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Liz Benjamin
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Posts by Liz Benjamin
Hinchey Aide To Challenge Hanna
Mar 20th - 3:10 pm
Retiring Rep. Maurice Hinchey’s longtime aide, Dan Lamb, had hoped to seek his departing boss’ seat, but now that NY-22 has fallen victim to redistricting, Lamb has decided to challenge an incumbent Republican – Rep. Richard Hanna – instead.
“I’m running for Congress to help restore the American Dream that has unfortunately fallen out of reach for far too many middle class New Yorkers in recent years,” Lamb said in a statement issued this afternoon.
“Our country’s values and principles have been derailed by a radical, politicized agenda in Washington that Richard Hanna has fully embraced, and it’s time to help get our country back on track. Upstate New York has real challenges that need to be addressed.”
“Our infrastructure is crumbling, our economy is lagging, our schools are getting more and more crowded, our debt is growing, and all Richard Hanna and the Republican leaders in Congress offer are obstruction and political games. The best way to reduce the debt is to put people back to work. The Richard Hanna approach of cutting taxes for the wealthiest one percent and slashing vital programs, such as Medicare and education, is a recipe for failure.”
“It’s wrong for upstate New York and it’s wrong for the country. I’m running for Congress to turn this situation around.”
Lamb has served as as a district representative for Hinchey in the Binghamton district office since 1998, advising Hinchey on key issues, including job creation, economic growth, education, infrastructure development, flood recovery and hydraulic fracturing.
The new 22nd congressional district contains a significant portion of Hinchey’s former district, Lamb noted. It tilts slightly more Democratic than the old NY-24 that Hanna lost in 2008, but won in 2010.
According to a “state of play” memo circulated by the DCCC yesterday, 49.1 percent of voters in Hanna’s current district cast ballots for Obama in 2008, while 50.1 percent voted for him in the newly configured district.
In addition, Hanna – like four of his fellow GOP freshman – Ann Marie Buerkle, Chris Gibson, Nan Hayworth, and Tom Reed – ousted a Democrat in the 2010 midterm elections that were very good for Republicans. Since this is a presidential year, Democrats expect at least some of those seats to flip back into their hands.
So far, Lamb is the only Democrat to formally announce a challenge to Hanna (I think; it’s hard to keep track with all the line changes). There was some speculation that he might challenge Reed, but two other Democrats who had planned to run in NY-22 – Nate Shinagawa, vice chairman of the Tompkins County Legislature, and Ithaca lawyer Leslie Danks Burke – are already in that race.
Another Democrat who had considered a run for Hinchey’s seat, Sean Patrick Maloney, is now running against Hayworth; and former Ulster County Democratic Chairman Julian Schreibman is challenging Gibson.
Wendy Long Praises Ryan Plan Without Taking A Position On It
Mar 20th - 2:15 pm
Attorney Wendy Long so far is the only one of Democratic Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand’s three Republican challengers to weigh in on the budget plan proposed by the House Budget Committee chairman, Wisconsin GOP Rep. Paul Ryan earlier today.
Ryan’s proposal again calls for significant changes to Medicare and Medicaid to balance the budget over the long term – a recommendation that proved toxic in the NY-26 special election and helped propel Democratic Rep. Kathy Hochul to victory in the GOP-dominated WNY district.
The beginning of the end for Assemblywoman Jane Corwin in the NY-26 special was arguably the day she issued a statement in support of Ryan’s 2011 budget proposal. This proved to be a wedge issue in the race – one that Hochul and her Democratic allies exploited to the hilt. (Ryan himself didn’t help matters by ending out an urgent fundraising appeal on Crowin’s behalf).
Perhaps mindful of Corwin’s mistake, Long issued a statement that lauded Ryan for his “courage” to take a stand on the budget and “leadership” in putting forward difficult and political unpopular solutions – even as his fellow Republicans perhaps wish he wouldn’t.
But Long, who received the state Conservative Party’s unanimous endorsement yesterday, and so will be on the November general election ballot no matter what happens in the GOP primary (unless there’s a post-primary deal, a la Paladino-Lazio 2010), was careful not to offer a full-throated endorsement of Ryan’s proposal – or to say she would vote for it if she had the opportunity – saying she needs more time to review it.
