A veteran Staten Island lawmaker and avid supporter of President Trump is the Republican Party’s choice to challenge Democratic incumbent Jumaane Williams in a special election for public advocate, The Post has learned.
The city’s five county Republican leaders have unanimously tapped Councilman Joe Borelli as the party’s nominee for November’s special election.
“Joe’s not only a strong voice on Staten Island, but he’s also well-known throughout the city, and even the country,” said Michael Rendino, chairman of the Bronx Republican Party. “When he talks, people listen.”
Borelli, 36, confirmed he would accept the nomination.
“Brace yourselves. I’ll give a [formal] announcement in the coming weeks,” he said.
He’s also a heavy favorite to score the Conservative Party line, sources said.
Borelli has served on the Council since 2016, representing much of Staten Island’s south shore. He served as a state assemblyman and is a regular talking head on national political shows.
There are no Republicans holding citywide office and Borelli is just one of three on the 51-seat City Council.
Williams, a former Brooklyn councilman, won a special election in February to fill the seat left vacant when Letitia James was elected state attorney general.
Whoever wins the election will hold the seat through 2021.
Williams and Borelli have clashed in the past.
In 2014, the two battled in a series of tweets after Williams described a positive encounter he had with a member of the Bloods gang while attending a protest over the death of Eric Garner. Borelli later used an expletive while tweeting to remind Williams the Bloods had “killed two #nypd Detectives in #statenland execution style.”