Okay, I like political contests. Nothing can get those journalistic juices going like a well-fought campaign.
But sadly, my beat in Queens, New York is one that is usually devoid of any real local contests. They’ve arranged it that way.

The Albany Legislature redistricting every 10 years to ensure incumbents’ lines of comfort, the rules of the game allowing lawyers to overwhelm non-professionals in the petition process, the inherent fundraising ability that comes with incumbency, the mailing, the staff, the name recognition and the institutional (almost blind) backing of an incumbent, leaves us Queens pundits few races worth our punditry.

With the rare exception caused by a referendum passed by the people which term limited our entire 14-member Council delegation four years back, there has been very limited interesting local action in Queens since well before most of us can remember.

In Queens, an incumbent has got to be pretty damn bad in order to be vulnerable at the voting booth – I guess there are occasional exceptions, but they are indeed hard to recall.

What has motivated this writing is one particular race where the word bizarre is indeed an understatement.
There is an incumbent who has demonstrated a new high in anti-social, irrational, offensive, incompetent behavior.
There are two aggressive South Asian challengers – so aggressive that each of them has developed police rap sheets connected with the campaign. There is the lone former term-limited Councilmember seeking to recapture his days of glory.

If you haven’t figured out the players, you don’t live in the 28th Council District which includes parts of Jamaica, South Jamaica, Rochdale Village and Richmond Hill.
But even if you don’t live there, I present for you a brief case study in democracy gone bad: Vacant and vulnerable seats can attract those ill-suited to office.
Let’s take a look at the Council District 28 race.

It is a given that the area will elect the Democratic candidate and therefore the Sept. 13 primary is the real race for office.

Incumbent Allan Jennings is off kilter. To put it gently and repeat an apropos analogy, some may march to the beat of their own drummer, Allan hears a tuba. He does not function like a normal member of society. As a result of his bizarre behavior, he has lost the support of his own party, has lost the right to participate in public matching funds and has been found guilty of sexual harassment and punished by his colleagues who, among other things, fined him and mandated anger management counseling.
Needless to say, Allan Jennings can be beaten. More importantly, Allan Jennings should be beaten – he cannot work with his Council colleagues or the Mayor, and his district therefore suffers. Women who have worked for and with him at the Council have suffered too.

The area’s growing South Asian and West Indian population has made them a political factor, including the holding of a Democratic District Leadership.

Court challenges leave the list of candidates in flux. However, it seems clear that the four strongest and best funded will be competing for the seat: Jennings, former Councilman Tom White, attorney Albert Baldeo and Dr. Robby Mahadeo. Narine Dhanpaul is also likely on the ballot.

Both Baldeo and Mahadeo are of Guyanese descent, and their competition has turned as ugly as we’ve ever seen in Queens political brouhaha. They have both been arrested and charged with criminal actions of bizarre severity.

Mahadeo was arrested on charges of grand larceny, menacing, coercion, stalking, and harassment after Albert Baldeo accused him of threatening behavior.

Not to be outdone, Baldeo, who is a lawyer, has had to hire a lawyer, and turn himself in to face charges of harassing, threatening, and brandishing a gun at Mahadeo’s wife.

The alleged behavior of Baldeo and Mahadeo raises the same ugly specter that they, like Jennings, will not be able to deliver for the district.

Tom White, the former Councilman, has not been without criticism himself. Although not implicated in the matter, almost decade- old charges have again arisen that three employees of his successful government substance abuse program were corrupt and misspent public funds. He also has been criticized for his attendance record while serving in the Council. However, as a Councilmember, White did bring home the proverbial bacon and during the period of his Council tenure, the District was the beneficiary of significant infrastructure improvements and considerable increases in city services.

On Jennings, what can one say? He has compared himself to Jesus Christ; placed ads in Asian language papers proclaiming his love for a Chinese dancer while smearing his wife; sent Valentine cards to other members of the Council whose performance he approved; alienated both sides of City Hall; and while being filmed, threw a chunk of metal at a Fox News television reporter.

Then things got worse for incumbent Jennings. The Council found him guilty of “creating a hostile work environment” after five women charged the council member with touching them sexually and subjecting them to racist and intimidating remarks. He was fined $5,000, stripped of his committee assignments, and required to undergo anger management training. Jennings has not paid his fine nor attended the anger management training sessions.

This is not a column of endorsement. This is a column to inform. It is one man’s attempt to keep the inanity, insanity and offensive behavior far away from elective office.

Former Congressman, the Rev. Floyd Flake and most of the respected elected officials of Southeast Queens have endorsed the candidacy of Tom White.

The choice in this district seems pretty clear.

Michael Schenkler can be reached via this contact form.