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<channel>
	<title>The Wonkster &#187; Electoral Politics</title>
	<atom:link href="http://www.gothamgazette.com/blogs/wonkster/category/electoral-politics/feed/" rel="self" type="application/rss+xml" />
	<link>http://www.gothamgazette.com/blogs/wonkster</link>
	<description>Gotham Gazette&#039;s blog about New York policy and politics</description>
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		<title>City BOE agrees to use modern tech for tallying votes</title>
		<link>http://www.gothamgazette.com/blogs/wonkster/2012/07/17/city-boe-agrees-to-use-modern-tech-for-tallying-votes/</link>
		<comments>http://www.gothamgazette.com/blogs/wonkster/2012/07/17/city-boe-agrees-to-use-modern-tech-for-tallying-votes/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Tue, 17 Jul 2012 22:07:00 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Cristian Salazar</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Electoral Politics]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Gotham City]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Governing]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[boe]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[elections]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[nycboe]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[polanco]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.gothamgazette.com/blogs/wonkster/?p=11043</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Unofficial election night results will now be read from portable memory devices at police precincts, rather than off strips of paper, after a unanimous decision by the city&#8217;s Board of Elections earlier today.
The results will then be transferred to the New York Police Department, which will give the data to the press.
Elections Commissioner Juan Carlos [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>Unofficial election night results will now be read from portable memory devices at police precincts, rather than off strips of paper, after a unanimous decision by the city&#8217;s Board of Elections earlier today.</p>
<p>The results will then be transferred to the New York Police Department, which will give the data to the press.</p>
<p>Elections Commissioner Juan Carlos &#8220;J.C.&#8221; Polanco said the new election night process will be in place for the September state and local primary elections.</p>
<p>&#8220;This is exciting for us. What it&#8217;s going to avoid is the element of human error,&#8221; he said, adding that the result would be &#8220;incredible accuracy.”</p>
<p>The current process involves scissors, tape and calculators, and requires BOE staffers to count votes by hand late into  the night.</p>
<p>Problems with the current process were highlighted after the June 26 primary, when unofficial election night tallies showed U.S. Rep. Charles Rangel beating his closest challenger by a respectable margin. Rangel&#8217;s lead narrowed over the next few days as it became clear that hundreds of votes had potentially gone uncounted because of the byzantine tallying process. (Rangel still won in the end, even after the votes were accounted for.)</p>
<p>The board was roundly criticized in the press for their handling of the election.</p>
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			<wfw:commentRss>http://www.gothamgazette.com/blogs/wonkster/2012/07/17/city-boe-agrees-to-use-modern-tech-for-tallying-votes/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
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		<title>State Board of Elections gives city counterpart more encouragement</title>
		<link>http://www.gothamgazette.com/blogs/wonkster/2012/07/17/state-board-of-elections-gives-city-counterpart-more-encouragement/</link>
		<comments>http://www.gothamgazette.com/blogs/wonkster/2012/07/17/state-board-of-elections-gives-city-counterpart-more-encouragement/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Tue, 17 Jul 2012 17:29:01 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Cristian Salazar</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Electoral Politics]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Gotham City]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[boe]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[nyc]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[voting]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.gothamgazette.com/blogs/wonkster/?p=11034</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[All four commissioners of the state Board of Elections now say the city can change election night voting procedures without a change in state law. Here&#8217;s the letter the NYBOE sent today. 
It&#8217;s an encouraging sign, though it still remains to be seen whether the city&#8217;s BOE will follow through.
The issue is expected to be [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>All four commissioners of the state Board of Elections now say the city can change <a href="http://www.gothamgazette.com/blogs/wonkster/2012/07/13/ap-boe-can-change-election-night-counting-process/">election night voting procedures</a> without a change in state law. <a href="http://www.gothamgazette.com/blogs/wonkster/wp-content/uploads/2012/07/NYCresponse717.pdf">Here&#8217;s the letter the NYBOE sent today. </a></p>
<p>It&#8217;s an encouraging sign, though it still remains to be seen whether the city&#8217;s BOE will follow through.</p>
<p>The issue is expected to be a topic of much discussion at this afternoon&#8217;s NYCBOE hearing. Watch our <a href="http://twitter.com/gothamgazette">Twitter feed for updates</a>.</p>
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		<title>New front in battle for state Senate</title>
		<link>http://www.gothamgazette.com/blogs/wonkster/2012/07/13/new-front-in-battle-for-state-senate/</link>
		<comments>http://www.gothamgazette.com/blogs/wonkster/2012/07/13/new-front-in-battle-for-state-senate/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Fri, 13 Jul 2012 16:21:36 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>David King</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Albany]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Electoral Politics]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Eye on Albany]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Owen Johnson]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Ricardo Montano]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.gothamgazette.com/blogs/wonkster/?p=11005</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Eighty-two-year-old Republican state Sen. Owen Johnson has indicated he will not seek reelection this year, throwing into doubt the balance of power in the Senate.
Democratic County Legislator Ricardo Montano will now face whomever the GOP establishment picks over weekend meetings, according to Newsday.
Last time around in the legislative soap opera, Senate Democrats looked to be [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>Eighty-two-year-old Republican state Sen. Owen Johnson has <a href="http://politicker.com/2012/07/long-island-state-senator-suddenly-indicates-retirement-plans/">indicated </a>he will not seek reelection this year, throwing into doubt the balance of power in the Senate.</p>
<p>Democratic County Legislator Ricardo Montano will now face whomever the GOP establishment picks over weekend meetings, <a href="http://politicker.com/2012/07/long-island-state-senator-suddenly-indicates-retirement-plans/">according to Newsday</a>.</p>
<p>Last time around in the legislative soap opera, Senate Democrats looked to be positioned well to pick up and defend seats on Long Island until, well, they <a href="http://www.gothamgazette.com/index.php/city/611-republicans-see-opportunity-to-retake-the-state-senate">blew it in a pretty ugly way</a>.</p>
<p>Democrats <a href="http://old.gothamgazette.com/article/albany/20120515/204/3717">face an uphill battle</a> this year as Republicans control the Senate 33-29 and also appear to have the loyalty of the Independent Senate Democrats, who have toyed with running incumbent Democrats in the primary<a href="http://old.gothamgazette.com/article/albany/20120515/204/3717"> and have met with at least one primary challenger to a long-term incumbent Democrat.</a></p>
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		<title>AP: BOE can change election night counting process</title>
		<link>http://www.gothamgazette.com/blogs/wonkster/2012/07/13/ap-boe-can-change-election-night-counting-process/</link>
		<comments>http://www.gothamgazette.com/blogs/wonkster/2012/07/13/ap-boe-can-change-election-night-counting-process/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Fri, 13 Jul 2012 13:05:04 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>David King</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Electoral Politics]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Gotham City]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Governing]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Law]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Adriano Espiallat]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Board of Elections]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Brian Kavanagh]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Charlie Rangel]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[gale brewer]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.gothamgazette.com/blogs/wonkster/?p=10996</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[The Associated Press is reporting that the city Board of Elections has received a legal opinion from the State Board of Elections that would allow them to change their election night closing procedures without actually changing the law.
As we reported earlier this week, the city BOE is considering changing its procedures so that it can [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>The Associated Press <a href="http://online.wsj.com/article/AP37777ec75f25498d86fab5f66e14d694.html">is reporting</a> that the city Board of Elections has received a legal opinion from the State Board of Elections that would allow them to change their election night closing procedures without actually changing the law.</p>
<p>As we <a href="http://www.gothamgazette.com/index.php/city/1408-espaillat-boe">reported earlier this week</a>, the city BOE is considering changing its procedures so that it can use electronic data from voting machines when polls close to tally unofficial vote counts rather than using the current process that involves using scissors, tape, and calculators and requires BOE staffers to count votes by hand late into the night.</p>
<p>Recent elections, including the Congressional contest between Rep. Charles Rangel and State Sen. Adriano Espaillat, have seen election night totals come in drastically different from the eventual official count. Elected officials like Councilwoman Gale Brewer and Assemblyman Brian Kavanagh want to change the process to avoid a further corrosion of public trust in the election process.</p>
<p>As we <a href="http://www.gothamgazette.com/blogs/wonkster/2012/07/12/council-to-hold-hearing-on-board-of-elections-bungling/">reported yesterday</a>, Brewer will be holding a Council hearing on August 8 to look into the recent problems at the BOE.</p>
<p>Brewer has supported a Kavanagh-sponsored bill in the Assembly that would have allowed the BOE to use electronic data. The measure passed the Assembly but failed in the Senate; now it looks like the board can move ahead with the change in process without any official legislation.</p>
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		<title>The Races for DA</title>
		<link>http://www.gothamgazette.com/blogs/wonkster/2011/11/06/the-races-for-da/</link>
		<comments>http://www.gothamgazette.com/blogs/wonkster/2011/11/06/the-races-for-da/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Mon, 07 Nov 2011 02:58:55 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Gail Robinson</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Electoral Politics]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Gotham City]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Governing]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Law]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[bar association of the city of new york]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[bronx district attorney]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Daniel Donovan]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[James Molinaro]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[mike ryan]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[queen district attorney]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Richard Brown]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[robert johnson]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[state island district attorney]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.gothamgazette.com/blogs/wonkster/?p=10306</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Three of New York City&#8217;s five district attorneys are up for re-election this year, but for only one &#8212; Staten Island Daniel Donovan &#8212; is the contest&#8217; outcome in any doubt. 
(For more on who can vote and how this year, go here. For more on the judicial contests, go here.)
