An election year in northeast Queens means that another opponent will try to unseat longtime Republican Senator Frank Padavan, who has served in the body since 1972.
This year, the person who will try his hand at defeating the only remaining Republican Queens state legislator is a familiar face for local residents – former Queens City Councilmember Tony Avella.
“Frank Padavan has been part of the problem in Albany for 38 years,” Avella said on Sunday, March 28, when he officially announced his candidacy for Senate District 19.
“What we need now is a Senator who wants to be part of the solution. If elected, I’ll change the way Albany does business.”
Avella, who was seen as a maverick during his eight years serving in the City Council often sparring and disagreeing with members of his own party including Council Speaker Christine Quinn, decided not to run for reelection after the term limits were extended.
“I think I have established a reputation for being a reformer, and I think we can all state unequivocally that if there is any place crying out for reform today it is Albany,” Avella said. “It is about time we change the philosophy and the politics in the state legislature.”
Meanwhile, Padavan shot back that Avella has spent his entire adult life on the public payroll where he was beholden to party leaders.
“In my view, he really doesn’t understand what it is to run a business, meet a payroll or what it’s like to be an employee,” said Padavan, who spent 14 years working as an engineer at Westinghouse Electric Corporation before he took over Deputy Commissioner of the New York City Department of Buildings in 1968.
Padavan said his boss is the people he works for, and everything that he does in Albany is for the benefit of his constituents – not party leaders.
“No one tells me how to vote, how to act or what to do,” Padavan said.
Padavan said this campaign should be about who can be the most effective leader for the district during a very difficult fiscal period. He said the key to the race will be who can help create jobs, spur economic development and find solutions to deal with the budget shortfall.
“One thing you cannot do is continue to push the people that are paying the bills outside of the state,” Padavan said.
Queens College political science professor Michael Krasner said he always viewed Padavan as a “real power of strength” and someone who “defied political logic,” by holding onto a seat as a Republican in an overwhelmingly Democratic borough and district.
Krasner said that Padavan has remained very popular amongst his constituents, but he cited last year’s close election victory over Councilmember James Gennaro as an indicator of what could lie ahead this year.
“It’s been demonstrated that Padavan is vulnerable,” Krasner said. “I think Avella has a real good shot.”