She also used this opportunity to slam Gillibrand for the Senate’s failure to pass a budget since the junior senator replaced Hillary Clinton in the upper house in January 2009.
Here’s Long’s statement in full:
“Congressman Paul Ryan and House Republicans today introduced a budget proposal which simplifies and cuts taxes while reducing our national debt. He deserves praise for his continued courage and leadership in advancing tough but real solutions that address our nation’s competitiveness and crushing national debt.”
“While I am still reviewing the specifics of the proposal one thing continues to be obvious – we have a courage deficit in Washington. After three years in the Senate of flipping, pandering, preening, equivocating and dodging – Kirsten Gillibrand has failed to deliver on even the most basic responsibility, passing a budget.”
“It is crystal clear Senator Gillibrand is not serious about the economic crisis that is facing America. New Yorkers deserve a more mature and honest approach to our problems and as Senator I will give it to them.”
Fidler Siphons Last-Minute Cash Through DSCC
Mar 20th - 1:24 pm
NYC Councilman Lew Fidler, who is facing off against Republican David Storobin in today’s special election for former Sen. Carl Kruger’s Brooklyn seat, sent $20,000 to the DSCC today, according to the state Board of Election’s 24-hour filing list.
That’s on top of the $10,000 Fidler forwarded to the DSCC on March 16, $30,000 (in $10,000 increments) on March 14, and $40,000 transferred into its account as of the 11-day pre-special election filing. At that point, the DSCC reported spending $60,458 on his behalf.
Candidates often send campaign cash to a party or conference operation to take advantage of their reduced rate for mailers and to pay for GOTV, ads or polling.
As of 11 days prior to today’s election, the Senate Republican Campaign Committee had spent $123,866 to assist Storobin. That’s considerably more than the Dems are spending on Fidler, which stands to reason, given his fundraising advantage and the district’s Democratic enrollment edge, but it’s still not exactly the “tremendous” amount Storobin once boasted the GOP would be dumping into this race.
The post special election reports will tell a fuller story of the last-minute spending on both sides, which, unlike the last-minute giving, isn’t required to be reported to the BofE.
Of course, whoever wins today isn’t going to have long to enjoy his new seat, the 27th SD is essentially ceasing to exist, making way for a new so-called “super Jewish” district. Fidler has been drawn into Senate Minority Leader John Sampson’s district by the GOP, but has vowed to run for re-election if he wins today.
Aside from the $60,000 Fidler sent their way of late, the Senate Dems received two big infusions of cash today – $25,000 to their housekeeing account, which has no contribution limits, from PHRMA; and another $25,000 from the Empire Dental PAC.
The Democratic Assembly Campaign Committee, which has four seats in play today, received a big boost from the Uniformed Firefighters Association ($25,000) yesterday and also got $50,000 from the Drive Committee, which is the International Brotherhood of Teamsters’ PAC. The same committee gave the Senate Republicans $25,000 last week.
Another big bump to DACC came from NYSUT, which gace $35,000. Overall, the Democrats in both houses have been leading the last-minute money race. City&State’s Laura Nahmias has more on this.
Brooks Doesn’t Want To Talk About ‘Inside-The-Beltway’ Issues
Mar 20th - 8:27 am
ICYMI: Newly-minted congressional hopeful Maggie Brooks dodged questions during a CapTon interview last night about the so-called Republican “war on women” and the budget plan being proposed today by Rep. Paul Ryan, which is expected to again include an overhaul of Medicare – the very issue that cost the GOP NY-26 in last year’s special election.
In fact, the Monroe County executive flatly refused to discuss anything about her views on federal issues at all, other than to say that she believes Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney will eventually be the GOP presidential nominee.
Brooks announced a long-speculated challenge to Democratic Rep. Louise Slaughter yesterday – the same day a three-judge panel finalized new House lines that improve the county executive’s chances of victory (although the district still favors Slaughter and has a 5 percentage point Democratic edge).
Brooks said there will be time enough for her to lay out a platform. She dismissed the 10 questions the DCCC publicly demanded she answer – leading with her opinion on the Ryan plan – calling them “inside-the-beltway” issues that real people don’t care about.
