By Helen Klein
How do you keep a hold on an elected position, if –like many city councilmembers — you’re about to be term-limited into retirement? The easy answer is find another seat to run for, and, according to political insiders, that appears to be what City Councilmember Kendall Stewart has in mind. What seat is he looking at? While numerous onlookers had speculated that Stewart would challenge arch-rival Assemblymember Nick Perry in two years (a seat he positioned himself for by winning the 58th A.D. district leadership back in September), other insiders say that he has focused, instead, on the seat currently held by State Senator Kevin Parker in the 21st Senatorial District, because he feels that Parker would be easier to defeat. Parker, the pundits say, also recognizes his vulnerability. To that end, they report, Parker has expressed interest in running for Stewart’s seat, doing a switcheroo not unlike the one done by City Councilmember Al Vann and Assemblymember Annette Robinson, when Robinson was term-limited out of her council seat. Noted one source, “I heard that, when they were in Panama, Kevin was telling everyone he was going to do it because it pays more, and it’s more local.” If it’s true, the insider noted, “It means he’s resigned to the fact that he’s going to lose, so why not put a good face on it so it doesn’t seem as if he’s being pushed out of one seat into another.” “It’s the rumor, but I don’t think there’s going to be any deal,” another insider noted. “If Kendall wants the seat,” the source predicted, “he’s going to have to fight him. I don’t think Kevin is that sophisticated to do the swap.” One insider said that the rumors had reached his ears but that he found them, “A little incomprehensible. Some people who claim to be political analysts say it’s very unlikely that Kevin would want to give up his seat because, even though he’s faced a lot of competition in the last two elections, he’s positioned on a track where, in another couple of years, he would have seniority.” The source added, “I don’t see Kendall carrying the senate race.” Not everyone is hearing the same. “There’s a lot of rumors floating around,” remarked one insider, “but nothing’s really sticking. I haven’t heard that the two of them would be in agreement, though I’ve heard a lot about Kendall running against Kevin to force the issue. “One of the rumors,” the pundit went on, “is that Kendall is going to run at Kevin and then run his son for the council seat, but his son is a second-year law student, and Kendall has been telling Gail Reed Barnett (the former female district leader in the 58th A.D.) for years that she’s the next councilperson.” Yet another insider said that he had heard that, “Kendall will be going at Kevin’s seat next year. Nick has been saying that Kendall is trying to be the power in the area. Last time I talked to Kendall, he said Kevin was begging for his life. If Kendall challenges Kevin next year and wins, there would be a special election and Kevin could enter that.” Playing into possible interest in challenging Parker, the source added, is the rumor that former City Councilmember Noach Dear, who has run against Parker three times, has finally had it with that seat and is looking instead at running for his old council seat (which he would be eligible for, since enough years have passed), once Simcha Felder, the current councilmember in the area, is term-limited out. Parker, for his part, denies being interested in moving over to the council. “I’m not in the least interested in going to the City Council,” he remarked, when questioned about his intentions. Parker did acknowledge hearing the rumors that Stewart might be after his seat. But, he said, “I’m not concerned because it’s so far away, nor do I think Kendall could beat me, frankly. “We live in a democracy,” he added. “He is free to seek election to the State Senate in 2008, but I’m going to be focused on serving the people of the district. I’ve just been re-elected to the State Senate, and I’m happy serving there. There’s so much to do, especially now that we have a governor whose values are more in line with mine and those of the people I serve.” The implications of seat switching for those not currently holding elective office angered at least one pundit, who acknowledges an interest in running for office in the relatively near future. “It’s outrageous,” said the source. “If it goes like that, people who are qualified and would like to run never get the opportunity. If they work together, there’s very little you can do to get any traction. If they could work together in other ways, the community would be in great shape, but they only work together to save their own skins.” By press time, Stewart had not responded to repeated phone calls requesting comment.