Two of the veteran prosecutors, [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>Three of New York City&#8217;s five district attorneys are up for re-election this year, but for only one &#8212; Staten Island Daniel Donovan &#8212; is the contest&#8217; outcome in any doubt. </p>
<p>(For more on who can vote and how this year, go <a href="http://www.gothamgazette.com/blogs/wonkster/2011/11/06/10300/">here</a>. For more on the judicial contests, go <a /href="http://www.gothamgazette.com/blogs/wonkster/2011/11/06/here-come-the-judges/">here</a>.)</p>
<p>Two of the veteran prosecutors, <a href="http://www.queensda.org/dabiography.html">Richard Brown</a> in Queens and <a href="http://bronxda.nyc.gov/office/biography.htm">Robert Johnson</a> in the Bronx &#8212; will appear on the Democratic, Republican and Conservative lines and will not face any opposition.</p>
<p>Brown, who will turn 79 later this month, is <a href="http://www.qgazette.com/news/2011-10-19/Political_Page/DA_Brown_Headed_For_6th_Consecutive_Election_Victo.html"> headed</a> to his sixth-term.</p>
<p>Johnson, who already is in his sixth term, was the first black district attorney in the state. In a somewhat strange twist, he received a rating of &#8220;not approved&#8221; by the city bar association this year. Johnson attributed the rejection to his not agreeing to an interview with the association and said he thinks it make little sense for the group to rate candidates in uncontested elections.</p>
<p>&#8220;If they think that I have not demonstrated the qualifications to hold this office,&#8221; Johnson <a href="http://newsandinsight.thomsonreuters.com/New_York/News/2011/10_-_October/City_bar_association_gives_thumbs-down_to_veteran_Bronx_DA/">told Reuters</a>, &#8220;they must have been stuck in a cave for the past two decades.&#8221;</p>
<p>The bar does not explain or amplify on its ratings although they do not endorse candidates they can&#8217;t interview.</p>
<p>The Staten Island race offers a reprise of the 2007race in which Republican <a href=" http://www.dandonovan.org/2011/"> Donovan</a> <a href=" http://statenisland.ny1.com/content/top_stories/150288/district-attorney-candidates-spar-over-staten-island-crime-rate">defeated</a> Democrat <a href=" http://www.mikeryanforda.com/">Mike Ryan</a> with about 70 percent of the vote.  Donovan has the backing of the Independence Party too, while &#8212; perhaps owing to a <a href="http://gothamist.com/2007/10/24/si_beep_molinar.php">long-standing rift</a> between Donovan and Conservative Borough president James Molinaro, Ryan has the Conservative Party line.<br />
<span id="more-10306"></span><br />
Donovan, who <a href="http://www.gothamgazette.com/article/albany/20101021/204/3389">ran unsuccessfully</a> for state attorney general last year, first became Staten Island district attorney in 2004. He previously worked for the Manhattan district attorney and served as deputy borough president in Staten Island.</p>
<p>Ryan, who began his career as a probation officer, served as the city&#8217;s acting deputy criminal justice coordinator and was a commissioner on the Board of Elections. He is currently in private practice.</p>
<p>By most accounts the contest between the two men has been spirited. They have <a href="http://www.silive.com/news/index.ssf/2011/11/contest_for_staten_island_dist.html">clashed</a> over the borough&#8217;s crime rate, <a href="http://www.silive.com/news/index.ssf/2011/10/donovans_camp_rips_staten_isla.html">effort to fight prescription drug abuse</a>, the sharp increase in rape in the borough &#8212; which Donovan attributed largely to a rise in statutory rape &#8211; and Ryan&#8217;s conducts as an attorney, in particular his <a href="http://www.silive.com/news/index.ssf/2011/11/former_bp_guy_molinari_slams_c.html">defense of a woman</a> whose pit bulls killed an elderly man. Donovan has <a href="http://www.silive.com/news/index.ssf/2011/10/both_candidates_cite_numbers_i.html">cited the relatively low crime rate</a> on the island and his conviction rate, while Ryan has charged him with not taking on touch cases. </p>
<p>Both side have snagged some high profile endorsements. Former mayors Ed Koch and Rudolph Giuliani <a href="http://www.silive.com/news/index.ssf/2011/10/dan_donovans_the_man_for_rudy.html">back Donovan</a>, as do an <a href=" http://www.dandonovan.org/2011/endorsements">array of law enforcement unions</a> and the <a href=" http://www.silive.com/news/index.ssf/2011/10/uft_endorses_donovan_in_staten.html">United Federation of Teachers</a>. Gov Andrew Cuomo is <a href=" http://www.silive.com/news/index.ssf/2011/10/gov_andrew_cuomo_endorses_demo.html">supporting Ryan</a> as are a large number of labor unions. </p>
<p>Donovan had a clear lead in fund-raising. Eleven days before the election, he <a href=" http://www.elections.state.ny.us:8080/plsql_browser/efs_summary_page?comid_in=C19538&#038;rdate_in=28-OCT-2011&#038;reportid_in=E&#038;eyear_in=2011">reported</a> raising $117,375 and had a closing balance of $194,170.01. Ryan had <a href="http://www.elections.state.ny.us:8080/plsql_browser/efs_summary_page?comid_in=C85261&#038;rdate_in=28-OCT-2011&#038;reportid_in=E&#038;eyear_in=2011">raised</a> almost $27,000 and had more than $21, 659 on hand.</p>
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		<title>Here Come the Judges</title>
		<link>http://www.gothamgazette.com/blogs/wonkster/2011/11/06/here-come-the-judges/</link>
		<comments>http://www.gothamgazette.com/blogs/wonkster/2011/11/06/here-come-the-judges/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Mon, 07 Nov 2011 02:54:45 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Gail Robinson</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Electoral Politics]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Gotham City]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Governing]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Law]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[bar association]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[carl landicino]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[civil court]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[conservative party]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[gabriel tapalaga]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[kate christoforatos]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[new york state supreme court]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[paul atansio]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[tom long]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.gothamgazette.com/blogs/wonkster/?p=10303</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Occupants for 29 seats on the bench in New York City will be selected Tuesday &#8212; at least theoretically. In many cases, though, the primary process and political insiders have filled the posts already &#8212; leaving voters with nothing more than the opportunity to ratify the choice.
All candidates for Manhattan judgeships &#8212; including places of [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>Occupants for 29 seats on the bench in New York City will be selected Tuesday &#8212; at least theoretically. In many cases, though, the primary process and political insiders have filled the posts already &#8212; leaving voters with nothing more than the opportunity to ratify the choice.</p>
<p>All candidates for Manhattan judgeships &#8212; including places of the state Supreme Court and Civil Court &#8212; face no opposition. All have  the Democratic Party line; a few also have the GOP nod. In no case, though, have the Republicans &#8212; or any other party for that matter &#8212; put forth candidate who is not the Democratic standard bearer. In the one judicial race on Staten Island the sole candidate &#8212; Acting Judge <a href="http://www.nycourtsystem.com/applications/judicialdirectory/Bio.php?ID=7023807">Joseph J. Maltese</a> &#8212; has support from the Democratic, Republican, Conservative and Independence parties.</p>
<p>The contested elections come in Brooklyn and Queens. There are no judicial races &#8212; contested or otherwise &#8212; in the Bronx. </p>
<p>(For more on who can vote and how this year, go <a href="http://www.gothamgazette.com/blogs/wonkster/2011/11/06/10300/">here</a>. For more on the district attorney contest, go <a /href="http://www.gothamgazette.com/blogs/wonkster/2011/11/06/here-come-the-judges/">here</a>.)</p>
<p>More on the individual judicial races after the jump.<br />
<span id="more-10303"></span></p>
<p>In Queens, 12 candidates are competing for six available state Supreme Court seats. Six of the candidates are Democrats &#8212; Supreme Court Justice <a href="http://www.nycourtsystem.com/Applications/JCEC2011/Bio2011.php?ID=1486">Janice Taylor</a>, Supreme Court Justice <a href="http://www.nycourtsystem.com/applications/judicialdirectory/Bio.php?ID=7025810">Allan Weiss</a>, Civil Court Judge <a href="http://www.nycourtsystem.com/Applications/JCEC2011/Bio2011.php?ID=1436">Rudolph Greco</a>, Acting Supreme Court Justice <a href="http://www.nycourtsystem.com/Applications/JCEC2011/Bio2011.php?ID=1407">Timothy Dufficy</a>, Acting Supreme Court Justice and Civil Court Judge <a href="http://www.nycourtsystem.com/applications/judicialdirectory/Bio.php?ID=8000549">Pam Jackman-Brown</a> and Criminal Court Judge <a href="http://www.nycourtsystem.com/applications/judicialdirectory/Bio.php?ID=7030007">Ira Margulis</a>. Facing them are six candidates with Republican and Conservative backing: Administrative Law Judge <a href="http://www.nycourtsystem.com/Applications/jcec/Bio.php?ID=154">Robert Beltrani</a>, criminal defense attorney <a href="http://www.nycourtsystem.com/Applications/jcec/Bio.php?ID=154">Gabriel Tapalaga</a>, Ozone Park attorney <a href="http://www.myspace.com/268930313#!/joseph_kasper">Joseph Kasper</a>, Astoria attorney <a href="http://www.votechristoforatos.com/">Kate Christoforatos</a>, Elmhurst attorney <a href="http://www.florezlaw.com/index.htm">Milton Florez</a> and administrative law judge <a href="http://www.nycourtsystem.com/Applications/JCEC2011/Bio2011.php?ID=1245">John Casey</a>. </p>
<p>All the Democratic candidates have been <a href="http://www.abcny.org/media-aamp-publications/press-releases/press-archives-2011/1326-new-york-city-bar-association-rates-general-election-candidates-for-district-attorney-supreme-court-and-civil-court-in-new-york-city">rated as approved</a> by the city bar association. Among the Republicans, though, Christoforatos was the only candidate listed as approved; the others were ranked unapproved, (The bar does not provide any back-up for or explanation of its determinations.)</p>
<p>The Democrats <a href="http://www.qgazette.com/news/2011-10-19/Political_Page/DA_Brown_Headed_For_6th_Consecutive_Election_Victo.html"> have an edge</a> in the contests, the Queens Gazette believes, largely because of their advantage in party registration in the borough. In addition, the paper said, &#8220;All six Democrats have won previous elections, five of them for Civil Court judgeships and the sixth for a Housing Court judge’s position, which boosts their favorite status.&#8221;</p>