“Today for me is about my announcement,” Brooks said. “Today for me is decision day – it’s telling the community that I have every intention to run for this new congressional set.”
“There will be plenty of time to talk about specific issues. There will be plenty of time for people to understand my federal platform. They know me quite well here at the local level. They know what my priorities are here: Property tax stability, jobs and the economy, preserving quality of life. Those are the things.”
“It’s very interesting to me. I looked at the list of issues that were sent my way today. And a lot of things on that list are very much inside the beltway items.”
“And it shows me that there are many, many people who are completely out of touch with what people in Monroe County are talking about. And that is their future, their jobs, the local economy, and the health of their family and the future of their children and grandchildren.”
“Those are the things that I want to talk about – the issues that are important to the people of Monroe County.”
Indys For Cohen?
Mar 20th - 8:08 am
Bob Cohen and Westchester County GOP Chairman Doug Colety are scheduled to meet today with local Independence Party Chairman Guilio Cavallo, who told me last night the Republican businessman is again favored to land his support in the upcoming battle for retiring Sen. Suzi Oppenheimer’s seat.
“I would say right now, as of tonight. I’m sure Bob Cohen has that edge, and that’s basically it,” Cavallo said. “…I endorsed him last time, so unless he did something really drastic, we’re not going to un-endorse him.”
“Now there’s a new candidate, (Assemblyman George) Latimer. We always endorsed him as a legislator in Westchester County and then he ran for Assembly, but now it’s a whole different ballgame. We want to be fair. We still have to go through the committee.”
Latimer formally announced his candidacy for Oppenheimer’s seat after flirting openly with a run since new of her retirement broke back in January.
This development was promptly followed by a war of words between Latimer’s spokesman, Brian Hegt, and Cohen’s spokesman, Bill O’Reilly.
Cohen, who made it clear after his close race against Oppenheimer in 2010 that he would likely run again this year, announced his campaign earlier this month. It appears he’s going to have to fight in a primary with a fellow Republican, Diane DiDonato-Roth, a North Castle councilwoman, before taking on Latimer in the general election.
The Senate GOP’s redistricting plan approved by Gov. Andrew Cuomo changed the district somewhat to make it more Republican-friendly, but Democrats still have an enrollment edge there.
As of mid-January, Latimer only had $66,307 on hand in his Assembly campaign committee account. Cohen, who has the ability to at least partially self-fund, had $210,221, but also owed himself $135,000 from the 2010 race.
As Cavallo mentioned during our brief chat last night, the Indys went with Cohen in 2010 and failed to provide a margin of victory for him, but that was in a race against an incumbent – a weak incumbent, admittedly, but an incumbent nonetheless.
An open seat race like this one has a different calculus. Then again, this is a presidential year, which will bring out Democratic voters who don’t typically show up to the polls, so the GOP is going to need all the help it can get.
Cavallo told me he hasn’t yet received a call from Latimer seeking a meeting, adding: “He hasn’t formally asked; he’s been talking to everybody but me.”
Psst…The LCA Show Is May 22. Pass It On
Mar 20th - 7:43 am
Proof surfaced this morning that Gov. Andrew Cuomo is really looking forward to the annual LCA show this year. (H/T to an anonymous, early-rising source). Said the tipster:
“The trailer’s auteur wishes to remain anonymous. Much like the show, it was a grand collaborative effort.”
In a departure from tradition the nation’s longest-running political gridiron show – a century-old tradition – will be held midweek on Tuesday, May 22 and not as a Saturday night black-tie extravaganza in hopes of broadening attendance.
Seems fitting in these still-troubled financial times, no doubt the fiscally conscious-minded among us, like, say, the governor, will approve.
Cuomo didn’t participate last year, but he has in the past (most recently as a late add during the 2002 gubernatorial campaign). So, hope springs eternal.
Again, that’s May 22 at the Hotel Albany (formerly known as the Crowne Plaza). As usual, we don’t lack for material. Looking forward to seeing you there…
Here And Now
Mar 20th - 7:27 am
Happy Spring Equinox! It has felt like spring for some time now – did we actually even HAVE a winter? – but now it’s finally official.
