THE ROAD TO ALBANY 2008

While many of the political eyes in New York are focusing their attention on the race between Senator Serphin Maltese and City Councilmember Joseph Addabbo, another race on the other side of Queens – incumbent Frank Padavan versus challenger City Councilmember James Gennaro – also has tremendous ramifications on local and state politics.
Padavan, a Republican who is the Vice President Pro Tempore of the Senate, has represented District 11 in Albany for 36 years will look to hold onto his seat, while Gennaro and the Democrats try to retake the northeast Queens seat as well as the majority in the Senate. Currently, the Republicans hold a slim two-seat margin in the State Senate, and Democrats believe they can regain control of the Senate this November giving them control of all three legislative bodies.
“Now is a situation where there is a lot at stake,” Gennaro said. “I’m getting support from a lot of quarters that want leadership in the Senate to change. Albany is broke. The Republican majority is kind of like the poster child for Albany dysfunction.”
While the economic times for Queens residents and New York State as a whole remain uncertain, Padavan harked back to a number of difficult periods the state has gone through during his tenure, and he believes his experience handling fiscal crises will benefit the borough.
“In each case, we did what we had to do to help the State move out of it, and I think that will happen again,” Padavan said.
Meanwhile, Gennaro, who has been involved in city government for 25 years serving the last seven as a City Councilmember, said the people need a senator willing to fight for the residents of the city.
“I saw then, and I have been seeing for the past 25 years the terrible imbalance between NYC and Albany,” Gennaro said, referring to the billions of dollars more the city sends to the state than it receives. “I have been complaining about it for 25 years, now, I’m just going to go do something about it.”
Gennaro criticized Padavan for not standing up for the people in his district and the issues that directly affect them – a claim Padavan clearly disputes.
“Any problem that my constituents have ever had – both individuals and in terms of organizations – we have been in the forefront of doing what had to be done [to help them],” said Padavan, who recounted numerous organizations that he helped create and funded throughout the years including the Queens County Farm Museum and Alley Pond Environmental Center.
Meanwhile, Gennaro recently became the first candidate running for a state race that Governor David Paterson officially endorsed.
“He recognizes in me the kind of partner that he would like to have in Albany, and I’m gratified by that endorsement,” Gennaro said.
Currently, Democrats in the 11th Senate District outnumber Republicans by a more than three to one margin, but Padavan has held off challenges from Democrats in years past, and he believes he will do so again.
“People in my district vote for the person as opposed to the party,” Padavan said. “That has been their track record.