By Nathan Duke
State Assembly candidate Edward Braunstein came under attack this week from his opponents in the race to replace Assemblywoman Ann-Margaret Carrozza (D-Bayside) after his campaign put out a flier calling for Albany reform.
Braunstein’s opponents were quick to point out that the Bayside Democrat formerly worked for state Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver (D-Manhattan) and that his campaign is being run by The Parkside Group, a political and consulting lobbying firm.
“Braunstein is the epitome of Albany,” said Robert Hornak, a spokesman for Vince Tabone, the sole Republican in the race for Carrozza’s seat. “For him to position himself as a reformer is insulting.”
Braunstein has already been endorsed by prominent Democrats, including gubernatorial candidate Andrew Cuomo as well as U.S. Rep. Gary Ackerman (D-Bayside), state Sen. Toby Stavisky (D-Whitestone) and former City Councilman Tony Avella. Last week, he got the nod from Bayside’s former Council candidates Paul Vallone, the brother of Councilman Peter Vallone Jr. (D-Astoria), and Jerry Iannece, chairman of Community Board 11.
A flier went out to voters in the Assembly district last week in which Braunstein is pictured underneath the caption, “Albany is an embarrassment. We deserve better.”
In the flier, Braunstein pledges to reform Albany by fighting for greater transparency in state government, ridding the state Legislature of “corrupt politicians,” reining in special interests and stopping “reckless government spending.”
Steve Behar, a Democrat in the race for Carrozza’s seat who ran for Avella’s Council seat last year, said the flier angered him.
“By definition, he can be neither an independent nor a reformer,” he said. “In his mailer, he claims he will rein in special interests, yet the special interests he’s going to rein in paid for the mailer itself.”
Evan Stavisky, a spokesman for Braunstein’s campaign, pointed out that Cuomo, who is running on a campaign of reforming Albany, had thrown his weight behind Braunstein.
“While his opponents are launching ridiculous political attacks, Ed Braunstein has unveiled a comprehensive plan to reform Albany and end the dysfunction,” he said. “Ed’s plan includes sweeping campaign finance reform, tough new ethics laws and independent redistricting. That’s why Ed Koch calls him a hero of reform. That’s why Ed Braunstein continues to build grassroots support throughout northeast Queens.”
But Steven Stites, a spokesman for Democrat Elio Forcina’s Assembly campaign, said that Koch’s website asks candidates to fill out a form in which they pledge to run on a campaign of reform and that everyone who fills out the form is listed on the site.
“What bothers folks is that Braunstein is implying that Koch endorses him,” Stites said. “His commitment to reform is filling out a questionnaire.”
Stavisky also pointed out that Braunstein no longer worked for Silver and, during his tenure at the Assembly speaker’s office, he worked in constituent services, not policy making.
In his endorsement last week, Iannece said he believed Braunstein “demonstrated the ability to bring people together and reach consensus.”
Reach reporter Nathan Duke by e-mail at nduke@cnglocal.com or by phone at 718-260-4566.
