PROFILPELAJAR.COM

Phil Wong

Phil Wong
Wong in 2026
Member of the New York City Council
from the 30th district
Incumbent
Assumed office
January 1, 2026
Preceded byRobert Holden
Personal details
Born
British Hong Kong
PartyDemocratic
EducationCornell University (BA)

Phil Wong (Chinese: 黃友興) is an American activist and politician who is a member of the New York City Council from the 30th district, representing Elmhurst, Maspeth, Middle Village, Rego Park, and parts of Glendale and Ridgewood.[1] A Democrat, he was elected in 2025. He previously served as the budget director for his predecessor, Robert Holden.[2] Wong identifies as a conservative Democrat.[3]

Early life

Wong was born in British Hong Kong before immigrating to the United States with his family in 1974.[4][5] He has lived in Elmhurst, Queens since 1976.[6] He graduated from Jamaica High School in Jamaica, Queens, attending Cornell University.[5]

Career

Prior to entering politics, Wong worked as a patent translator. Wong's first political advocacy came in 2016 when he led protests aimed at shutting down a local homeless shelter.[7][8] He went on to co-found the local civic group Elmhurst United, and was later elected president of the Community Education Council for District 24. He was later hired by then-incumbent councilmember Robert Holden, for whom Wong served as budget director and a constituent services liaison.[9]

Elections

In 2025, Wong announced his campaign for the Democratic nomination for the New York City Council's 30th district. In the Democratic primary, teachers' union strategist Dermot Smyth was the heavy favorite, receiving the endorsement of the Queens Democratic Party; local civic leader Paul Pogozelski was also on the ballot.[2] Wong ran on a conservative platform, criticizing Smyth's centrism and Pogozelski's progressivism.[4] He received the endorsement of his boss, the outgoing councilman Holden; additionally, his campaign literature claimed endorsements from Curtis Sliwa, the Republican nominee for mayor, and Thomas Kenniff, the Republican nominee in the 2021 Manhattan District Attorney election. On election night, Wong led with 36% of the first-place vote; Pogozelski placed second, while Smyth surprised many with an unexpectedly poor third-place finish.[2][10] Wong narrowly edged out Pogozelski in the ranked-choice runoff, ultimately winning by 316 votes.[11]

In the general election, Wong faced off against fellow Holden staffer Alicia Vaichunas. The race attracted citywide attention because the two general election opponents simultaneously served as coworkers in the same councilman's office; Holden remained neutral, arguing both Wong and Vaichunas would faithfully honor his legacy.[12] The race began cordially, with both candidates promising to hire the other in the event of their victory. However, Vaichunas later attacked Wong, alleging that Wong staffer Christina Wilkinson blocked her and her volunteers on Facebook.[13] Wong eventually won with 54% of the vote.[14] Wong would later hire Vaichunas to serve as his deputy chief of staff.[15]

Political views

Wong identifies as a conservative Democrat and has stated that "my policies are Republican policies."[7]

Housing

Wong is a staunch critic of the City of Yes zoning overhaul proposed by former Mayor Eric Adams, arguing it would lead to overdevelopment and the erosion of neighborhood character.[6] He was a plaintiff to a lawsuit arguing the proposal violated state law; however, Wong's claim was rejected by a Staten Island judge, who ruled that "it is not the place of the court to second-guess policy decisions."[16][17] He has criticized Mayor Zohran Mamdani for his proposed rent freeze, arguing that rent control constitutes an unnecessary "handout."[16]

In June 2026, Wong publicly denounced a Hunter College student report that proposed increasing density in his Council district, saying that he would "be reaching out to CUNY" due to his distress over what a group of students wrote for their assignment.[18]

Immigration

Wong is an opponent of New York City's sanctuary city policy, arguing that current immigration policies are financially unsustainable.[7]

Policing

Wong identifies as a strong supporter of the NYPD, criticizing the City Council for what he perceives as "anti-police legislation." Wong has called for an increase in funding for the NYPD to promote the hiring of new officers.[7]

Electoral history

2025

2025 New York City Council Democratic primary, District 30[19]
Party Candidate Maximum
round 		Maximum
votes 		Share in
maximum
round 		Maximum votes
  First round votes   Transfer votes
Democratic Phil Wong 3 5,549 51.5%
​​
Democratic Paul Pogozelski 3 5,233 48.5%
​​
Democratic Dermot P. Smyth 2 3,963 31.2%
​​
Write-In 1 168 1.3%
​​
2025 New York City Council election, District 30[20]
Party Candidate Votes %
Democratic Phil Wong 20,501 54.2
Republican Alicia B. Vaichunas 15,029 39.7
Conservative Alicia B. Vaichunas 1,465 3.9
Total Alicia B. Vaichunas 16,494 43.6
Write-in 842 2.2
Total votes 37,837 100.0
Democratic hold

