Although the presidential race is the main event for election night across the country, in Queens, many people are looking at the State Senate race in the 15th District as the most attractive bout on the undercard.
Republican incumbent State Senator Serphin Maltese and City Councilmember Joseph Addabbo have traded jabs at each other throughout the campaign season, but neither has scored a knockout blow, and both believe they will be successful on November 4.
Maltese, who has represented western and southern Queens in the State Senate for 20 years, barely held onto his seat last year when he defeated community activist Albert Baldeo by less than 1,000 votes.
“Last year was the watershed year,” Maltese said. “If I was going to be beat, it would have been the last time around. It was very difficult to energize the voters.”
Meanwhile, Addabbo, who has spent the last seven years representing southern Queens in the City Council, remains confident heading into the election.
“We have a really positive feeling about this campaign based on the positive feedback we are getting from the people,” Addabbo said.
Addabbo described his campaign as one of deep voter contact, referencing a typical day which involves interacting with voters at train stations in the morning, senior citizen centers and schools in the afternoon and then meeting with local community organizations and going door to door at night - a strategy he plans to employ through election night. Some numbers indicate that Addabbo has helped register close to 8,000 new voters, and he hopes for a big turnout on Election Day.
“I think we are going to see very high turnout, and obviously high turnout favors me, no question,” Addabbo said.
Both candidates agreed that the economy and healthcare were two of the most important issues currently affecting their voters.
Addabbo cited his experience with working on the city’s budget negotiations throughout the last seven years - including the budget in 2002 after the 9/11 attacks - and said that the city has always put out a balanced and on-time budget.
“I want to go to Albany to bring some fiscal responsibility when we need it most,” Addabbo said.
Maltese, 76, believes that his experience and the clout he has earned while serving in the Senate helped him secure more than $32 million in member item funds for his district during his Senate tenure. Maltese also cited the 239 bills that he has sponsored that have become laws in New York, while Addabbo has passed only 31 in the seven years he has been in the City Council.
However, Addabbo believes that he will not have any trouble securing funding for his district, especially if the Democrats gain control of the Senate and Queens Senator Malcolm Smith becomes the new Senate Majority Leader.
“I totally intend for the funds to follow the leadership and come to the five boroughs,” Addabbo said.
While pre-election polls have characterized this race as a dead heat, Maltese believes things are turning in his favor, and the race may not be as close as his 2006 one with Baldeo.
“I think its going to be a completely different year,” Maltese said. “I hope it won’t be a close race, and if it is, it doesn’t matter as long I remain on top.”
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