Gov. Andrew Cuomo is in Albany with no public schedule.
Voters go to the polls to cast ballots in five state legislative special elections – the 93rd, 100th, 103rd and 145th Assembly Districts and the 27th Senatorial District. Also, village elections are being held all over the state.
New Yorker’s Family Research Foundation and New Yorkers for Constitutional Freedoms hold their annual lobby day at the Capitol today. Some 1,500 evangelicals are expected to attend, and they will hear from former Rep. J.C. Watts Jr., among others, about how religious freedoms are increasingly “under attack” by government.
Petitioning starts today for the expedited congressional political calendar, thanks to Judge Gary Sharpe’s decision to move up the primary date to June 26.
Citing an “unwelcome failure of state government,” a three-judge panel approved the special master’s House lines.
House Republicans will release their $261-billion deficit reduction plan, written by Rep. Paul Ryan, today. The focus: Tax cuts. There will also likely be a proposal to restructure Medicare, reigniting last year’s battle that cost the GOP NY-26.
Today’s headlines…
An Orthodox Jewish blogger believes the outcome of today’s vote in SD27 (former Sen. Carl Kruger’s old district) could spur Sen. Roy McDonald to switch from the GOP to the Dems.
DN columnist Bill Hammond on Tier VI: “this God-awful process begat a seriously flawed product” that gives Bloomberg and Cuomo the power to enhance certain pension benefits without legislative approval.
The NY Post picks up the “Assembly Democrats try to bring back member items” story the TU reported a month ago.
Under Cuomo member items (AKA “pork”) have been placed in a “community projects fund,” and cash from that fund continues to be spent.
The Assembly Majority has $68 million to spend, the governor has $29 million, the Senate majority has $4 million and each of the minority conferences has less than $10 million. (See above link).
Extras
Mar 19th - 5:09 pm
A three-way primary is shaping up in NY-6 between Assemblywoman Grace Meng, who received the Queens Democrats’ endorsement this morning; Assemblyman Rory Lancman and NYC Councilwoman Liz Crowley. Sen. Tony Avella, who called Congress a “dream job,” won’t run without the party’s support.
Rep. Joe Crowley, the Queens Democratic chairman, says he loves his cousin, Liz, “very much,” but is not backing her in NY-6.
GOP NYC Councilman Dan Halloran is carefully considering a run in NY-6, but hasn’t made any decisions.
Rep. Bob Turner’s request to speak at today’s state Conservative Party convention was denied. (It’s party policy that no candidates speak before the nomination vote).
The AARP issued voter guidelines for the four Assembly special elections taking place tomorrow.
Former AG Dennis Vacco won’t challenge Democratic Rep. Kathy Hochul in the newly-drawn NY-27.
Rep. Charlie Rangel is still sidelined with a mysterious back injury.
Hundreds of NYSUT members are expected to convene on the Capitol tomorrow to rally for “budget fairness.”
The minimum wage increase pushed at the start of the session by the Assembly Democrats will not be part of the budget negotiations.
Cuomo called marijuana reform a “valid topic, and one that we’re willing to discuss.”
Actress Eva Longoria, a co-chair of President Obama’s re-election campaign, praised the Affordable Care Act and slammed Mitt Romney, saying he’s on the “wrong side of every issue” important to Latinos.
John and Margo Catsimatidis are hosting a “private reception” – with tickets ranging from $500 to $5,000 – for AG Eric Schneiderman.
NYC Council Speaker Christine Quinn, bride-to-be, mayoral hopeful, fashion plate.
Sen. Greg Ball’s campaign pulled the old chicken suit routine on his primary rival, Assemblyman Steve Katz, over the weekend. (Ball has a fondness for chicken suits, it seems).
One of the NY-18 Democratic hopefuls, Dr. Richard Becker, received the endorsement of the Orange County Democratic Party.
Outgoing Binghamton Mayor Matt Ryan met recently in Albany with the DSCC to discuss a possible challenge to GOP Sen. Tom Libous.
Sen. Ruben Diaz Sr.: “Senator Dean Skelos ate all of the candy.”
Add James Carville to the Hillary Clinton 2016 prediction list.