See also

References

  1. ^ Donaldson, Sahalie; McDonough, Annie; Pretsky, Holly (January 12, 2025). "Meet the new NYC Council members". cityandstateny.com. Retrieved January 18, 2026.
  2. ^ a b c Bernhardt, Celia (November 17, 2025). "How did Phil Wong win in Queens' purplest district?". cityandstateny.com. Retrieved January 18, 2026.
  3. ^ Meditz, Stephanie (23 October 2025). "Lead by agreeing to disagree: Wong". Queens Chronicle. Retrieved 28 July 2026.
  4. ^ a b Schwach, Ryan (May 4, 2025). "Race for District 30 heats up after combative debate". queenseagle.com. Retrieved January 18, 2026.
  5. ^ a b "Meet Phil Wong". Retrieved January 18, 2026 – via philwong2025.com.
  6. ^ a b Wong, Phil (April 25, 2025). "Op-ed: It's time for common-sense leadership in Queens". qns.com. Retrieved January 18, 2026.
  7. ^ a b c d "Pragmatic Candidate Phil Wong: A Doer Driven by Community Needs". visiontimes.com. October 8, 2025. Retrieved January 18, 2026.
  8. ^ DeJesus, Jaime (December 6, 2016). "Queens homeless shelter opponents again protest outside the Brooklyn home of commissioner". qns.com. Retrieved January 18, 2026.
  9. ^ Holden, Robert (June 3, 2025). "Why all District 30 Democrats Should Vote for Phil Wong". junipercivic.com. Retrieved January 18, 2026.
  10. ^ Parry, Bill (June 25, 2025). "District 30 Democratic race too close to call as candidates await RCV results". qns.com. Retrieved January 18, 2026.
  11. ^ "BOARD OF ELECTIONS IN THE CITY OF NEW YORK 2025 PRIMARY ELECTION OFFICIAL RANKED CHOICE ROUNDS: DEM Council Member 30th Council District" (PDF). Retrieved December 7, 2025.
  12. ^ Krichevsky, Sophie (July 2, 2025). "Two Bob Holden staffers are running against each other for their boss's seat – and it's actually not awkward". cityandstateny.com. Retrieved January 18, 2026.
  13. ^ Bernhardt, Celia (November 3, 2025). "In CD-30 Alicia has had it with Phil". cityandstateny.com. Retrieved January 18, 2026.
  14. ^ "Statement and Return Report for Certification General Election 2025 - 11/04/2025: Council Member 30th Council District" (PDF). Retrieved December 7, 2025.
  15. ^ Stachniak, Patrick (January 5, 2025). "Phil Wong officially takes over as District 30 Council Member". qns.com. Retrieved January 5, 2025.
  16. ^ a b Meditz, Stephanie (October 23, 2025). "Lead by agreeing to disagree: Wong". qchron.com. Retrieved January 18, 2026.
  17. ^ Schwach, Ryan (November 14, 2025). "Judge tosses Queens-led City of Yes lawsuit". queenseagle.com. Retrieved January 18, 2026.
  18. ^ Resnikoff, Ned. "Bluesky Post". Retrieved 19 June 2026.
  19. ^ "DEM Council Member 30th Council District". Vote NYC. New York City Board of Elections. July 22, 2025. Retrieved June 27, 2026.
  20. ^ "00401100030Queens Member of the City Council 30th Council District Recap.pdf" (PDF). Vote NYC. New York City Board of Elections. December 2, 2025. Retrieved June 27, 2026.

Content Disclaimer

Informasi ini disarikan dari Wikipedia dan disajikan kembali untuk tujuan edukasi. Konten tersedia di bawah lisensi CC BY-SA 3.0. Kami tidak bertanggung jawab atas ketidakakuratan data yang bersumber dari kontribusi publik tersebut.

  1. The information displayed on this website is sourced in part or in whole from Wikipedia and has been adapted for the purpose of restating it. We strive to provide accurate and relevant information, however:
  2. There is no guarantee of absolute accuracy. Wikipedia is an open, collaborative project that can be edited by anyone, so information is subject to change.
  3. It is not intended to constitute professional advice. The content displayed is for informational and educational purposes only. For important decisions (e.g., medical, legal, or financial), please consult a professional.
  4. Content copyright. Wikipedia is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License (CC BY-SA). This means that content may be reused with appropriate attribution and shared under a similar license.
  5. Responsible use. Any risk arising from the use of information from this website is entirely the responsibility of the user.