<p>Democrats currently hold all the Supreme Court seats in Queens, Conservative Party Chairman Tom Long <a href="http://www.qgazette.com/news/2011-11-02/Features/Brown_Seeks_Sixth_Straight_Term_On_Tuesday.html">has said</a>.</p>
<p>Fundraising tends to be light for these contests. Most of the candidates had not filed with the state elections boa4rd, meaning they have raised less than $1,000 for their races this year. </p>
<p>One exception was Christoforatos who, in her 11-day pre-general election filing, <a href="http://www.elections.state.ny.us:8080/plsql_browser/efs_summary_page?comid_in=A86329&#038;rdate_in=28-OCT-2011&#038;reportid_in=E&#038;eyear_in=2011"> reported </a>contributions of $28,520 and $13,740.73 on hand. In addition, Tapalaga <a href="http://www.elections.state.ny.us:8080/plsql_browser/efs_summary_page?comid_in=A86358&#038;rdate_in=28-OCT-2011&#038;reportid_in=E&#038;eyear_in=2011">reported</a> $11,525 in donations and $10,7095.67 on hand.</p>
<p>On the surface at least, the Brooklyn election seems less open.  Six of the candidates &#8212; Associate Appellate Division Judge <a href="http://www.nycourtsystem.com/Applications/JCEC2011/Bio2011.php?ID=1256">David Freidman</a>; Supreme Court Justice <a href="http://www.nycourtsystem.com/Applications/JCEC2011/Bio2011.php?ID=1283">Lawrence Knipel</a>; Supreme Court Justice <a href="http://www.nycourtsystem.com/applications/judicialdirectory/Bio.php?ID=7026644">Betsy Barros</a>; <a href="http://judgepedia.org/index.php/Carl_J._Landicino">Carl Landicino</a>, a lawyer for the Brooklyn Democratic Party who <a href="http://www.cityhallnews.com/2011/09/how-a-brooklyn-democratic-functionary-became-a-brooklyn-judge/">reportedly</a> has spent much of his court time trying to knock challengers to the party establishment off the ballot; Acting Supreme Court Justice <a href="http://www.nycourtsystem.com/applications/judicialdirectory/Bio.php?ID=7029688">Rachel Adams</a> and Acting Supreme Court Justice and Civil Court Judge <a href="http://www.nycourtsystem.com/applications/judicialdirectory/Bio.php?ID=7030078">Johnny Baynes</a> &#8212; have the Democratic and Republican endorsements. All but two of them &#8212; Adams and Knipel &#8212; also have the Conservative Party&#8217;s backing.</p>
<p>Two candidates with just the Conservative Party lines &#8212; attorney <a href="http://judgepedia.org/index.php/Paul_M._Atanasio">Paul Atanasio</a> and <a href="http://www.connorsandsullivan.com/Bio/RenataLandskind.asp">Renata Landskind</a> &#8212; are running, presumably against them. Given the Conservative Party&#8217;s modest membership in Brooklyn &#8212; and the fact that Atanasio and Landskind are the only Brooklyn Supreme Court candidates without bar association approval &#8212; makes the odd against them seem pretty daunting . And Atanasio cannot be helped by his alleged role in the patronage hiring of a project leader on a school construction project. A falling brick from the site killed a 17-year-old girl in 1998, a death a city investigation later <a href=""http://www.brooklynpaper.com/stories/34/44/all_electiondayprimer_2011_11_04_bk.html">blamed</a> on incompetent contractors, halfway safety measures and laissez-faire supervision.&#8221;</p>
<p>Here, too fundraising seems light. Many candidates reported no activity. Knipel <a href="http://www.elections.state.ny.us:8080/plsql_browser/efs_summary_page?comid_in=A84377&#038;rdate_in=28-OCT-2011&#038;reportid_in=E&#038;eyear_in=2011">reported</a> having about $3,700 in campaign funds on hand. While Adam&#8217;s 11-day <a href="http://www.elections.state.ny.us:8080/plsql_browser/efs_summary_page?comid_in=A84238&#038;rdate_in=28-OCT-2011&#038;reportid_in=E&#038;eyear_in=2011">pre-general election filing</a> found her $466.18 in the red.</p>
<p>The contest for Civil Court in Brooklyn looks more competitive. Two Democrats &#8212; Sharen Hudson, a court attorney at the <a hrf="http://www.courtinnovation.org/project/red-hook-community-justice-center">Red Hook Community Justice Center</a> who has the <a href="http://www.kensingtonprospect.com/tag/democratic-primary-civil-court-judge">support of the party organization</a>, and Supervising Civil Court Judge <a href="http://www.nycourtsystem.com/applications/judicialdirectory/Bio.php?ID=7029861">Peter Sweeney</a> &#8212; are running against two Republican/Conservatives &#8212; attorney <a href="http://www.nycourtsystem.com/Applications/JCEC2011/Bio2011.php?ID=1417">Joseph Elhilow</a> and lawyer <a href="http://www.rocketlawyer.com/profiles/view-profile-VINCENT+F+MARTUSCIELLO.aspx">Vincent Martusciello</a> &#8212; for two seats. Only Hudson reported campaign finance activity with a <a href="http://www.elections.state.ny.us:8080/plsql_browser/efs_summary_page?comid_in=C85233&#038;rdate_in=28-OCT-2011&#038;reportid_in=E&#038;eyear_in=2011">negative balance</a> late last month of $672.36.</p>
<p>All of them are approved by the bar association except for Martusciello.</p>
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		<title>A Quiet Election Day</title>
		<link>http://www.gothamgazette.com/blogs/wonkster/2011/11/06/10300/</link>
		<comments>http://www.gothamgazette.com/blogs/wonkster/2011/11/06/10300/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Mon, 07 Nov 2011 02:39:22 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Gail Robinson</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Electoral Politics]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Gotham City]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Governing]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[bronx district attorney robert johnson]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Daniel Donovan]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[mike ryan]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[qeens district attorney]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Richard Brown]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[ruben wills]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[special election]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[staten island district attorney]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[uncontested elections]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.gothamgazette.com/blogs/wonkster/2011/11/06/10300/</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Even by the standards of the off-off-year election &#8212; those contests in odd-numbered years when there is no mayoral race &#8212; this is a non-election election year. 
There are no contested races of any kind in the Bronx or Manhattan, according to the Board of Elections&#8217; lists of candidates. In Queens and Brooklyn, the sole [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>Even by the standards of the off-off-year election &#8212; those contests in odd-numbered years when there is no mayoral race &#8212; this is a non-election election year. </p>
<p>There are no contested races of any kind in the Bronx or Manhattan, according to the Board of Elections&#8217; <a href=" http://vote.nyc.ny.us/pdf/documents/boe/2011GeneralElection/CandidacyList.pdf">lists of candidates</a>. In Queens and Brooklyn, the sole seats up for grabs are judgeships. Only Staten Island residents will have the chance to vote for or against someone they might actually have heard of: Republican District Attorney <a href="http://www.dandonovan.org/2011/">Daniel Donovan</a>, who faces a challenge from Democrat <a href=" http://www.mikeryanforda.com/">Mike Ryan</a>. It&#8217;s a repeat of their 2007 contest.</p>
<p>(For details on the district attorney race, go <a href="http://www.gothamgazette.com/blogs/wonkster/2011/11/06/the-races-for-da/">here</a>. For more on the judicial contests, go <a /href="http://www.gothamgazette.com/blogs/wonkster/2011/11/06/here-come-the-judges/">here</a>.)</p>
<p>Sleepy elections occur about once every four years in New York, Unlike the <a href="http://www.gothamgazette.com/article/iotw/20071105/200/2339">one in 2007</a>, this year&#8217;s features no ballot measures, fewer contests for the bench and no particularly high profile ones. As is often the case in general elections in New York City, many candidates including those for some important posts face no opposition.</p>
<p>More voting details after the jump.<br />
<span id="more-10300"></span></p>
<p>In Queens, for example, <a href="http://www.gothamgazette.com/city/district/28">Ruben Wills</a>, a Democrat, faces no opposition for the City Council seat he originally <a href="http://www.gothamgazette.com/article/searchlight/20101025/203/3392">won in a special election</a> last fall. Bronx District Attorney <a href="http://bronxda.nyc.gov/office/biography.htm">Robert Johnson</a> has the Republican, Democratic and Conservative party lines in his quest for another term. The Bar Association of the City Of New York <a href="http://www.abcny.org/media-aamp-publications/press-releases/press-archives-2011/1326-new-york-city-bar-association-rates-general-election-candidates-for-district-attorney-supreme-court-and-civil-court-in-new-york-city">lists</a> Johnson as not approved for the post but voters have little choice  &#8212; but he&#8217;s unopposed anyway. So is Queens DA <a href="http://www.queensda.org/dabiography.html">Richard Brown</a>, who is &#8220;approved.&#8221;</p>
<p>For those of you who do plan to vote, polls will be open on Tuesday, as usual, from 6 a.m. to 9 p.m. To find out if you can vote or the location of your poll site, call (toll-free) 866-868-3692.</p>
<p>Going to the Board of Election <a href="http://gis.nyc.gov/vote/ps/index.htm">poll site locator</a>, will not only enable you to find out where to vote but – for the first time – will also provide a sample ballot for your area. (Note you will see a sample ballot – and can even vote – if all candidates running from your area are unopposed. You may decide it&#8217;s not worth the trouble, though.)</p>
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		<title>Former Bloomberg Aide Found Guilty of Larceny</title>
		<link>http://www.gothamgazette.com/blogs/wonkster/2011/10/21/former-bloomberg-aide-found-guilty-of-larceny/</link>
		<comments>http://www.gothamgazette.com/blogs/wonkster/2011/10/21/former-bloomberg-aide-found-guilty-of-larceny/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Fri, 21 Oct 2011 18:01:45 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>David King</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[City Hall]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Crime & Safety]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Electoral Politics]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Governing]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[independence party]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[john haggerty]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Mayor Michael Bloomberg]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.gothamgazette.com/blogs/wonkster/?p=10209</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[John Haggerty, the political consultant charged with stealing millions from Mayor Michael Bloomberg&#8217;s campaign, was found guilty of grand larceny in the second degree and his company was found guilty of money laundering in the second degree.
