By Nathan Duke
The list keeps growing of potential contenders to replace state Assemblywoman Ann-Margaret Carrozza (D-Bayside) after she announced in late March that she would not seek re-election this fall.
A total of nine Democrats and two Republicans have either been mentioned as potential candidates by Queens political sources or confirmed that they plan to run following Carrozza’s announcement March 26.
A source within the Queens Democratic Party listed a number of political hopefuls for the race this November, including New York State Young Democrats President Matthew Silverstein; Carol Gresser, the former city Board of Education president who challenged then-City Councilwoman Helen Marshall in the 2001 Queens borough president race; John Duane, a former assemblyman in the district during the 1980s and brother of state Sen. Tom Duane (D-Manhattan); and Whitestone attorney Elio Forcina.
Several Democrats have already announced their bids, including Community Board 11 member Edward Braunstein and newly appointed CB 11 member Steve Behar, a Bayside attorney. Others have said they are considering a run, such as Bayside’s Michael Sais, chief of staff for state Assemblyman Michael Gianaris (D-Astoria).
Debra Markell, district manager of Long Island City’s Community Board 2, said she is “exploring her options” in the race. She and Behar both ran in last fall’s Democratic primary to replace former Councilman Tony Avella.
“I haven’t made any decision at this time,” Markell said.
Kevin Kim, who won the Democratic primary for Avella’s seat in September but lost to Councilman Dan Halloran (R-Whitestone) in November, would also not divulge his plans.
“I’ve gotten a lot of calls encouraging me to run but, at this time, I’ve not made any decisions,” he said.
CB 11 Chairman Jerry Iannece and Flushing attorney Paul Vallone, brother of Councilman Peter Vallone Jr. (D-Astoria) and son of former Council Speaker Peter Vallone Sr., will not run for Carrozza’s seat because neither of them live in the district, which covers Bayside, Little Neck, Douglaston and Whitestone and includes District 25 and 26 schools.
Two Republicans are vying for the seat, including Vince Tabone, who works as an attorney for John Catsimatidis’ Manhattan-based Red Apple Group, and former Police Officer Rob Speranza, who challenged Carrozza in 2008.
Tabone has been endorsed by the Queens County Republican Party, but Speranza, a member of CB 11, said he hopes to get support from northeast Queens GOP leaders.
“I’ve been running for three years and I’m not going to stop now,” he said. “I was the only one who was not afraid to challenge Carrozza when she was thought to be unbeatable. Now they’re all coming out of the woodwork.”
Carrozza, who was first elected in 1996, said she planned to return to her work as an attorney after finishing out this year in Albany. She has not yet endorsed anyone in the race for her seat. The assemblywoman said she had decided upon being elected 14 years ago that she did not want to serve more than 12 years in the Assembly.
She had faced criticism from some residents in her district when it was discovered in July that she had been living out of her district at a property she and her husband own in Glen Head, L.I. At the time, she had said the law did not prevent her from living at the property.
The assemblywoman stayed at the home between March and June before moving back to Bayside in July.
Assembly records show Carrozza had excused absences for 44 days, or 64 percent of the time, during 2009’s legislative session.
Reach reporter Nathan Duke by e-mail at nduke@cnglocal.com or by phone at 718-260-4566.
