Say it ain't so, Joe. Our pal Joe Mondello is calling it quits as state GOP Chair.
After a meeting on Long Island on Friday with Rudolph W. Giuliani, the state Republican Party chairman, Joseph N. Mondello, has decided to call it quits, but he will remain chairman of the Nassau County Republican Party, a party official said Monday.
Mondello was pretty fantastic for Dems statewide. He became chair just in time to lose a special election in his own back yard, lost another special in a district that the GOP had held since the 1890's in the North Country, tried to avenge his loss in that first special by running a mayor of a village of 800 at the new incumbent (and got crushed), oversaw the loss of the last GOP power base in the state and then lost a special election NY-20 to a newcomer with zero name recognition. That was one hell of a streak, no?
If there is s silver lining in Joe's departure, it's that he will retain the Chair of the Nassau County GOP. Given the Dems newfound registration edge in Nassau and plenty of hot races from top to bottom there, this is quite a gift.
Oh, and this also probably means that Giuliani is definitely running for Gov next year as it appears that Rudy was the one pushing him hardest out the door.
There has been a lot of speculation about New York and redistricting come 2012. Some believe that my home congressional district, the 26th congressional district, could be a target. Others have discussed the possibility of some of the separate, gerrymandered districts.
Now comes word today that the 3rd congressional district might be a target during the redistricting process, which would be one way for Democrats to get rid of Republican Peter King.
A source close to Senate Majority Leader Malcolm Smith confirmed "serious discussions" between Democrats in New York and Washington are underway about King's district.
"It's an obvious choice because of the population of the area," he said.
Long Island was once a Republican stronghold, but it has been trending Democratic since the last census.
The GOP still has a 46,072-voter enrollment edge in King's 3rd Congressional District, which includes parts of Nassau and Suffolk counties.
The number of Democrats has grown faster since the last redistricting, with 16,843 voters added to their ranks since 2001, compared with the Republicans' 1,336.
King isn't concerned about being on the Democratic hit list.
"This is dream talk," he said. "It's three years from now. I don't know if I'll even be alive."
It will be interesting to see what approach the Democrats take when it comes to redistricting. King is probably the most safe of the three Republicans that are still serving in the House of Representatives from New York. Targeting him makes sense, but how you would split up his district is a tougher question.
We all knew Tom Suozzi was running for re-election as Nassau County Executive, but he is having his formal announcement celebration at the EAB/RXR plaza tonight at 6:30:
Suozzi has been a transformational figure on Long Island over the past 8 years, being a major cause for the Democratic-enrollment edge achieved in Nassau County last year, which is a testament to the way he led Nassau out of its own local disaster that decades of Republican rule left it with in 2001. (Talk about leading a national trend.)
So if you can make it to the announcement tonight, I'm sure it will be worth your while.
In all the talk of Upstate secession, I hadn't heard that there was a push - even "bills... introduced" for Long Island to secede. I'd figured they were just kind of stuck, but some Long Islanders don't see it that way. (It breaks one of my Upstate 2050 pieces, sort of.)
The New York State Senate held its first stimulus package town hall meeting in Queens on Thursday. Yesterday, another town hall meeting was held on Long Island to educate the public and answer questions regarding the stimulus package and its impact on their locales.
It should be noted that Senate Majority Leader Malcolm Smith helped host the first two town halls in Queens and Long Island. He will do the same in Rochester on March 26, according to his office.
If you are interested in attending, you can RSVP through Senate Majority Leader Smith's office by calling (212) 298-5585 or by using the form on the Federal Stimulus Package town hall forum website.
The number of newly started foreclosure cases on Long Island jumped 54 percent last month from January, although the number of actual lender repossessions of homes continued to fall, according to RealtyTrac, an online marketer of foreclosures.
Long Island had 933 new cases - 607 in Suffolk and 326 in Nassau - compared with 606 in January, the report showed. The rate of new February cases shows Long Island is almost back to where it was a year ago, when lenders opened foreclosure proceedings on 999 homes, according to the data.
In total, Long Island's foreclosure-related filings, from auction notices to repossessions, grew by 26 percent last month from January, the company said. That was more than the nationwide average increase of almost 6 percent, RealtyTrac reported.
Skelos and crew dropped more than $800,000* on Barbara Donno's bid against Sen. Craig Johnson (D-Port Washington). She lost Plandome Manor, where she's mayor, early tallies say.
I'm sure Frank Padavan thanks you, Senator Skelos.
The new Siena Polls are hot off the presses an things look pretty good for Dems across the state. In fact, if these numbers are correct and the election wre held today, the GOP would lose it's Senate majority.
The biggest numbers to pop out is the lead Brian Foley has over Caesar Trunzo (R-FL) and the huge comeback by incumbent Dem Bill Stachowski. Foley leads Trunzo by a whopping 22 points and Stachowski has turned a 13 point deficit into a 4 point lead.
A rundown:
3rd SD - Suffolk County - Caesar Trunzo (R, incumbent) vs. Brian Foley (D)
Foley has a 56-34 percent lead over Trunzo. Trunzo led 46-40 percent in the previous Siena New York Poll. While Foley has picked up a little more support among Democrats, he has cut Trunzo's lead among Republican voters to 53-39 percent, down dramatically from 71-16 percent. Additionally, Foley has opened up a 63-27 percent lead among independent voters, up from 43-40 percent previously.
Foley has expanded a two-point lead in Brookhaven to a 12-point lead, and reversed 12-point deficit in Islip and turned it into 30-point lead. Where Trunzo had a nine-point lead among voters 55-years of age and older, Foley now leads with those voters 52-40 percent. Foley leads by 13 points with men and 30 points with women. The only demographic group in which Trunzo leads is among Republicans.
