Queens politics in 2012 brought new districts, a historic election in the 6th Congressional District and enough cloak-and-dagger intrigue to fill a Robert Ludlum novel.

But when Hurricane Sandy struck in October, killing 12 people in Queens and more than 40 in the city, devastating the Rockaways, Howard Beach, lower Manhattan and Staten Island, the people of central Queens, who were largely spared the storm’s wrath, rallied to the cause of those worst hit.

Politics in middle and southwestern Queens was the favorite sport outside of Citi Field in 2012, and the worst storm to hit the region in 74 years devastated some while causing others just a few flickers of their lights.

JANUARY

As the year began, the city filed an appeal of a ruling by federal Judge Nicholas Garaufus that found discrimination on the part of the FDNY against African-American firefighters in the testing and hiring process.

New information on the electorate from the 6th Congressional District primary on June 26 shows a Democratic voting bloc that was far more white proportionally than the population of the district.

The new 6th CD is 40 percent white, 38 percent Asian, 18 percent Hispanic and 4 percent black.

Both sides in the race for the 6th Congressional District say they are eager for a series of televised debates called for on Monday by City Councilman and GOP candidate (Dan Halloran (R-Whitestone).

The campaign of Assemblywoman Grace Meng (D-Flushing) said she is ready to go.

Assemblywoman Grace Meng of Flushing handily defeated three Democratic opponents Tuesday in the 6th Congressional District primary.

The unofficial count was 51 percent for Meng, 28 percent for Assemblyman Rory Lancman of Fresh Meadows, 16 percent for City Councilwoman Liz Crowley of Middle Village and 5 percent for Dr. Robert Mittman of Bayside.

In a four-person Democratic race, Assemblywoman Grace Meng had no trouble winning her party’s nomination Tuesday for the newly created 6th Congressional District seat.

Candidates seen as the front runners in congressional primaries across Queens — whether incumbent lawmakers or party establishment choices — all won their nominations by wide margins Tuesday, according to preliminary results.

Rep. Gary Ackerman (D-Queens, Nassau), the congressman whose reconfigured district is the battleground in a fierce fight for the Democratic Party nomination, today criticized one of the candidates for sending out a misleading "hit piece" that wrongly implies he has the congressman's endorsement.

Democrats in much of Queens — and Republicans across the entire borough — will go to the polls June 26 to vote in primaries for their party’s nominees for Congress.

On the Republican side, the race pits U.S. Rep. Bob Turner (R-Queens, Brooklyn) against Manhattan attorney Wendy Long and Nassau County Comptroller George Maragos, who each are seeking the nomination to run against Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand (D-New York) for a full six-year term. Republicans across the state will be voting in the primary.

Four candidates for the Democratic nomination in the 6th Congressional District had one last go-round with each other last Thursday in a debate sponsored in part by the Juniper Valley Civic Association.

More than 200 attended as Councilwoman Elizabeth Crowley (D-Middle Village), Assemblyman Rory Lancman (D-Fresh Meadows), Assemblywoman Grace Meng (D-Flushing) and Dr. Robert Mittman from Bayside appeared at Our Lady of Hope School in Middle Village, and fielded questions on subjects ranging from the federal budget deficit to controversial accusations against the NYPD.

Assemblyman Rory Lancman (D-Fresh Meadows) brought his campaign for Congress to Councilwoman Elizabeth Crowley’s backyard last Thursday.

Standing at the former site of St. Saviour’s Church in Maspeth, Lancman held a press cnference to say eminent domain would be completely justified in an effort to create a park where the old church stood for more than a century.

In today’s hyper-partisan political atmosphere, Queens needs a fighter in Congress, someone who can stand up to the Republican obstructionism that has blocked so many measures necessary to help the United States regain its financial footing and standing in the world after the disaster of the Bush administration. The ability to get along well with opposing legislators is nice in theory, but simply not possible in today’s House of Representatives, with its hard-line right-wing leadership. What’s needed is a policy wonk who won’t back down when facing off against the Tea Party caucus pulling the Republican strings.

