If you haven’t really been paying attention, this Tuesday, September 13, is Election Day. This year these will be the only elections of consequence, which is typical for Democrats, but this year it includes Republicans as well for a change.
That’s because there are no regular public elections in Queens this November. The only action this year is in three special elections and six Republican leadership elections all this Tuesday. There is, of course, the race to fill the seat vacated by sex crazed Anthony Weiner.
Republican Bob Turner and Democrat David Weprin have been going at it and this one seems up for grabs. While the advantage would seem to be with Democrat Weprin, special elections are funny things that all come down to one thing – turning out your voters.
In high stakes elections, like for president or governor, people turn out to vote, and all the candidates down ballot benefit from that. But in special elections voters need a reason to go vote when they would otherwise be doing something better, like watching the newest installment of America’s most annoying housewives or reruns of the latest TV idol.
Then there are two Assembly special elections, in the 23rd and 27th districts. In the 27th, Republicans have chosen a real up and coming talent in the Party, the youthful and dynamic Marco DeSena, to go up against Democrat Michael Simanowitz, whose claim to fame is serving 15 years as chief of staff for Nettie Mayersohn.
In the 23rd, Republicans are supporting Jane Deacy, a local Republican Party official, to face off against Philip Goldfeder, a former staffer for Chuck Schumer and Mike Bloomberg.
Then there are the Republican leadership elections in the 25th, 30th and 35th Assembly Districts. These pit Republican Party-backed candidates – in the 25th Dr. Anthony Daddiego and Jean Leavey, in the 30th Frank Messano and Rosemarie Iacovone and in the 35th Angel Munoz and Rubu Mohammad – against a slate of candidates supported by the controversial Haggerty brothers, one of whom is under indictment and about to go on trial for stealing over $1 million from Mayor Bloomberg in the 2009 reelection campaign.
This should be the last hurrah for the Haggerty brothers, who have been unsuccessfully trying to take over the Queens GOP for years, mostly by working with Democrats who would like nothing better than to see the Republican Party fall apart. Current Chairman Phil Ragusa has done an outstanding job of leading the Queens GOP into the 21st century, recruiting many new, talented young people into the organization and making possible wins like Dan Halloran, Peter Koo and Eric Ulrich in their races for City Council. Ragusa deserves Republican support and so does his slate in the leadership elections.
Robert Hornak is a Queens-based political consultant, blogger, and an active member of the Queens Republican Party.
