By Brendan Browne
Competing in an area dominated by Democrats for decades, Conservative Mark Ralin does not believe he stands much of a chance of winning the race for the 16th Senate District.
When asked about the Democrats’ hold on the area, Ralin said, “I don’t think there’s any overcoming that. If I got 15 or 20 percent of the vote, that would be significant.”
Ralin, 52, who has lived in Forest Hills for most of his life, said he is running because voters in the area are rarely given an alternative to the Democrat leaders, who invariably fill the senate, assembly, and city council seats.
Running against the well-know and deeply experienced Democrat candidates, Toby Stavisky and Julia Harrison, Ralin simply wants to give voters a more conservative choice for the newly redistricted senate seat. The district now encompasses parts of Forest Hills, Rego Park, Fresh Meadows, Flushing, Whitestone, Bayside, Bay Terrace, Elmhurst, Astoria, and LaGuardia Airport.
“It’s good to have other candidates giving the people a choice,” he said, calling the two Democrats “old battle-axes” that offer nothing new.
Ralin, a lighting fixture salesman who was recently fired from his job, is emphasizing his hopes to create a school voucher program, lower state taxes, and loosen gun control restrictions, he said.
On top of espousing such conservative views, Ralin’s chances may be further limited because he said he has raised no money and has done very little campaigning for the November general election. Ralin also has stayed completely out of the eastern half of the district and was not aware that redistricting added the communities around Fresh Meadows.
Starting with education, Ralin said he believes schools in the city are already getting enough money and blamed poor parenting for the struggles of some students. He said many parents fail to supervise their children, pointing to the problem of graffiti in Queens as an example of parents being too lax with kids.
Ralin also said students who attend poorly performing schools should be entitled to vouchers that help them pay for private education.
“If there’s a problem with the school, they should have the opportunity to go to another school for a quality education,” Ralin said.
Ralin would also like to do away with bilingual education, saying immigrants should be forced to take a six-month intensive English course as soon as they enter the country.
Although the city is facing a large budget gap, Ralin said residents already pay too many taxes and vowed if elected he would vote against any new ones.
Also adhering to traditionally conservative belief, Ralin contended that all people who have no criminal background have the right to bear arms and suggested that crime might fall if more people carried guns.
“Everybody feel it’s going to be the wild, wild West. There’s no wild, wild West in Vermont,” Ralin said, referring to a state with less restrictive gun restrictions.
Although he is aware that his views probably are not held by most people in the district, Ralin said, “You never know. Something could happen” in the election.
Reach reporter Brendan Browne by e-mail at Timesledger@aol.com or by phone at 229-0300, Ext. 155.