Haggerty avoided the more serious charge of larceny in the first degree. Haggerty was accused of funneling $1.2 million [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>John Haggerty, the political consultant charged with stealing millions from Mayor Michael Bloomberg&#8217;s campaign, was <a href="http://www.ny1.com/content/top_stories/149390/former-bloomberg-aide-found-guilty-of-stealing-campaign-funds">found guilty</a> of grand larceny in the second degree and his company was found guilty of money laundering in the second degree.</p>
<p>Haggerty <a href="http://www.capitaltonight.com/2011/10/haggerty-found-guilty-of-larceny-money-laundering/">avoided the more serious charge</a> of larceny in the first degree. Haggerty was accused of funneling $1.2 million of campaign cash through the Independence Party to strengthen ballot security but instead used $1.1 million of the money to buy a house.</p>
<p>Bloomberg had to testify on the stand and Haggerty&#8217;s lawyers claimed Bloomberg lied and that Haggerty was paid for the work he had completed. Haggerty could face 15 years in prison.</p>
<p>The case is seen as a major victory for Manhattan District Attorney Cyrus Vance whose office has suffered major public defeats this year.</p>
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		<title>Education Councils: Weak by Design</title>
		<link>http://www.gothamgazette.com/blogs/wonkster/2011/10/03/education-councils-weak-by-design/</link>
		<comments>http://www.gothamgazette.com/blogs/wonkster/2011/10/03/education-councils-weak-by-design/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Mon, 03 Oct 2011 19:20:16 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Gail Robinson</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[City Hall]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Education]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Electoral Politics]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[community education council]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[new york city department of education]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[new york city schools]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[panel for educational policy]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[patrick sullivan]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[scott stringer]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.gothamgazette.com/blogs/wonkster/?p=10184</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Whatever else it has and has not done, the system of mayoral control of schools as practiced in New York City must have set some kind of record for the creation of toothless bodies.
The chief one of course is the Panel for Educational Policy, which as Patrick Sullivan, a member, wrote on New York Public [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>Whatever else it has and has not done, the system of mayoral control of schools as practiced in New York City must have set some kind of record for the creation of toothless bodies.</p>
<p>The chief one of course is the <a href="http://schools.nyc.gov/AboutUs/leadership/PEP/default.htm">Panel for Educational Policy</a>, which as Patrick Sullivan, a member, <a href=" http://nycpublicschoolparents.blogspot.com/2011/09/bloomberg-education-record-stained-by.html">wrote</a> on New York Public School Parents, routinely rubber stamps Department of Education contracts – even ones dripping with corruption such as the <a href="http://www.gothamgazette.com/blogs/wonkster/2011/09/29/bloombergs-technology-pit/">agreement</a> with <a href="http://www.fta-llc.com/main/Index.aspx">Future Technology Associates</a>.  </p>
<p>The impotence of the PEP is hardly surprising – Bloomberg always vowed the body would not do anything.  But committed parents across the five borough hoped the <a href=" http://schools.nyc.gov/Offices/CEC/GPInformation/CommunityEducationCouncils/one.htm">Community Education Councils</a>, heirs to the former Community School Board – might function a bit better. They were, alas, wrong.</p>
<p>A report released by four of the five borough presidents  (all but Staten Island James Molinaro), Pubic Advocate Bill de Blasio and parent leaders, tells some of the sad history of the councils under this administration, focusing to a large extent on the <a href="http://www.gothamgazette.com/blogs/wonkster/2011/05/10/elections-and-education/">repeatedly botched election</a> for members in 2011.</p>
<p>To remedy this and other ills, the report calls for major changes in the current two-tier voting system, where parents first cast an advisory vote and then leaders of parent organizations in the respective area make the final choice. The borough presidents et al would replace that with an actual election among parents. They would also improve training for council members, call for the councils to do more outreach and revise the council&#8217;s responsibilities. (Now the most meaningful thing they do is approve school zones within the district, influencing which neighborhood sends its children to what school.)</p>
<p>Perhaps most notably, the report&#8217;s writers would take the responsibility for the councils away from the Department of Education and give it to an independent nonprofit or government body.<br />
<span id="more-10184"></span></p>
<p>&#8220;It’s time for us to give [the councils] a role in our city&#8217;s public schools &#8212; and to unleash the full, untapped potential of our CECs,&#8221; Manhattan Borough President Scott Stringer said in a statement accompanying the report.</p>
<p>That is precisely what the administration does not want. As far as the administration is concern things are pretty, pretty good just the way they are.</p>
<p>Just look back to the fight over <a href="http://www.gothamgazette.com/article/measuringup/20090427/209/2897">renewing mayoral control</a> of schools in 2009, the administration staunchly resisted governance changes. It used its substantial muscle and money no doubt to block a modest proposal to have the PEP members serve fixed terms. The mayor would still have controlled an overwhelming majority – he just couldn&#8217;t fire them on a whim. (Something, of course, that he has done.)</p>
<p>There is no reason to think the mayor is not happy with the Community Education Council as they now stand – except of course that the effort to keep them weak sometimes kicks up some negative publicity – as happened with the elections last year. When it comes to the panel and the councils, the administration has gotten what it wanted. </p>
<p>&#8220;Parents feel that their voices have been diminished, not strengthened, by the current system,&#8221; Stringer said in his statement. </p>
<p>Well, yes, that was the idea, wasn&#8217;t it?</p>
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		<title>Discussing Cuomo&#039;s Glow</title>
		<link>http://www.gothamgazette.com/blogs/wonkster/2011/09/28/discussing-cuomos-glow/</link>
		<comments>http://www.gothamgazette.com/blogs/wonkster/2011/09/28/discussing-cuomos-glow/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Wed, 28 Sep 2011 22:45:52 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Gail Robinson</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Albany]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Electoral Politics]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Eye on Albany]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Gotham City]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Governing]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[andrew cuomo]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[fracking]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[gov. cuomo]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[hydraulic fracturing]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[liz benjamin]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[new york times]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[redistricting]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[wayne barrett]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.gothamgazette.com/blogs/wonkster/?p=10170</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Even on a day a public employee union dealt him a serious setback few would deny that Gov. Andrew Cuomo has emerged as an exceedingly adroit politician. And none of members of a panel on Cuomo and the Media at the New School last night even tried to.
If their assessments of the governor varied at [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>Even on a day a public employee union <a href=" http://www.nytimes.com/2011/09/28/nyregion/public-employees-federation-rejects-albany-contract.html?_r=1&#038;ref=nyregion">dealt him a serious setback</a> few would deny that Gov. Andrew Cuomo has emerged as an exceedingly adroit politician. And none of members of a panel on <a href=" http://www.newschool.edu/eventDetail.aspx?id=69524">Cuomo and the Media</a> at the New School last night even tried to.</p>
<p>If their assessments of the governor varied at all, they ranged from skilled to brilliant. And the four reporters, joined by one pollster, did differ on how long the governor could keep his glow.</p>
<p>&#8220;This is an administration incredibly interested in managing their message. They are enormously good at it. They are artists,&#8221; Liz Benjamin of <a href="http://www.capitaltonight.com/stateofpolitics/">State of Politics</a> and the evening&#8217;s moderator said, setting the tone from the get-go.</p>
<p>To control his image and his message, the governor and his minions call and lobby reporters ceaselessly but rarely publicly. &#8220;He almost never goes on the record in a free setting,&#8221; said the <a href="http://www.nytimes.com/">New York Times</a>&#8216; Nick Confessore.</p>
<p>The panelists seemed almost in awe of Cuomo&#8217;s skills &#8212; his ability to listen to people and engage with them, his focus on two or three key things and skill at avoiding distractions, his hard work, his smarts, his ease with &#8220;working a room.&#8221; (Panelists declined to discuss his capacity observed on at a lake in the Adirondacks last month, to walk on water)</p>
<p>&#8220;His job is to manage his positive image, and he&#8217;s doing an excellent job,&#8221; said Steve Greenberg, pollster with the <a href="http://www.siena.edu/sri">Siena Research Institute</a>.</p>
<p>So will his star ever fade?</p>
<p>Possible answers after the jump.<br />
<span id="more-10170"></span><br />
Not necessarily.</p>
<p>Noting that Cuomo had managed to achieve huge –- over 70 percent – -approval ratings in grim fiscal times, Greenberg said he saw &#8220;nothing on the horizon&#8221; that could touch him.</p>
<p>Others had doubts. Wayne Barrett, formerly of the Village Voice and now with the <a href="http://www.siena.edu/sri">Nation Institute</a>, said thinks redistricting could trip Cuomo up. Redistricting, he said, &#8220;is the test of whether there&#8217;s some moral fiber to Andrew Cuomo.&#8221; (For more on where that stands – and speculation about what Cuomo might do – see <a href="http://www.gothamgazette.com/article/albany/20110928/204/3612">Groups Split, Rumor Fly as Redistricting Reform Remains Elusive</a>.)</p>
<p><a href="http://nyspublicradio.org/">New York State  Public Radio</a>&#8217;s Karen DeWitt offered the continuing bad economy as a hazard.  Confessor wondered about possible service cuts and what would happen when (this is Albany we&#8217;re talking about so you can&#8217;t say if) a legislator is indicted – despite the passage of <a href="http://www.gothamgazette.com/article/albany/20110606/204/3538">Cuomo&#8217;s ethics bill</a>.</p>
<p>While not debating the importance of such matters, Greenberg thought many voters really would not care – not enough, anyway, to tarnish Cuomo. &#8220;The public doesn&#8217;t pay attention the way I and the folks on this panel pay attention to these issues,&#8221; Greenberg said. &#8220;The governor is a great reader of polls. He&#8217;s going to know what the public cares about and focus on those issues.&#8221;</p>
<p>Greenberg even felt Cuomo could renege on his promise to veto the redistricting plan and survive. &#8220;If he wants to do it,&#8221; the pollster said, &#8220;there will be plenty of wiggle room, and he will not pay a serious price..&#8221;</p>
<p>But even Greenberg thought one issue the governor might not be able to finesse is whether to <a href="http://www.gothamgazette.com/article/albany/20110421/204/3513">allow drilling for natural gas</a> using a hydraulic fracturing or fracking in parts of the state.</p>
<p>&#8220;People feel incredibly passionate about this,&#8221; Benjamin said, adding that no matter what the governor does lots of people on one side or the other &#8220;are going to be pissed.&#8221; </p>
<p>Greenberg agreed. &#8220;this is a losing issue for the governor either way.&#8221;</p>