Andrew Cuomo is listed as a #1 seed in Chris Cillizza’s future president’s bracket. GOP #1 seed is Marco Rubio. Chris Christie is a #2 seed. Gillibrand and Hillary Clinton seeded #6, and #7 respectively.
“NY Union Proud,” a PEF insurgent group that’s trying to oust President Ken Brynien, has a rather ominous campaign video out. Petitioning in the union leadership race starts March 26.
The Avella-Stavisky Problem
Mar 19th - 4:58 pm
Sen. Tony Avella has decided not to go the independent route like Assemblyman Rory Lancman and NYC Councilwoman Liz Crowley and instead heed the Queens Democratic Party’s wishes for Assemblywoman Grace Meng to run in the newly-created NY-6.
Avella, a freshman Democratic senator from Queens, just formally announced his re-election bid in a press release, saying:
“Two years ago I ran for Senate on a platform of reform and good government in this district and while we have accomplished a great deal during my first term, we still have a long way to go to reform Albany.”
In 2010, Avella won a hard-fought battle against veteran Republican ex-Sen. Frank Padavan, (who, as it turns out, is now mulling a run in NY-6).
He came in as part of a reform-minded class that included Sen. Mike Gianaris, Sen. Adriano Espaillat, Sen. Gustavo Rivera and Sen. David Carlucci, who is now a member of the IDC. Also a freshman: Queens Democratic Sen. Jose Peralta, who was elected in a special election to former Sen. Hiram Monserrate’s old seat.
By deciding to seek re-election rather than run for Congress, Avella potentially puts the Democrats in a bind. As you’ll recall, the Republicans’ first Senate redistricting map drew three sets of Democrats into head-to-head contests: Peralta vs. Gianaris, Eric Adams vs. Velmanette Montgomery and Avella vs. Toby Stavisky.
The tweaked Senate map approved by Gov. Andrew Cuomo uncoupled all but one of those pairs, keeping the Avella-Stavisky match-up. I called Avella this afternoon to ask if he would run even if that meant primarying his colleague. He didn’t seem thrilled to be answering the question, repeating several iterations of the following answer:
“Whatever happens, happens…The 11th Senatorial District is basically 80 percent of my old district. It’s the district where I live. I’m running in that district.”
Dueling Robos From Cuomo, Paladino In 145th AD
Mar 19th - 3:20 pm
The 145th AD special election has turned into a redux of sorts of the 2010 gubernatorial campaign, pitting a Democrat backed by Gov. Andrew Cuomo against a fellow Democrat (running on the GOP line) supported by Cuomo’s defeated foe, Buffalo businessman Carl Paladino.
Paladino, who sat down with me at the GOP convention Friday for his first extended TV interview since his loss to Cuomo, is determined to keep his hand in NYS politics. While he’s not running himself, Paladino remainds mad as hell and hell bent on teaching his perceived enemies in Albany a lesson – including the four GOP senators who voted “yes” on same-sex marriage and Senate Majority Leader Dean Skelos.
Earlier today, I posted a robocall Cuomo recorded on behalf of Chris Fahey, an aide to Rep. Brian Higgins who is running for former Assemblyman Marc Schroeder’s seat in a special election tomorrow. A WNY source just sent me a dueling call Paladino recorded for his favorite in the race, Common Council Member Michael “Mickey” Kearns.
Here’s the script of the Paladino call, which was sent to 145 prime Republican and Conservative voters today:
“Hi, it’s Carl Paladino. If you’re fed up with the status quo, it’s important for you to vote for Mickey Kearns for the 145th Assembly District on Tuesday.”
“On Sheldon Silver’s watch, our state has fallen into tragic decline. With intimidation, illusion and theater, Silver has made a mockery of the Assembly, pandered to public employee unions and expanded entitlement programs, inviting every Tom, Dick and Harry to climb on the backs of our taxpayers, costing us jobs and higher taxes.”
“Silver is afraid that Mickey Kearns will disrupt the status quo in his caucus. And he’s doing everything he can to stop Mickey. Silver already bought Chris Fahey as his puppet with a $150,000 campaign contribution. Help us send Silver a clear message that his reign and Albany corruption will end.”
“Help us take back our state. Vote for Mickey Kearns.”
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