Queens County Republicans are still searching for a new candidate to take on likely Democratic nominee Tiffany Cabán for district attorney in November’s general election and after Melinda Katz ruled out taking the GOP ballot line, retired prosecutor and judge Greg Lasak is being eyed as a potential standard bearer, sources told The Post.
Three knowledgeable Queens political sources said Wednesday that the party’s leadership is desperately seeking a candidate with the name recognition and political firepower to take on the Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez-backed Cabán, a public defender Democratic socialist who wants to legalize prostitution.
Two sources told The Post that Democrat Lasak is interested in taking the GOP line and has been openly telling Republican operatives that. However, Lasak has yet to contact the county party chairperson to make a formal request.
Lasak finished a respectable third place in the Democratic primary, garnering 15%, or 12,000 votes — clearly taking some votes from the party establishment favorite Katz and enabling Caban to squeak in. He received strong backing from law enforcement unions.
“Ideally, we should run a credible Republican candidate that will stand up in contrast to Tiffany Caban’s dangerous socialist platform,” the source said. “In the absence of a strong Republican candidate, Lasak would be a logical choice.”
“If Lasak is serious and wants to run as a Republican, he should call the Queens GOP leadership,” the source added.
Another Republican said that recruiting Lasak was one of the few cards the party had left to play if it wants to mount an actual challenge to Cabán, who works as a public defender.
“Lasak is the only one with nothing to lose, but he’s also got very little to offer except for a resume,” a longtime Republican operative, who put odds on a deal being struck at 50-50. “But he has no money and no organization.”
“The party is very interested in having him run and at this point, Lasak may be receptive,” the second person added. “Everybody’s on very shaky ground.”
However, a third source said they did not believe the former judge and prosecutor would be offered the line, but added the Queens Republicans are looking for a new candidate for the race.
Sources said the Republican committee has also begun talks with a number of local attorneys who have interest in running for district attorney to replace their current candidate, attorney Daniel Kogan of Richmond Hill.
Kogan told The Post after Cabán’s apparent upset win over Katz that he was willing to step aside and was not even sure if he would mount a campaign for the general election in November.
“Judge Lasak lives a block away from me, he’s a very distinguished jurist, so most likely, if that came to be, I would probably accede to that,” Kogan told The Post last week.
Queens GOP officials would have to move Kogan to a line in a judicial race to open a spot on the ballot for Lasak — or any other replacement candidate.
However, when contacted by The Post, Queens County GOP chairwoman Joann Ariola Shanks again denied her party was attempting to swap in Lasak.
“I have had no conversations, formal or otherwise, with Greg Lasak or anyone around him,” Shanks said. “I haven’t spoken to any of them.”