<p>But given his political skills and the lack of much credible opposition, things look pretty good for the governor. Barrett said, &#8220;Andy can be governor as long as he wants to be&#8221; – or, some might add, until he wants a bigger job  &#8212; and that might present a challenge. </p>
<p>&#8220;A great moral issue of our time is whether you’re willing to tax rich people,&#8221; Barrett said, &#8220;and if you&#8217;re not willing to tax rich people, you’re not going to be the Democratic nominee in 2016.&#8221; </p>
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		<title>Gillibrand Raises Off of 9th CD</title>
		<link>http://www.gothamgazette.com/blogs/wonkster/2011/09/16/gillibrand-raises-off-of-9th-cd/</link>
		<comments>http://www.gothamgazette.com/blogs/wonkster/2011/09/16/gillibrand-raises-off-of-9th-cd/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Fri, 16 Sep 2011 16:21:42 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>David King</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Albany]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Electoral Politics]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Eye on Albany]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[bob turner]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[david weprin]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[George Pataki]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Kirsten Gillibrand]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Peter King]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Randy Atschuler]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Rudy Giuliani]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.gothamgazette.com/blogs/wonkster/?p=10124</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand is asking supporters for cash in the wake of Bob Turner&#8217;s upset victory over David Weprin in the 9th Congressional District. A mailing went out from the Gillibrand camp this morning capitalizing on recent Republican victories and saying &#8220;we need to show the naysayers the strength of this campaign by reaching our [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand is asking supporters for cash in the wake of Bob Turner&#8217;s upset victory over David Weprin in the 9th Congressional District. A mailing went out from the Gillibrand camp this morning capitalizing on recent Republican victories and saying &#8220;we need to show the naysayers the strength of this campaign by reaching our goal of $150,00 before the crucial September 30 filing deadline.&#8221;</p>
<p>The NY Post ran an editorial by John Podhoretz yesterday titled &#8220;<a href="http://www.nypost.com/p/news/opinion/opedcolumnists/is_gillibrand_the_next_weprin_YyOP0NDLrMHd0kEXdL3phP?utm_campaign=Post10&amp;utm_source=Post10Alpha">Is Gillibrand the Next Weprin</a>?&#8221;</p>
<p>&#8220;The NY-9 results suggest Gillibrand can be beaten by someone who runs a clever and well-wrought campaign,&#8221; wrote Podhoretz.</p>
<p>&#8220;Gillibrand hasn’t made the sale with New York’s voters despite having served in the Senate for nearly three years. She was appointed to the seat in 2009, and then won it herself last year against a comically hapless Republican. In last months’s Siena College poll, her approval rating was only 46 percent &#8212; and an incumbent running for re-election with an approval rating below 50 percent is generally deemed vulnerable to defeat. Even more important, and more threatening to her future, is this: An amazing 30 percent of New Yorkers have “no opinion” of her. That means, as the political consultants say, that she can still be “defined” &#8212; and defined negatively.&#8221;</p>
<p>He goes on to speculate that the usual Republican suspects could challenge Gillibrand&#8211;Rudy Giuliani, George Pataki or Rep. Peter King but recommends Randy Atschuler abandon his bid to challenge Rep. <span style="text-decoration: line-through;">Steve Israel</span> (although it looks like Podheretz confused Israel with Rep. Tim Bishop *Thanks Colin!*) and instead face Gillibrand, &#8220;in an anti incumbent year.&#8221;</p>
<p>Team Gillibrand seems to be taking the Weprin loss as a wake-up call or at least sees it as an opportunity to boost fundraising. Gillibrand has been prodigious fundraiser since she won election to congress in upstate New York in 2006.</p>
<p>&#8220;The recent loss in New York City&#8217;s 9th Congressional District is a major  wake up call,&#8221; reads the fundraising message. &#8220;After a summer dominated by conservative talking points  all over the airwaves, a Tea Party Republican was able to garner 55  percent of the vote in a Congressional District with a 3-to-1 Democratic  registration advantage. If you weren&#8217;t concerned about losing  progressive voices in the Senate before, you should be now.&#8221;</p>
<p>Having covered Gillibrand since her days as a Blue Dog Democrat in a very Conservative upstate district it is hard not to giggle a bit when she warns of Tea Partiers and losing a progressive seat. Nonetheless she has transformed herself into a progressive leader in the Senate. <span id="more-10124"></span></p>
<p>Here is the full fundraising message:</p>
<p>Dear XXX,</p>
<p>&#8220;This year, New York was home to two important elections with  dramatically different results. We saw a Democrat capture a red district  in Western New York and a conservative win a diehard Democratic  district in Brooklyn. And just two years ago, we saw the iconic Senate  seat once held by Ted Kennedy taken over by a Tea Party Republican.</p>
<p>One thing is clear from all of this: the old rules do not apply. The  only way to ensure a successful campaign is to stick to your principles,  and show the values that drive your campaign.</p>
<p>But I need your help to do it. With just 14 months until the election,  the time to fill our campaign coffers is now. We need to show the  naysayers the strength of this campaign by reaching our goal of $150,000  before the crucial September 30 filing deadline.</p>
<p>Dear XXX,</p>
<p>This year, New York was home to two important elections with dramatically different results. We saw a Democrat capture a red district in Western New York and a conservative win a diehard Democratic district in Brooklyn. And just two years ago, we saw the iconic Senate seat once held by Ted Kennedy taken over by a Tea Party Republican.</p>
<p>One thing is clear from all of this: the old rules do not apply. The only way to ensure a successful campaign is to stick to your principles, and show the values that drive your campaign.</p>
<p>But I need your help to do it. With just 14 months until the election, the time to fill our campaign coffers is now. We need to show the naysayers the strength of this campaign by reaching our goal of $150,000 before the crucial September 30 filing deadline.</p>
<p>Click here to make a contribution of $5 or more and help me build the strongest campaign possible before the September 30 deadline. The Tea Party won&#8217;t hesitate to try and knock me out – I need your help to stop them.</p>
<p>The Republican roadmap to take back the majority in the U.S. Senate, and implement their plan to end Medicare as we know it, runs right through New York – but I plan on being ready.</p>
<p>In my short career in elected office, I&#8217;ve been outspent, but never outworked, and this year will be no different. Ever since the Tea Party captured Congress, we have seen an outright assault on women&#8217;s rights, our social safety nets, and the economy as a whole. Now is the time for us to fight back with as much passion and energy as possible. The stakes for our future – and our children&#8217;s – couldn&#8217;t be higher.</p>
<p>The recent loss in New York City&#8217;s 9th Congressional District is a major wake up call. After a summer dominated by conservative talking points all over the airwaves, a Tea Party Republican was able to garner 55 percent of the vote in a Congressional District with a 3-to-1 Democratic registration advantage. If you weren&#8217;t concerned about losing progressive voices in the Senate before, you should be now.</p>
<p>Click here to rush your contribution today before the deadline on September 30. Your help now will create the momentum I need in this race.</p>
<p>Thank you for all of your past support – you are the key to the success of this campaign. I cannot thank you enough.</p>
<p>Best,<br />
Kirsten</p>
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		<title>Manhattan District Leader Results</title>
		<link>http://www.gothamgazette.com/blogs/wonkster/2011/09/15/manhattan-district-leader-results/</link>
		<comments>http://www.gothamgazette.com/blogs/wonkster/2011/09/15/manhattan-district-leader-results/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Thu, 15 Sep 2011 19:00:08 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Gail Robinson</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Electoral Politics]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Gotham City]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.gothamgazette.com/blogs/wonkster/?p=10111</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Must still be recovering from the late blogging Tuesday. Thanks to the readers who pointed out the mistakes in this post. The corrected copy is below.
Now that Bob Turner has been officially sworn in as a member of Congress, we can turn to some less heralded races: notably those for district leaders in Manhattan.  [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p><em>Must still be recovering from the late blogging Tuesday. Thanks to the readers who pointed out the mistakes in this post. The corrected copy is below.</em></p>
<p>Now that Bob Turner has been officially sworn in as a member of Congress, we can turn to some less heralded races: notably those for district leaders in Manhattan.  As we have noted before, these contests often shape up as proxy battles for larger factional fights within a party.</p>
<p>Contests – in districts 64 part C and 66 part B featured battles between the longtime party reform organization <del datetime="2011-09-16T00:24:37+00:00">Lower Manhattan Democrats</del>Downtown Independent Democrats and the more recently formed <del datetime="2011-09-16T00:24:37+00:00">Downtown Independent Democrats</del> Lower Manhattan Democrats. In all three contests the <del>newer</del> older club won out, with Paul Newell and Jenifer Rajkumar besting Jeff Galloway and Linda Belfer in the 64th. John Scott defeated incumbent David Reck, one of the founders of Lower Manhattan Democrats, in the 66th by a wide margin. </p>
<p><strong>Update</strong>Newell notes that the Lower Manhattan Democrats now have no district leaders.</p>
<p>The incumbents held on in district 64 part D in Chinatown where Herbert Kee and Jenny Low fended off Paul Lee and Jin Mei Chen.</p>
<p>Farther uptown, incumbent district leader John Ruiz held off a challenge from community organizer <a href=" http://articles.nydailynews.com/2010-09-10/local/27074921_1_domestic-violence-adam-clayton-powell-edward-gibbs">Edward Gibbs</a>, a former convict who has also been a community organizer.</p>
<p>And in another battle reflecting party rifts, also in Harlem, this one in the 70th district part D Jamaal Nelson bested two other candidates, Brian Benjamin and Michael Adams. Benjamin had backing from Manhattan party chief Keith Wright and other area district leaders and State Sen. Bill Perkin was pushing for Adams, one of his aides. But the victor prove to be Nelson, who the Daily News <a href="http://www.nydailynews.com/blogs/dailypolitics/2011/08/ivy-leaguers-spar-for-harlem-district-leader-spot"> reported recently</a>, had support from former Mayor David Dinkins and some charter school supporters. Nelson also tried to capitalize on being the only one of the three to live in part D.</p>
<p>In other Manhattan contests in district 68 part A Diane Green bested Theresa Richardson and in district 70 part D Marisol Alcantara defeated April Tyler.</p>
<p><del datetime="2011-09-16T00:32:36+00:00"></del></p>
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		<title>54th Post Mortem</title>
		<link>http://www.gothamgazette.com/blogs/wonkster/2011/09/14/54th-post-mortem/</link>
		<comments>http://www.gothamgazette.com/blogs/wonkster/2011/09/14/54th-post-mortem/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Wed, 14 Sep 2011 19:21:48 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>David King</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Albany]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Electoral Politics]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Eye on Albany]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[deidra towns]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[jesus gonzalez]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[rafael espinal]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[vito lopez]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.gothamgazette.com/blogs/wonkster/?p=10098</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[So Vito Lopez er &#8212; I mean Rafael Espinal won the 54th Assembly seat vacated by Darryl Towns by a pretty hefty margin.
