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....July 21, 6:59 PM |
| Money At The Races: City Council Campaigns
By Azi Paybarah The three City Council members who raised the most money for their re-election campaigns are all from Queens, according to Campaign Finance Board information released this week. A total of more than $1.5 million in contributions were raised by Melinda Katz, Eric Gioia and David Weprin.
Katz (D-Forest Hills) and Weprin (D-Hollis), who raised $551,078 and $503,324 respectively, are among the six likely candidates to become the next speaker of the City Council, along with Councilman Leroy Comrie (D-St. Albans), who in comparison raised only $146,954. Gioia (D-Long Island City) filed $519,586, but has not publicly discussed such a candidacy. Democratic challengers facing Katz, Weprin and Gioia have raised, in total, less than $24,000 according to online records. Along with financial statements, prospective candidates also filed petitions with the City’s Board of Elections, a requirement to appear on the ballot. Some incumbents, like Comrie, Joseph Addabbo, Jr. (D-Howard Beach) and Dennis Gallagher (R-Middle Village) did not appear to have challengers. Others, like Allan Jennings (D-Jamaica) have five who are actively raising and spending money. Three more have handed in petitions to appear on the ballot. Candidates for parties that don’t have a designated row on the ballot, like the Right to Life, Marijuana Reform and Liberal Parties, have until Aug. 23 to hand in petitions to qualify for the ballot. Jackson Heights One closely watched council race is taking place in Jackson Heights, where 70 percent of the population is Hispanic and Asian. Incumbent Helen Sears is being challenged by Bryan Pu-Folkes, founder of the New Immigrant Community Empowerment (NICE), an immigration advocacy group, and perennial candidate Rodolfo Flores. Sears’ campaign is being run by her son Stuart, and has the backing of the Democratic Party and local officials. Pu-Folkes’ campaign manger, Lois Marbach, helped elect two insurgent Democrats to the City Council in previous years, including Hiram Monserrate (D-Corona). Jamaica Another closely watched race is in Jamaica. The incumbent, Allan Jennings, is barred from receiving public matching funds due to his failure to pay $45,786 he owes the City’s Campaign Finance Board. The Board has placed two liens on his house and has begun to garnish his wages. He was also sentenced to anger management courses after two City Council investigation found he had harassed two female staffers. Jennings claimed the charges were politically motivated. Among his challengers are former Councilman Thomas White, attorney Albert Baldeo and four other Democrats. White has won the endorsement of the Queens Democratic Party, the Rev. Floyd Flake and the UFT. Baldeo has lead the field in fundraising, pulling in $63,555, compared to White’s $60,072 and Jennings $14,155. Racing Around Queens In Fresh Meadows, Councilman James Gennaro raised $195,539 in his bid for re-election. He is facing journalist Renee Lobo, who raised $55,139 and Dilip Nath, who raised $21,261. In 2003, Gennaro won his three-way Democratic primary with 5,184 votes, more than three times what second place finisher got. In Corona, incumbent Hiram Monserrate is facing his 2003 Democratic Primary opponent, Luis Jimenez. Added to this year’s race is Marlene Tapper. After contemplating a run for Congress against Joseph Crowley, the Executive Secretary of the Queens County Democratic Organization promised to find a “well funded” challenger to unseat Monserrate from the Council. To date, Tapper has $23,605 and spent $40,271. She is eligible to receive close to $80,000 in public matching funds. Jimenez has not filed financial statements with the CFB. Monserrate has raised $170,214, spent $128,523, and could get up to $183,000 in matching funds. Candidates need to collect petitions with signatures of members from their own party and file those with the City’s’ Board of Elections in order to appear on the ballot. A challenge to a candidate’s petitions, if upheld, could knock a candidate off the ballot. Causes of challenges can range from minor technicalities to claims that non-party members signed petitions. Last year, petitions for Jimmy Meng, who was running for the Assembly, were signed by people claiming to live in a bookstore owned by Meng. The campaign dismissed the incident, which in total involved fewer than 200 signatures, to new voters’ lack of familiarity with the election process. Among the petitions being challenged this year are Melinda Katz and Joseph Nocerino’s in Forest Hills, Tony Avella’s in Bayside, and Helen Sears and Rodolfo Flores in Jackson Heights. All the Democratic candidates running in Corona - Hiram Monserrate, Marlene Tapper and Luis Jimenez - are all having their petitions challenged. In Jamaica, Allan Jennings, Tom White, Albert Baldeo and Robby Mahadeo are all having their petitions challenged. In Fresh Meadows, Jim Gennaro and Rene Lobo’s petitions are being challenged. In Laurelton, James Sanders’ petitions are being challenged. Sanders announced that he would not file a challenge to his opponent’s signatures. The bi-partisan Board of Elections will meet next month to rule on these challenges. Candidates who are disqualified from the ballot can appeal the Board of Elections’ decision in court. |
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