Admittedly, sometimes it takes an extra incentive to induce Manhattanites to venture to Queens. Definitely, $10 for all you can drink at Astoria’s legendary Bohemian Beer Garden certainly fits the bill, and last Friday many denizens of Manhattan island crossed the river for the NYC Young Professionals Event co-sponsored by the Queens Republican Committee, Senator Marty Golden, and Congressional candidate Dino LaVerghetta.
LaVerghetta is running against Representative Carolyn Maloney in the 14th Congressional District, which includes the East Side of Manhattan from the East Village to the Upper East Side and Astoria and Long Island City in Queens.
He lives with his wife in Manhattan and is a graduate of NYU Law School, after which he went into practice at the prestigious firm Debevoise & Plimpton. His practice concentrates on complex securities and white-collar matters, and he has worked on the largest Foreign Corrupt Practices Act investigation in U.S. history.
LaVerghetta has devoted significant time to pro bono matters, and he sits on the Young Professionals Committee of the Innocence Project. He is running on a platform of limited government, reducing wasteful spending and balancing the budget.
Maloney, first elected to Congress in 1992, is a formidable opponent. However, Republicans have been successful in her district in the past. In fact, prior to Maloney winning the seat, Republican Bill Green represented the district for 15 years, and the GOP held the seat for all but eight of the 56 years between 1937 and 1992.
For a period of time, Republicans actually dominated much of Maloney’s district, as the GOP fielded a full delegation with Councilmember Charles Millard, Assemblymember John Ravitz and legendary State Senator Roy Goodman.
Maloney had sought to be named by Governor David A. Paterson to Hillary Clinton’s vacant U.S. Senate seat and for a while had been considering a challenge to eventual replacement Senator Kirsten Gillibrand before deciding to run for re-election to Congress instead.
This year, Maloney is facing a vigorous primary challenge from attorney Reshma Saujani, 34, who has worked in the financial sector and as a fundraiser for John Kerry.
A combination of strong political winds blowing in the right direction and the potential of a divisive primary battle may be just enough for Dino to score an upset and go from the Beer Garden to the halls of Congress.
Daniel Egers serves on the staff of Councilmember Dan Halloran and is executive director of the Queens County Republican Party.
