By Adam Kramer
Western Queens residents will go to the polls next week and dramatically change the borough’s political landscape. To be decided will be the borough president, all 14 city council seats from Queens and the mayor’s race.
The complete changeover in borough politics stems from term limits, which prevent incumbents from serving more than two terms.
Three Democratic candidates — former Board of Education President Carol Gresser, City Councilman Sheldon Leffler (D-Hollis) and City Councilwoman Helen Marshall (D-East Elmhurst) — face off in the Sept. 11 primary. The winner will go against GOP City Councilman Alfonso Stabile (R-Ozone Park) in the Nov. 7 general election to replace longtime Borough President Claire Shulman.
In the races to succeed the 14 veteran city council representatives, there are 86 hopefuls in the Queens political arena, which has been dominated over the years by incumbents or candidates with party support.
Queens has two of its own — City Comptroller Alan Hevesi from Forest Hills and City Council Speaker Peter Vallone (D-Astoria) — in the hotly contested race to succeed Mayor Rudolph Giuliani.
Both have their work cut out for them and face Bronx Borough President Fernando Ferrer and Public Advocate Mark Green in the Democratic primary.
On the GOP side, media mogul Michael Bloomberg is up against former Bronx Borough President Herman Badillo, who was also a congressman.
The majority of candidates running for elected office in Queens and throughout the city have been bolstered by the new campaign finance law, which matches individual contributions at a rate of $4 to every dollar raised.
The program was designed to lessen the influence of campaign contributors on the candidates, level the playing field and make the information on candidates’ finances readily accessible.
In the first competitive race for borough president since the reign of Donald Manes, who killed himself amid a parking corruption scandal in 1986, the three well-known candidates have stumped through Queens with a similar message. All three — Gresser, Leffler and Marshall — have promised to help solve the borough’s education problems, its housing crunch and public transportation shortfall.
Each has received endorsements from a wide range of organizations and can claim the support of unions and non-profits. The biggest boost to the Gresser campaign was the New York Times endorsement Friday, the lift to Leffler’s campaign came from the Citizens Union endorsement and Marshall caught the biggest fish — the backing of the Queens Democratic machine.
Some of the stiffest competition in the borough is for the seats of the 14 city council members, who have a combined total of 188 years service. As many as 11 candidates are vying for a single council seat.
The winner of the primary in City Councilman Morton Povman’s (D-Forest Hills) CD 24 district will face only a Green Party candidate on Nov. 7. The three Democrats, all political staffers at the city and state levels, are James Gennaro, Barry Grodenchik and David Reich. The Green party choice is Lori Zett.
In the race for City Councilwoman Karen Koslowitz’s (D Forest Hills) seat in CD 29, longtime political insider Democrat Melinda Katz is considered the front-runner. She faces Democrat Lynn Schulman in the primary. The Republican hopeful is Renu Lobo. The Independent candidate is Joseph Tiraco. The Conservatives are running Norbert Chwat, while the Green Party’s hopeful is Jeannette Evans.
No Republican entered the race in CD 26, City Councilman Walter McCaffrey’s (D-Woodside) seat. Of the five Democrats — Matthew Farrell, Eric Gioia, Patrick O’Mally, Joseph Conley and Michael Kearney — there is no clear heavyweight. The Green Party’s candidate is Ann Eagan.
In the race for City Council Speaker Peter Vallone’s (D-Astoria) CD 22 seat, his son, Democrat Peter Vallone Jr., is the front-runner. The other Democrats are John Ciafone and Michael Zapiti. Sandra Vassos is the Republican candidate. The Independent Party’s pick is Michael Mascitti while the Green’s chose Jerry Kann.
Elizabeth Crowley, who received her campaign matching funds Tuesday, is the odds-on favorite to replace City Councilman Tom Ognibene (R-Middle Village) in CD 30. In the Democratic primary she face Linda Sansivieri and Robert Cermeli. The Republican candidate is Ognibene’s chief of staff, Dennis Gallagher, and the Green Party candidate is Sharain Pereira.
In the Democratic mayoral primary, Ferrer made huge strides in his campaign and jumped into a statistical dead heat with Green according to the Quinnipiac University Poll released Tuesday. Ferrer got a tremendous leg up in the race Wednesday when he received the endorsement from one of the city’s largest unions, the hospital workers’ 1199.
Among likely Democratic voters Ferrer leads with 28 percent of the vote followed by Green with 26 percent. Both Vallone and Hevesi are tied, with each attracting 15 percent of the vote. Some 14 percent of those polled remain undecided, which leaves the race wide open.
If one of the mayoral candidates does not get 40 percent of the vote a runoff will take place on Sept. 25.
On the Republican ticket, Bloomberg has a commanding lead over Badillo, according to the Aug. 15 Quinnipiac poll, the last conducted on the GOP mayoral contest. He leads by 67 percent to 19 percent of likely Republican voters.
Reach reporter Adam Kramer by e-mail at Timesledgr@aol.com or call 229-0300, Ext. 157.