Now that Espinal and I will be spending so much time together in Albany maybe he will answer basic questions about where he stands on the issues.
Being that he is safe in his [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>So Vito Lopez er &#8212; I mean Rafael Espinal won the 54th Assembly seat vacated by Darryl Towns by a pretty hefty margin.</p>
<p>Now that Espinal and I will be spending so much time together in Albany maybe he will answer basic questions about where he stands on the issues.</p>
<p>Being that he is safe in his seat and will likely hold the seat for years to come &#8212; barring some scandal &#8211;he really doesn&#8217;t have anything to lose by saying where he really stands. For those who don&#8217;t know, the Assemblyman-elect filled out questionnaires from the Working Families Party and Conservative Party in <a href="http://www.nydailynews.com/opinions/2011/09/09/2011-09-09_gonzalez_for_assembly.html">totally contradictory ways</a> and <a href="http://www.gothamgazette.com/blogs/wonkster/2011/08/24/trying-to-interview-espinal/">tried to dictate terms of an interview</a> with the Gazette before <a href="http://www.gothamgazette.com/article/rebuilding/20110824/205/3591">running out on a scheduled interview</a>.</p>
<p>It may be safe to assume that Espinal will be toting the Assembly Democrats talking points &#8212; or at least Lopez&#8217;s &#8212; when he arrives in Albany.</p>
<p>So how did the race actually break down?</p>
<p>Unofficial results show that the Conservative Party line really did not put Espinal over the top in any sort of way. According to unofficial results from the Board of Elections,  out of 5,900 votes cast Espinal received 2,226 votes or 37.73 percent of the total vote on the Democratic line. He received 321 votes or 5.44 percent of total votes on the Conservative Party line and 73 votes on the United We Can line. Unsurprisingly It was the Democratic line that did it plain and simple &#8212; and for that he has Lopez to thank.</p>
<p>Meanwhile, Jesus Gonzalez brought in 1,913 votes or 32.42 percent of the total vote on the Working Families Party Line. The WFP&#8217;s get-out-to vote efforts, the Daily News endorsement and Gonzalez&#8217;s organizational skills a helped him get over 30 percent of the vote&#8211;but it wasn&#8217;t enough.</p>
<p>Meanwhile, Deidra Towns brought in 1,367 votes or 23.17 percent of the total vote on the Community First line. Towns&#8217; campaign relied heavily on her name recognition and did not stake out a strong policy platform but if she or Gonzalez had the Democratic line either of them would likely have been sitting pretty.</p>
<p>Would it have made a difference if either Gonzalez or Towns stood aside to make a two-way race? It seems that way. But would the establishment crowd have gone with Espinal if Towns left? And would as many people showed up to vote if Gonzalez, the young organizer, hadn&#8217;t stirred the pot? Who knows.</p>
<p>But this is what makes special elections so special &#8212; the party establishment almost always win.</p>
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		<title>Message from the Ninth Congressional District</title>
		<link>http://www.gothamgazette.com/blogs/wonkster/2011/09/14/message-from-the-ninth-congressional-district/</link>
		<comments>http://www.gothamgazette.com/blogs/wonkster/2011/09/14/message-from-the-ninth-congressional-district/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Wed, 14 Sep 2011 18:45:59 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Gail Robinson</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Electoral Politics]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Gotham City]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[bob turner]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[charler schumer]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[david weprin]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Ed Koch]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[jewish vote]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[joe crowley]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[joseph crowley]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[new york nine]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[ninth congressiona district]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[parack obama]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[president obama]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[queens democratic organization]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.gothamgazette.com/blogs/wonkster/?p=10102</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[With Republican Bob Turner preparing for his swearing in as the new representative from New York&#8217;s ninth district theories are flying as to how the Democrats managed to lose a seat they have held for 90 years and what, if anything, it means.
Turner, who hammered away at government spending during his campaign, told his victory [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>With Republican Bob Turner preparing for his swearing in as the new representative from New York&#8217;s ninth district theories are flying as to how the Democrats managed to lose a seat they have held for 90 years and what, if anything, it means.</p>
<p>Turner, who hammered away at government spending during his campaign, told his victory party that he won because of Barack Obama, &#8220;We&#8217;ve been asked by people of this district to send a message to Washington and I hope they hear it loud and clear,&#8221; Turner<a href="http://www.nydailynews.com/news/politics/2011/09/13/2011-09-13_republican_bob_turner_upends_democrat_david_weprin_in_special_election_for_antho.html#ixzz1XwWvtE9W<br />
"> said</a>. &#8220;This message will resound for a whole year.&#8221; </p>
<p>The White House, not surprisingly begs to differ. Asked about the result, press secretary Jay Carney <a href="http://www.capitaltonight.com/2011/09/white-house-downplays-special-election-results/"> said</a>, &#8220;Special elections are often unique and their outcomes don’t tell you very much about future regularly scheduled elections… You can make those predictions and look foolish in 14 months or not, I&#8217;m simply saying we do not view them that way [as a referendum].&#8221; </p>
<p>Overall Democrats tried to paint the outcome as the result of a number of largely local factors while Republicans and Conservatives saw it as a piece of a bigger picture. It&#8217;s the dance that <a href="http://thecaucus.blogs.nytimes.com/2011/09/14/is-the-republican-win-in-new-york-a-sign/">takes place</a> after almost every special election – though the parties switch partners as circumstances change.</p>
<p>More comments and reactions after the jump.<br />
<span id="more-10102"></span><br />
So, cautioning against viewing the outcome as a sign that Democrats nationally are in trouble. Sen. Charles Schumer told a press conference, &#8220;It&#8217;s not a bellwether district, and trying to read what any specific group or any specific person did does not make sense.&#8221;</p>
<p>Israel emerged as a major issue in the contest after former Mayor Ed Koch – who nominally remains a Democrat – called on voters to elect Turner to convey their unhappiness on Obama&#8217;s policy toward Israel. (Weprin is hardly the most demonstrative of politicians but we have to guess this drove the candidate – an observant Jew whose children have studied in Israel and who has visited the country frequently – crazy.&#8221;) </p>
<p>Here, too, Democrats rejected the idea that the vote was a referendum. At the same press conference, Rep. Debbie Wasserman-Schultz, the Florida Democrat who chairs the Democratic National Committee, praised Obama&#8217;s &#8220;strong record&#8221; on Israel and said Jews would continue to support Democrats in general and Obama in particular.  </p>
<p>Putting these larger issues aside, some Democrats  blamed their candidate and the party bosses, notably Queen Democratic chief Rep. Joe Crowley, who selected him (there are no primaries in special elections).</p>
<p>&#8220;They picked a candidate, rested on their laurels and wrote off Brooklyn,&#8221; an anonymous elected official http://www.cityhallnews.com/2011/09/after-weprin-loss-queens-democratic-party-faces-hard-questions/ told City Hall&#8217;s Adam Lisberg.</p>
<p>Rather than choosing a candidate who might appeal to Working Families Party voters, Lisberg, wrote, Crowley selected &#8220;a party man who might also be viable in a heavily Jewish district over several more dynamic candidates &#8211; in part because Weprin was deemed the least likely to challenge Crowley if the district was eliminated in redistricting.&#8221;</p>
<p>The outcome indicated not only the shortcomings of Queens Democrats in particular but of the special election process – and the Democrats&#8217; use of it, Michael Powell  <a href="http://cityroom.blogs.nytimes.com/2011/09/14/election-reflects-new-dynamic-in-brooklyn-and-queens/">commented</a> in the Times. Instead of letting their be a party primary, Powell said, Gov. Andrew Cuomo &#8220;handed the choice to Rep. Joseph Crowley and the Queens Democratic Party machine, which has bequeathed to us such worthies as the now-imprisoned State Comptroller Alan G. Hevesi. Mr. Crowley quickly handpicked Mr. Weprin, an unassuming member of the State Assembly. All so sweet, except that when the voters got into the act, they overturned the Democratic banquet table and chose a Republican businessman. Is it any wonder that the Democrats in 2013 will be marking 20 years without a Democratic mayor?&#8221;</p>
<p>Queens Republican Bart Haggerty took a somewhat more nuanced view. Sure, he told Lisberg, the Democratic ran a bad campaign – but the loss also shows that Democrats – even in blue areas – are vulnerable. </p>
<p>&#8220;They chose a very safe candidate. We chose a candidate who no one thought was going to win,&#8221; Haggerty said. &#8220;What this proves is being nominated by the party and spending more money does not necessarily mean you win. It leaves a lot of people scratching their heads, saying, &#8216;If we can win this district, if the Republicans can win this district, then we have to think about what else is on the table.&#8217;&#8221;</p>
<p>Turner backers did see a larger message in his victory – but what that message was depended largely on which backer you asked. To the Republican Jewish Coalition, it was a sign that Obama, who overwhelmingly carried the Jewish vote in 2008, could face problems with this constituency next year. &#8220;This Republican win in an overwhelmingly Democrat district is a significant indicator of the problem that President Obama has in the Jewish community,&#8221; the coalition said, adding this could spell trouble for the president in a number of key states, including Florida, Ohio, and Pennsylvania.”</p>
<p>Jennifer Rubin, in the Right Turn blog for the Washington Post, <a href="http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/right-turn/post/ny-9-oh-yes-obama-has-a-jewish-problem/2011/03/29/gIQAxAEhRK_blog.html?hpid=z2">agreed</a>, writing, &#8220;Might it be that the perfect storm &#8212; a rotten economy, an incompetent president and an administration uniquely hostile toward the Jewish state and inept in Middle East policy &#8212; might actually separate a chunk of the Jewish electorate from its historic fixation with the Democratic Party? Now that remains to be seen, but the signs are pointing in that direction.&#8221;</p>
