The political season has begun and in State legislative races, Queens is not a total snooze for the first time in ages.

Although there may be other races deserving minor attention, there are at least three worth watching.

Since incumbents win 98 percent of the time, vacant seats, which seem to exist perhaps one per decade, are the ones that cause real races and real spending. We have two such seats in Queens this year.

The other cause for serious Election Day competition is the corruption, misbehavior and/or bizarre behavior of an incumbent. And Queens has a real doozie of a doozie this year.

Let’s take the doozie first.

THE SENATOR FROM HELL
State Senator Ada Smith has throughout her career continually crossed the line of acceptable behavior. We are not talking political behavior; we are talking civil, human interaction expected of everyone. Abusive outbursts have no place in society. Well Smith, the Queen of crazy, flipped out again – and this time going into an election season.

After racking up a record of allegations of abusing senate staff, parking garage guards, police officers, airline personnel, and others, Smith was accused of throwing hot coffee in the face of an Albany staffer. Smith reportedly has gone through more than 200 staffers by serving up abuse, while serving the people of her district
And while the Democratic power structure scurried to find an alternative to this Queen of Mean, leaders of the Southeast Queens Community expressed total frustration that they were saddled with this embarrassment of a legislator.

“She’s a lot worse than an embarrassment. . . You have no idea how bad she is,” one longtime Southeast Queens Democratic District Leader told this paper.

Sadly, in spite of sincere efforts, no opponent acceptable to the insiders was found and Smith received the Democratic designation. However, where such designations almost always come by acclamation from a united Queens Dem Party, there were a number of abstentions, clearly shouting to the community that she is undesirable.

The senior Southeast Queens Democratic Leader and party stalwart Archie Spigner and longtime leader Henry McCoy were two of the leaders identified as not supporting the Smith designation — a noble, symbolic gesture that deserves community applause.

Liz Goldsmith, longtime community activist and founder of the 12-year-old “Mothers Against Guns” is challenging Smith.

Insiders are looking to see if the Dem County organization will put the insurgent’s petitions through their normal process of scrutiny and court, causing many a challenger to spend excessive money, time and energy defending petitions instead of campaigning for office.

Although Goldsmith seems outgunned – pardon the pun – grassroot operations can build momentum, especially when it is common knowledge that the incumbent’s behavior clearly makes her unfit to serve.

And just this week, we hear that in addition to Goldsmith, that Smith, “The Senator from Hell,” may be challenged by someone who has gone just as far off the deep end. Former City Councilman Allan Jennings, the man who lost his seat after a string of bizarre actions including several accustations of sexual harrassment which resulted in Council punishment, may be the only person that might be able to make Smith look like the more stable candidate.

And, get this, the former Democratic Councilman wants the Republican line in this one. Nothing should be a surprise when Jennings is around.

Stay tuned.

SHE’S BAAAACK
We don’t know her age, but she’s been around forever.
We remember running Gary Ackerman’s successful State Senate campaign against her in 1979 and running her successful Assembly campaign in 1986. We later opposed her editorially based on some very foolish anti-Asian statements, but Julia Harrison has always brought a smile to our face.

She’s a warhorse — an independent who speaks her mind.

Now, we don’t know how old she is and that certainly doesn’t influence her vote-getting ability, but she may have signed the Flushing Remonstrance.

Seriously, former Councilwoman – term limited in 2000 – former Assemblywoman, longtime Democratic District Leader and community activist, Julia Harrison has thrown her well-traveled hat into the ring to win the seat occupied by one term Assemblyman Jimmy Meng who announced he will not seek re-election.

Meng won the seat two years ago by defeating one-termer Barry Grodenchik in the Flushing Assembly District drawn with a high concentration of Asian residents.

Now Meng is trying to pass his briefly held seat onto his daughter, attorney Grace Meng, while Flushing Councilman, District Leader and Citywide Asian leader John Liu is trying to have his chief of staff, Ellen Young, capture the Assembly prize from the Meng family with whom he’s had a less than collegial relationship.

The chances of Terrence Park, a longtime Korean leader and Democratic District Leader, who has announced for the seat, may be improved with the two strong Chinese groups splitting their vote.

Enter Harrison and her age-old political organization, the Democratic Club of Flushing, Whitestone, and College Point, and her analytical political smarts. Her longtime base always shows up and votes, and with the Asian block divided, could Julia do it again? Or is Julia just jockeying for something else in exchange for her support.

With petitioning beginning June 6, we’ll know the complete picture pretty soon, but we’re looking for the hottest political race since term limits gave new meaning to vacant seats.

BRIAN’S SONG
Shortly after Assemblyman Brian McLaughlin announced he would not seek re-election, authorities raided his offices – Central Labor and Assembly – as part of an ongoing investigation, causing the one-time political and labor powerhouse to virtually disappear from the scene. His soon-to-be vacant seat however, could be at the center of a scramble. District Leader Rory Lancman, who has lined up union and party support, has effectively grabbed the early frontrunner status.

Longtime Democrat, with the backing of the New Americans Democratic Club, Morshed Alam has announced his candidacy.
Alam, who previously scored better than Lancman as a candidate against State Senator Frank Padavan, has demonstrated political savvy, fundraising ability and effective use of a motivated multi-ethnic organization. He could be a surprise in this very diverse and wandering Assembly District.

As the summertime fireworks begin to herald our national holidays, the summertime political fireworks will receive the attention of those who watch and enjoy the sport of politics.

Michael Schenkler can be reached via this contact form.

It looks like Julia Harrison’s very well traveled hat may be back in the ring.