By James DeWeese
Councilman Hiram Monserrate (D-Corona), who already represents a small portion of Crowley's Queens constituency at the city level, said Monday he may make a run for the seat that stretches across Queens and the Bronx.
“I have given this some serious consideration,” Monserrate said. “Within the next three weeks, I will probably be making the final determination.”
Not trying to be evasive, the twice-elected councilman said he was simply weighing all his options. Monserrate said he is evaluating some of the weightier campaign matters: volunteers, money, message and strategy.
“That''s up to him to interpret,” Crowley said of his potential challenger. “You know, I'll take it when it comes and treat it very seriously.”
In a brief interview before addressing the U.S. Commission on Religious Freedom during a hearing at CUNY Law in Flushing last Thursday, Crowley described a campaign strategy based on his 18-year record as a legislator – 12 years in the statehouse and six years in Congress – and promised to pull out all the stops.
“I intend to use all the resources available to me to win back this seat in the House,” said Crowley, whose district in Queens covers Jackson Heights, Woodside, Elmhurst, East Elmhurst, College Point and Maspeth. One of those resources, as always, is money.
According to filings with the Federal Election Committee, Crowley had more than $675,000 on hand in his campaign war chest as of March 31. Crowley's Elmhurst-based re-election committee raised more than $191,000 during the first three months of the year alone, according to the filings.
“I will have by the end of June over a million dollars,” Crowley said.
Monserrate, still not a candidate, has not officially begun fund-raising.
“I believe incumbents are always at an advantage to raise money. That's a factor that's pretty much taken for granted and understood,” said Monserrate, a former police officer and Marine. “I don't think this campaign would be only about money.”
It would be about issues, Monserrate said, although he was tight-lipped about what they might be. “That will be for later publication,” he said.
“I think there is an opportunity in the 7th (District),” Monserrate said. “It's an opportunity to be a strong reliable voice for the constituency.”
The constituency underwent a major demographic shift under a 2002 redistricting plan. According to statistics from the New York State Task Force on Demographics and Reapportionment, Crowley's district – 35 percent of which lies in Queens and the rest in the Bronx – is now more than 39 percent Hispanic, an 11-point increase over 1997. Blacks now make up 16.54 percent of the population, up from 8.57 percent in 1997.
Monserrate, as co-chairman of the City Council's 24-member black, Latino and Asian Caucus and a prominent member of the city's Latino community, could appeal particularly to the growing Hispanic population. When he was re-elected to the Council in 2003, he earned 75 percent of the votes in his heavily Latino district.
“I don't know how anyone can make the argument that he has any more ability to represent a diverse district than I do,” Crowley said. “It is not a Latino district, it is not an Irish district, it is not an Italian district, it is not an Asian district.”
Besides, Crowley said, Monserrate is “an unknown in the Bronx.”
“If he does choose to decide to run for this district, he will neglect his Queen's district,” Crowley said of Monserrate's Council District 21, which he indicated only narrowly overlaps with his Congressional District. “He'll be running in the Bronx.”
The Corona councilman, however, hinted that he may already loom larger on the Bronx scene than Crowley thinks. Monserrate has participated in several public events in the Bronx over the last several weeks, including the announcement of a bill to roll back city parking restrictions on Sunday and a minority voter drive.
“It's going to be an interesting summer,” Monserrate said.
Reach reporter James DeWeese by e-mail at news@timesledger.com, or call 718-229-0300, Ext. 157.