<p>A few Democrats did see a larger message &#8212; but not the one Turner wanted to send. Instead, they say, the vote indicates Obama needs to move to the left. &#8220;I truly believe that this is solely and completely the result of Dem leadership, primarily at the WH, repeatedly dissing the base and not being stronger on stimulus,&#8221; Queens native Cynthia Kouril <a href="http://my.firedoglake.com/cindykouril/2011/09/14/abandoning-your-base-is-never-a-good-re-election-strategy/">wrote </a>on Firedog Lake.</p>
<p>And she&#8217;s not the only one. Politico <a href="http://www.politico.com/news/stories/0911/63466_Page2.html">reports</a> that even before the polls closed – but when most already predicted Turner would win – Democrats were expressing disappointment with the president. In a campaign conference call of donors and strategists, people indicated they felt &#8220;betrayed, disappointed, furious, disgusted, hopeless,&#8221; one source told Politico.</p>
<p>The Daily Beasts&#8217; John Avlon also saw a larger trend – but not one that give much comfort to Republican. &#8220;The takeaway is that voters are angry at the status quo and looking to send a wake-up call to Washington. Republicans can take comfort from the fact that they can make gains even in some northeast urban enclaves. Democrats should remember that the problem with President Obama’s popularity isn’t that he is seen as too centrist—no matter what liberals say. And all incumbents should be uneasy,&#8221; he <a href=http://www.thedailybeast.com/articles/2011/09/14/new-york-9th-election-a-wake-up-call-to-washington.html>said</a>.</p>
<p>Oh – and as to the conventional wisdom that the mustachioed candidate (Weprin) will always lose, the intrepid Liz Benjamin <a href="http://www.capitaltonight.com/2011/09/ami-weprin-loss-a-sad-day-for-america-and-new-york/">got a response</a> from Aaron Perlut of the American Mustache Institute. It read, in part: &#8220;By not sending another Mustached American to Congress &#8230; the American people and the voters of New York have robbed themselves of Mustached American-laden leadership, rugged good looks, and the ability to cut through pork belly appropriations and the weak-kneed spirit that plagues our current congressional representation. A sad day indeed.&#8221;</p>
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		<title>The Organization Man</title>
		<link>http://www.gothamgazette.com/blogs/wonkster/2011/09/14/the-organization-man/</link>
		<comments>http://www.gothamgazette.com/blogs/wonkster/2011/09/14/the-organization-man/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Wed, 14 Sep 2011 04:19:49 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Gail Robinson</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Albany]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Electoral Politics]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Eye on Albany]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Gotham City]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.gothamgazette.com/blogs/wonkster/?p=10094</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[At times he may have seemed like the candidate who couldn&#8217;t shoot straight but Rafael Espinal has emerged as the winner of a hotly contested three-way race for the Assembly seat from the 54th district in Bushwick. With some precincts still out, at midnight, Espinal had 42 percent of the vote versus 32 percent for [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>At times he may have seemed like the candidate who couldn&#8217;t shoot straight but Rafael Espinal has emerged as the winner of a hotly contested three-way race for the Assembly seat from the 54th district in Bushwick. With some precincts still out, at midnight, Espinal had 42 percent of the vote versus 32 percent for Working Families Party candidate Jesus Gonzalez and 26 percent for Deirdra Towns, sister of the former Assembly member, Darryl Towns.</p>
<p>Espinal, an aide to City Councilmember Erik Dilan, did not run a terribly adroit campaign. He dodged interviews, boasted of his fealty to the party machine, gave conflicting answers to basic questions on candidate questionnaires and was lampooned for publishing a newspaper of his own when none of the real ones endorsed him. </p>
<p>His victory in a three-way race raises all kinds of questions about whose candidacy hurt and helped whom and there are other issues to ponder as well.</p>
<p>To wit, Espinal (a.k.a. Vito Lopez) forces claimed victory earlier in the evening with only 10 percent of the vote reporting on the sources most of us mortals see. <del datetime="2011-09-14T15:44:38+00:00">According to Colin Campbell of BK Politics, Lopez has poll watchers who get the news before the rest of us do. If true, that seems to raise all kinds of tantalizing possibilities that almost certainly can&#8217;t be explored at midnight.</del> (Update: We should have known that other candidates can have poll watchers too.)</p>
<p>In any event, aside from David Weprin&#8217;s defeat in the congressional race by Bob Turner, Lopez had a good night, with Espinal&#8217;s victory and the win by Sharen Hudson in the contest for Civl Court judge. And Weprin&#8217;s defeat was almost certainly more of a blow to Queens boss Joe Crowley (and maybe to Barack Obama) than it was to Lopez.</p>
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		<title>Council and the Court</title>
		<link>http://www.gothamgazette.com/blogs/wonkster/2011/09/13/council-and-the-court/</link>
		<comments>http://www.gothamgazette.com/blogs/wonkster/2011/09/13/council-and-the-court/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Wed, 14 Sep 2011 03:55:18 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Gail Robinson</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[City Hall]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Electoral Politics]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Gotham City]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.gothamgazette.com/blogs/wonkster/?p=10092</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Whatever his legal problems, Ruben Wills will remain on the City Council. Elected last year to fill the seat from the 28th district in south Queens after the death of Thomas White, the law requires Wills to go back to the voters this year. By a resounding margin, they let him keep the seat.
With almost [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>Whatever his legal problems, Ruben Wills will remain on the City Council. Elected last year to fill the seat from the 28th district in south Queens after the death of Thomas White, the law requires Wills to go back to the voters this year. By a resounding margin, they let him keep the seat.</p>
<p>With almost all precincts reporting, Wills had 69 percent of the vote, compared to17 percent for former Councilmember Alan Jennings, 8 percent for Michael Duvalle and 6 percent for Clifton Stanley Diaz.</p>
<p>Since his election last year, the press unearthed some legal difficulties for Wills, including an unresolved misdemeanor case dating back to 1996 and open warrants for failing to pay more than $25,000 in child support payments.</p>
<p>That, though, may well have paled in voters&#8217; eyes when compared with Jennings&#8217; record. Accused of sexual harassment, he was censured by the City Council when he served on it, threw a metal object at a reporter and generally engaged in some fairly bizarre behavior.</p>
<p>In the two court contests yesterday &#8212; both for Civil Court &#8212; Sharen Hudson, reportedly the candidate of the party organization, holds a substantial edge over Cheryl Gonzalez, who was endorsed by the Times and some insurgent Democrats. In a Manhattan Civil Court contest, Tony Cannataro appears to have defeated Sabrina Kraus.</p>
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		<title>Two Assembly Seats Decided</title>
		<link>http://www.gothamgazette.com/blogs/wonkster/2011/09/13/two-assembly-seats-decided/</link>
		<comments>http://www.gothamgazette.com/blogs/wonkster/2011/09/13/two-assembly-seats-decided/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Wed, 14 Sep 2011 03:15:50 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Gail Robinson</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Albany]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Electoral Politics]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Gotham City]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.gothamgazette.com/blogs/wonkster/?p=10086</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[One barely had to wait for the results given the apparent lopsidedness of the contests but enough unofficial returns are in to call two of the four Assembly seats up for grabs in the city.
East Side Republicans extended their losing streak (decades ago this was GOP turf) as the Democrat, community board member and attorney [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>One barely had to wait for the results given the apparent lopsidedness of the contests but enough unofficial returns are in to call two of the four Assembly seats up for grabs in the city.</p>
<p>East Side Republicans extended their losing streak (decades ago this was GOP turf) as the Democrat, community board member and attorney Daniel Quart bested another attorney, Paul Niehuas, to fill the seat from the 73rd Assemby District. The seat became vacant when Jonathan Bing stepped down to take a state post. </p>
<p>With 25 of 113 precincts reporting, Quart was besting Niehaus by a 2-to-1 margin.</p>
<p>In Queens&#8217; 27th district, Michael Simanowitz handily defeated Republican Marco DeSena to take the seat previously held by his old boss, Nettie Mayersohn. With about a third of precincts reporting, Simanowitz had 74 percent of the vote with DeSena at 26 percent.</p>
<p>By most accounts, Simanowitz had left little to chance. Mayersohn ran for re-election last fall and then suddenly decided a few months later that she wanted to spend more time with her family and resigned. That left the job of picking the Democratic nominee for her seat to party bosses &#8211;rather than the party rank and file. And when one Democrat did try to take on Simanowitz, the Board of Elections knocked him off the ballot on a technicality.</p>
<p>A little known onetime political aide, DeSena had little name recognition and even less money.</p>
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		<title>Espinal Gets Endorsement--From Himself</title>
		<link>http://www.gothamgazette.com/blogs/wonkster/2011/09/12/espinal-gets-endorsement-from-himself/</link>
		<comments>http://www.gothamgazette.com/blogs/wonkster/2011/09/12/espinal-gets-endorsement-from-himself/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Mon, 12 Sep 2011 19:34:49 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>David King</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Albany]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Electoral Politics]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Eye on Albany]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[deidra towns]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[erik dilan]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[jesus gonzalez]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Martin Dilan]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[rafael espinal]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[vito lopez]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.gothamgazette.com/blogs/wonkster/?p=10073</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Thanks to City Hall News and The Brooklyn Politics Blog for breaking and sharing this!
