h i Krichevsky, Sophie (January 21, 2025). "Yes, Vickie Paladino is for real". City & State NY.
  3. ^ Donaldson, Sahalie; Krichevsky, Sophie (December 15, 2025). "Paladino slammed for Islamophobic statements". City & State NY.
  4. ^ Tracy, Matt (December 22, 2022). "What happened to the Council's investigation into Vickie Paladino?". Gay City News.
  5. ^ Rauh, Grace (July 20, 2017). "Whitestone resident gives de Blasio earful over Germany trip". ny1.com.
  6. ^ "'You Let Your Police Officers Down:' Queens Woman Confronts De Blasio About Germany Trip". www.cbsnews.com. July 21, 2017.
  7. ^ Brady, Ryan (October 25, 2018). "Paladino's son lands himself in controversy". nyc.streetsblog.org.
  8. ^ "Republican Vickie Paladino Defeats Democrat Tony Avella For New York City Council Seat". www.cbsnews.com. November 17, 2021. Retrieved May 20, 2023.
  9. ^ Toor, Faraz (November 17, 2021). "Democrat Tony Avella concedes in Queens Council race". www.ny1.com. Retrieved May 20, 2023.
  10. ^ "District 19 – Vickie Paladino". council.nyc.gov. Retrieved February 9, 2025.
  11. ^ Sales, Ben (January 12, 2022). "NYC Council member apologizes for comparing vaccine mandates to Nazism". The Times of Israel. ISSN 0040-7909.
  12. ^ Dorgan, Michael (January 21, 2022). "Queens Lawmaker Vickie Paladino Given Vaccine Waiver to Take Seat in NYC Council Chamber". Jackson Heights Post.
  13. ^ Multiple sources:
  14. ^ a b Balk, Tim (November 8, 2023). "NYC Councilwoman Vickie Paladino reelected in northern Queens". New York Daily News. Retrieved November 8, 2023.
  15. ^ Offenhartz, Jake (October 17, 2018). "In Queens, A Republican State Senate Campaign Courts Proud Boys & Neo-Nazis". Gothamist.
  16. ^ Coburn, Jesse; Schwarz, Jonah (July 24, 2023). "'Law-and-Order' Council Member Had Fake, Illegal License Plate in Her Driveway". nyc.streetsblog.org.
  17. ^ 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.
  18. ^ Liotta, Paul (February 7, 2025). "Queens Councilwoman dethrones S.I.'s David Carr from City Council GOP leadership role". silive.com.
  19. ^ Hartley, Lauren; Smith, Rachel (November 5, 2025). "In City Council, Bronx Seat Flips and Bay Ridge Goes Blue". The City.
  20. ^ Schwach, Ryan (June 3, 2025). "Paladino in hot water again for suggesting mayoral candidate be deported". Queens Daily Eagle.
  21. ^ Kaye, Jacob (August 31, 2022). "City scraps asylum seeker shelter in College Point". Queens Daily Eagle.
  22. ^ Shkurhan, Iryna (October 16, 2023). "St. Agnes respite center for migrants in College Point shutters early". qns.com.
  23. ^ Shkurhan, Iryna (December 18, 2023). "Brooklyn council member taunts Vickie Paladino in dispute over possible Gaza ceasefire". qns.com.
  24. ^ "NYC Councilwoman Paladino criticizes progressive support amid Middle East tensions". Parkchester Times. September 1, 2024.
  25. ^ a b 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.
  26. ^ Sommerfeldt, Chris (February 13, 2023). "NYC Councilwoman Vickie Paladino says bicyclists should be licensed". New York Daily News.
  27. ^ Rosendale, Gus (January 6, 2025). "NYC councilwoman seemingly alludes to damaging congestion toll cameras with lasers". nbcenewyork.com.
  28. ^ Schwach, Ryan (January 29, 2025). "Paladino draws criticism after suggesting violence in social media post". Queens Eagle.
  29. ^ Gannon, Michael (March 20, 2025). "Two Queens GOPers oppose Citi casino". Queens Chronicle.
  30. ^ Lewis, Caroline (November 5, 2025). "City Council races: Republican Paladino keeps her seat in Northeast Queens". Gothamist.
  31. ^ Multiple sources:
  32. ^ Kaye, Jacob (March 15, 2023). "Paladino kicked off committee for anti-LGBTQ remarks". Queens Daily Eagle.
  33. ^ Rose, Dan (June 22, 2022). "Drag Queens in public schools prompts Council infighting". queensledger.com.
  34. ^ a b Kramer, Marcia (June 17, 2022). "New York City Council Member Vickie Paladino denounced for comments on Drag Queen Story Hour at public schools". www.cbsnews.com.
  35. ^ "'Enough': Zohran Mamdani torches Trump after getting deportation threat". Times of India. June 3, 2025.
  36. ^ Mays, Jeffrey C. (June 3, 2025). "In N.Y.C. Mayor's Race, Mamdani Responds to a Call for His Deportation". The New York Times. Retrieved June 4, 2025.
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