In the new 6th Congressional District, that candidate is Rory Lancman, the state assemblyman from Fresh Meadows.

The gloves have come off among the three leading candidates for the Democratic nomination in the 6th Congressional District.

Assemblyman Rory Lancman (D-Fresh Meadows) held a press conference on Tuesday morning both reiterating his own position on saving Social Security and criticizing those of Assemblywoman Grace Meng (D-Flushing) and Councilwoman Elizabeth Crowley (D-Middle Village).

Although he’s already participated in candidate forums, Dr. Robert Mittman of Bayside officially announced his candidacy for the newly created 6th Congressional seat last week in Elmhurst. He utilized the site of the closed St. John’s Hospital as a backdrop for his speech on improving healthcare for the citizens of Queens and possibly the country.

The physician outlined several healthcare initiatives such as providing full medication coverage for seniors, declaring that he will exceed the expectations of President Obama’s initiative that is expected to pay for 75 percent of senior drug costs by 2020, according to his campaign.

Assemblywoman Grace Meng is taking issue with a campaign ad mailed out last week by Assemblyman Rory Lancman as they vie for the Democratic nomination in the 6th Congressional District.

The mailer, paid for by Lancman for Congress, states among other points that Lancman is “the only [candidate] who fought for the Millionaire’s Tax in the Assembly so the ultra-wealthy pay their fair share.”

Councilwoman Elizabeth Crowley (D-Middle Village) sees her run for Congress as a natural extension of her work on the City Council.

“You can accomplish the same things on a larger scale,” she said in a recent interview with the Chronicle’s editorial board. “You deal with education, Social Security, jobs, infrastructure.”

Saying that she is the best choice for the job, retiring Congressman Gary Ackerman (D-Queens, Nassau) endorsed Flushing Assemblywoman Grace Meng for the newly created 6th Congressional District seat on Tuesday outside the Pomonok Senior Center.

Although the new district only covers 37 percent of Ackerman’s domain, his support is seen as important. Since Meng has the backing of the Queens Democratic Party, virtually every other elected Democratic official has already endorsed her.

In lockstep with the Queens County Democrats, retiring Congressman Gary Ackerman (D-Queens, Nassau) announced Tuesday morning that he is endorsing Flushing Assemblywoman Grace Meng for the newly created 6th Congressional District.

State Assemblyman Rory Lancman (D-Fresh Meadows) doesn’t skip a beat when asked what distinguishes him from his opponents in the Democratic primary battle in the 6th Congressional District.

“We’re running a campaign on issues,” Lancman said, rattling off a list of stops where he has taken questions from the public and press on Social Security, veterans’ affairs, taxes and federal finances, violence against women and the U.S.-Israel alliance.

About 100 people turned out Monday night to hear all six candidates running for the 6th Congressional District race offer their views on everything from same-sex marriage to military spending during a two-hour forum at the Flushing Library.

Sponsored by the MinKwon Center for Community Action in Flushing and supported by several other groups, it was moderated by Steve Choi, its executive director.

Sixth Congressional District candidate Grace Meng says the American public doesn’t want to hear excuses from politicians, it wants action, and she believes she can deliver.

During an extensive interview at the Queens Chronicle’s Rego Park office on Friday, Meng laid out her plans if elected. She faces a Democratic primary against Assemblyman Rory Lancman (D-Fresh Meadows), Councilwoman Elizabeth Crowley (D-Middle Village) and Dr. Robert Mittman of Bayside on June 26. The winner will face Councilman Dan Halloran (R-Whitestone) in the fall general election.

Distraught over a dark secret from his past being revealed by the media, longtime political functionary and retired teacher Jeff Gottlieb of Flushing quit the race for the 6th Congressional seat on April 19.

Gottlieb, 70, had been one of six candidates for the Democratic nomination for the newly redrawn district, which will represent a broad swath of Queens running from Ridgewood in the southwest through areas including Kew Gardens and Fresh Meadows to Oakland Gardens in the northeast.