You know that guy Rafael Espinal? The candidate in the 54th Assembly District who has the Democratic and Conservative lines? The guy whose campaign demanded I  agree not to ask questions he didn&#8217;t like before an interview, threatened a walk out [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>Thanks to <a href="http://www.cityhallnews.com/">City Hall News</a> and The <a href="http://www.thebrooklynpolitics.com/">Brooklyn Politics Blog</a> for breaking and sharing this!</p>
<p>You know that guy Rafael Espinal? The candidate in the 54th Assembly District who has the Democratic and Conservative lines? The guy whose campaign<a href="http://www.gothamgazette.com/blogs/wonkster/2011/08/24/trying-to-interview-espinal/"> demanded I  agree not to ask questions he didn&#8217;t like</a> before an interview, threatened a walk out and then <a href="http://www.gothamgazette.com/blogs/wonkster/2011/08/24/trying-to-interview-espinal/">ran out of the room</a> after I approached the candidate for the interview and promised he would be right with me? Well he is up to some more crazy hijinks. Read our <a href="http://www.gothamgazette.com/article/rebuilding/20110824/205/3591">original story about the race here</a>.</p>
<p>In case being backed by power brokers like Assemblyman Vito Lopez and Sen. Martin Dilan wasn&#8217;t enough to ensure his victory Espinal&#8217;s campaign seems to have sent out campaign literature in the form of a newspaper&#8211;the &#8220;Prime Time News&#8221;&#8211;is flush with an editorial board that evaluates all three candidates in the race for the 54th AD&#8211;Deidra Towns, Jesus Gonzalez and Espinal and surprisingly&#8211;this fictitious editorial board arrives at the decision to endorse Espinal.</p>
<p>Colin over at The Brooklyn Politics transcribed the entire <a href="http://www.thebrooklynpolitics.com/post/10123697293/creative-campaign-literature-of-the-day">faux editorial here</a>. Colin has been cataloging the <a href="http://www.thebrooklynpolitics.com/">creative campaign literature</a> he is finding all over Bushwick.</p>
<p>One piece of campaign literature accuses Jesus Gonzalez&#8211;the man who has received editorial endorsements <a href="http://www.nydailynews.com/opinions/2011/09/09/2011-09-09_gonzalez_for_assembly.html">from the Daily News</a> and <a href="http://www.thebrooklynpolitics.com/post/9956634881/el-diario-endorses-jesus-gonzalez">El Diario</a>&#8211;of saying he would welcome sex offenders into the community at a town hall meeting in Cypress Hills earlier this year. Colin and I were there. Colin took video and <a href="http://www.thebrooklynpolitics.com/post/10126171247/campaign-literature-that-makes-you-go-yikes-of-the">points out</a> that Gonzalez did not say he &#8220;would welcome sex offenders into our community.&#8221; I checked my recordings of the affair and I can also confirm he did not say that.  Head over to Colin&#8217;s site and check out the <a href="http://www.thebrooklynpolitics.com/post/10126171247/campaign-literature-that-makes-you-go-yikes-of-the">video of the meeting</a>.</p>
<p>I recommend following Colin on Twitter at @bkpolitics and checking in with <a href="http://www.thebrooklynpolitics.com/">his blog</a> if you are interested in tomorrow&#8217;s special election. Also, don&#8217;t forget our <a href="http://www.gothamgazette.com/article/campaigns/20110910/211/3601">Guide For the Last Minute voter</a>.</p>
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		<title>Weprin Cancels Debate</title>
		<link>http://www.gothamgazette.com/blogs/wonkster/2011/08/29/weprin-cancels-debate/</link>
		<comments>http://www.gothamgazette.com/blogs/wonkster/2011/08/29/weprin-cancels-debate/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Mon, 29 Aug 2011 17:17:52 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Gail Robinson</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Electoral Politics]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Gotham City]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Anthony Weiner]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[bob turner]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[david weprin]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[jerry springer]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[juniper park civic association]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[ninth congressional district]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[special election]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.gothamgazette.com/blogs/wonkster/?p=10009</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Democratic congressional candidate and State Assemblymember David Weprin has withdrawn from tonight&#8217;s scheduled debate with his GOP rival, Bob Turner. The two men are locked in a tough contest to succeed Anthony Weiner in the Ninth Congressional District in Brooklyn and Queens.
Robert Holden president of the Juniper Park Civic Association, cosponsor of the debate, said [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>Democratic congressional candidate and State Assemblymember <a href=" http://weprinforcongress.com/">David Weprin</a> has withdrawn from tonight&#8217;s <a href=" http://www.junipercivic.com/LatestNewsArticle.asp?nid=371">scheduled debate</a> with his GOP rival, <a href=" http://bobturnerforcongress.com/Home.aspx">Bob Turner</a>. The two men are locked in a tough contest to succeed Anthony Weiner in the Ninth Congressional District in Brooklyn and Queens.</p>
<p>Robert Holden president of the <a href=" http://www.junipercivic.com/">Juniper Park Civic Association</a>, cosponsor of the debate, said he checked in with Weprin&#8217;s campaign earlier today and was told &#8220;logistics&#8221; would make it impossible for Weprin to appear un idle Village tonight.</p>
<p>&#8220;The hurricane caused major logistical and scheduling problems for the campaign and thus David is not able to make the debate this evening,&#8221; Weprin campaign spokesperson, Liz Kerr said in an emailed statement.</p>
<p>Many of Weprin&#8217;s people had been unable to get to work today, and the candidate&#8217;s schedule was throw into disarray by cancellations due to the weekend&#8217;s storm. While there apparently is little to no lingering damage near Bel Mondo Restaurant in Middle Village, where the debate was to take place, there are reports of some flooding in other parts of the district.</p>
<p>Holden, though, was not accepting the hurricane as a reason for Weprin&#8217;s change in plans. &#8220;This stinks to high heaven,&#8221; Holden said. </p>
<p>He said the candidate&#8217;s people had been voicing concern about the debate for the past week, expressing fear it could get disorderly and pressing for a forum instead of an actual debate. Holden said he had promised that the debate would be well run – no placards allowed and some police on hand – but he added, &#8220;I can&#8217;t guarantee you’re not going to get tough questions.&#8221;</p>
<p>The cancellation &#8220;is going to backfire for Weprin big time, &#8220;Holden said. &#8220;Anybody who would do this would not be a straight shooter in Congress.&#8221;</p>
<p>Last week, the two men <a href="http://www.yournabe.com/articles/2011/08/26/queens/qns_weiner_race_debate_20110825.txt"> engaged</a> in a debate before a rowdy crowd in Kew Gardens. According to YourNabe.com, members of the crowd called Weprin a liar and a hypocrite, prompting the moderator to admonish the crowd and threaten to throw people out of the synagogue where the debate took place.</p>
<p>In an <a href=http://www.nydailynews.com/opinions/2011/08/28/2011-08-28_dance_of_the_duds.html>editorial</a> this weekend, the Daily News cast doubt on both candidates&#8217; ability to answer questions – tough or otherwise. Asked the size of the national debt, the News said, Weprin was off by a mere $10 trillion. And Turner said the city should using its zoning power to block a mosque near Ground Zero – even if such action violated the Constitution. </p>
<p>&#8220;Suspecting that neither candidate was well-versed in national or local matters, we asked each 10 questions about issues, places and people in the district,&#8221; the editorial said. &#8220;Weprin and Turner each got seven of 10 answers wrong. Giants they are not.&#8221;</p>
<p>The race has become <a href=http://www.qgazette.com/news/2011-08-24/Political_Page/WeprinTurner_Slugfest_Continues.html>increasingly contentious</a>. With many viewing the Sept. 13 special election variously as a referendum on President Barack Obama, Congress and same-sex marriage, both parties have focused resources in the district. Even Jerry Springer has <a href=http://www.cityhallnews.com/2011/08/bob-turner-jerry-springer-and-the-cowboy-outfit/>gotten into the act.</p>
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		<title>Trying to Interview Espinal</title>
		<link>http://www.gothamgazette.com/blogs/wonkster/2011/08/24/trying-to-interview-espinal/</link>
		<comments>http://www.gothamgazette.com/blogs/wonkster/2011/08/24/trying-to-interview-espinal/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Wed, 24 Aug 2011 19:30:48 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>David King</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Albany]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Electoral Politics]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Eye on Albany]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[deidra towns]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[erik dilan]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[jesus gonzalez]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Martin Dilan]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[rafael espinal]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[vito lopez]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.gothamgazette.com/blogs/wonkster/?p=9999</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Having the support of Councilman Erik Dilan, Sen. Martin Dilan, Assemblyman Vito Lopez as well as the Democratic, Republican and Conservative lines heading into a special election would make just about anyone confident.  But it is not clear if it was confidence or concern that kept 54 Assembly District candidate Rafael Espinal from taking part [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>Having the support of Councilman Erik Dilan, Sen. Martin Dilan, Assemblyman Vito Lopez as well as the Democratic, Republican and Conservative lines heading into a special election would make just about anyone confident.  But it is not clear if it was confidence or concern that kept 54 Assembly District candidate Rafael Espinal from taking part in an interview with the Gotham Gazette for <a href="http://www.gothamgazette.com/article/albany/20110824/205/3591">our story on the race</a>.</p>
<p>Having the backing of those kind of power brokers might make it unnecessary to speak to the press if you assume the public will simply vote the Democratic line, whether they know your name or not.</p>
<p>I began conversations with Michael Olmeda, Espinal&#8217;s spokesman, early last week. After numerous back and forths it seemed that we were set to speak at 2:30 p.m. last Thursday, before the town hall meeting in Cypress Hills.</p>
<p>But on Wednesday Olmeda called to say the interview might not happen. I called Olmeda around 1 p.m. on Thursday to check in.</p>
<p>Olmeda told me the scheduled interview was off but said an interview was possible after the town hall&#8211;if I wasn&#8217;t going to ask questions, &#8220;that everyone else is asking.&#8221; I asked what questions those might be. Olmeda said Espinal was tired of answering questions about his Conservative Party endorsement and his beliefs. Espinal has come under fire for his opposition to same-sex marriage.</p>
<p>I told Olmeda that I did not intend to repeat other articles but wanted to talk about issues. Olmeda said that he and his candidate would walk out if I asked questions he didn&#8217;t like but said he would talk to the organizers of the town hall at the Cypress Hills Senior Center about getting us a space to use after the event had concluded.</p>
<p>I live Tweeted the event and after it concluded I approached Espinal&#8211;introduced myself and told him that we had an interview scheduled. He asked for a minute to speak to his family. I agreed and mingled with the crowd. Moments later I returned to where Espinal had been and he and his entourage were gone. I left the building to look for him and immediately called Olmeda. Olmeda, who sounded quite annoyed, told me, &#8220;I didn&#8217;t see you there.&#8221;  <span id="more-9999"></span></p>
<p>To my knowledge I have never met Olmeda in person before. If we had I would have been particularly hard to miss&#8211;I was sitting second row and and am quite large&#8211;six foot 2 inches, heavier than I care to make public, with a head that could eclipse the sun.</p>
<p>I asked if we could set up an interview on Friday and Olmeda agreed. On Friday my calls to Olmeda were not returned. I left a message telling him the article would run without Espinal if we did not hear from them before the end of the day. My calls were not returned.</p>
<p>On Monday, I placed a call to Councilman Erik Dilan&#8217;s office hoping to speak to the councilman about the race&#8211;wanting someone to speak for Espinal.  After talking briefly to a woman who answered the phone I was handed off to my surprise to Espinal.</p>
<p>I reminded him that I had spent the previous week trying to speak to him and that we had an interview scheduled. He reminded me that he was at work and couldn&#8217;t speak there but asked for my number. Espinal has already come under fire for using Dilan staffers on his campaign without paying them.</p>
<p>He and the Councilman Dilan have yet to return my call.</p>
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