If Foley leads by even 10 points in Trunzo's Islip backyard, this thing is over. The poll shows a 30 point lead. And before the GOoPs start screaming about the poll sample, look at the Obama/McCain numbers. They are essentially dead even. It's not like they are only polling Dems.
6th SD - Nassau County - Kemp Hannon (R, incumbent) vs. Kristen McElroy (D)
Hannon has a commanding 56-30 percent lead, in a district that is virtually evenly enrolled between Republicans and Democrats. Hannon has the support of 80 percent of Republicans and picks up the support of nearly one-third of Democrats. McElroy only wins among Democrats 55-32 percent, while only attracting support from 10 percent of Republicans. Hannon leads among independent voters 56-21 percent.
McElroy leads among young voters and those in the Council District 1 section of the Hempstead portion of the Senate district. However, Hannon has much bigger leads in the remainder of the district and has better than 60 percent among voters who are at least 35-years old.
Ouch. Got some work to do here.
15th SD - Queens County - Serph Maltese (R, incumbent) vs. Joseph Addabbo, Jr. (D)
Addabbo currently has a slim 45-43 percent lead over Maltese. In the September Siena poll, the two were tied at 42 percent, in this district that has an overwhelmingly Democratic enrollment edge. Maltese has the support of more than three-quarters of Republicans and one-quarter of Democrats. Addabbo leads 61-27 percent among Democrats and picks up the support of 20 percent of Republicans. Maltese leads among independent voters 51-31 percent. Maltese leads by four points with men, while Addabbo has a seven-point lead with women. Addabbo leads in the southern part of the district and Maltese leads in the north.
Maltese is viewed favorably by 45 percent of voters and unfavorably by 33 percent of voters, down from a 48-16 percent favorable rating previously. Addabbo's favorable rating is 42-30 percent, and was previously 38-20 percent.
Obama leads McCain in this district 57-32 percent, up from 49-31 percent.
48th SD - Oswego/Jefferson/St. Lawrence - Darrel Aubertine (D, incumbent) vs. David Renzi (R)
Aubertine, who had a 51-31 percent lead over Renzi in the last poll, has seen that lead drop to 49-38 percent. Aubertine has the support of nearly three-quarters of Democrats and more than one-third of Republicans in this district with a heavy Republican enrollment edge. Renzi leads 57-35 percent with Republicans, up from 41-37 percent previously, and only gets 13 percent of Democrats. Aubertine is winning among independent voters 49-34 percent, up from 41-37 percent previously. While Renzi has erased a 20-point Aubertine lead in Oswego County, and now leads there 44-37 percent, Aubertine has widened his leads in Jefferson (25 points, up from 16) and St. Lawrence (30 points, up from 27) Counties.
Aubertine is viewed favorably by 54 percent of voters and unfavorably by 31 percent of voters, down from 58-21 percent previously. Renzi has a 40-35 percent favorability rating; previously it was 34-15 percent.
Aubertine is going to fine.
58th SD - Erie County - William Stachowski (D, incumbent) vs. Dennis Delano (R)
Stachowski now has a 47-43 percent lead over Delano, after trailing 49-36 percent in the previous Siena poll in this district where Democrats have a better than two-to-one enrollment edge. Stachowski has increased his lead among Democrats to 62-30 percent (up from 51-34 percent). Delano maintains a 63-25 percent lead among Republicans (virtually unchanged from 64-23 percent) and has seen his lead among independent voters fall to 54-36 percent, down from 67-19 percent.
Whereas Delano led in all three sections of the district previously, Stachowski now leads 47-37 percent in Buffalo/Lackawanna, 48-45 percent in Cheektowaga, and 47-44 percent in the southern suburbs. Stachowski has a 12-point lead with men, while Delano has a two-point lead with women. Delano has a significant lead with Protestants. Stachowski leads with Catholics, and has a big lead among younger voters.
Stachowski has a 50-31 percent favorable rating. It had been 39-14 percent. Delano's favorable rating, 53-33 percent, is down from 63-15 percent. Delano continues to have a positive favorable rating with voters of every party, while Stachowski has increased his favorability among Democrats but lost ground with independent voters and saw his favorability among Republicans drop from 35-12 percent to 29-50 percent.
More than half of voters would like to see the Senate controlled by Democrats, and Obama has opened 55-37 percent lead over McCain, up from 45-41 percent previously.
"Senator Stachowski has turned this race around. In four weeks he has erased a 13-point deficit and turned it into a tight four-point lead. Where Delano previously had a much better favorable rating with voters, the two are now viewed by voters in virtually the same light. We will have to wait until Election Day to see if Stachowski continues his momentum to win re-election, or if Delano can turn this race back around again and defeat a 27-year incumbent in this overwhelmingly Democratic district," Greenberg said.
Stach is back. That's what a comeback looks like. I guess the more folks learn about Delano, the less they like what they see. Also, this one of those races that an Obama wave could seriously affect. If that wave reaches Buffalo, Stachowski could end up blowing Delano right out of the water.
61st SD - Erie and Genesee Counties - Michael Ranzenhofer (R) vs. Joseph Mesi (D)
Ranzenhofer has a 47-42 percent lead over Mesi, who had a slimmer 40-38 percent lead in the previous Siena poll, in this district where Republicans have a very small enrollment edge over Democrats. Ranzenhofer leads among Republicans 69-25 percent, up from 59-21 percent. Mesi leads among Democrats 62-29 percent, closer than the previous 63-19 percent. Mesi leads among independent voters 42-37 percent, although Ranzenhofer closed the gap from 43-28 percent. Mesi leads in Tonawanda by seven points (down from 10). Ranzenhofer leads in the Clarence/Newstead/Genesee County portions of the district by 15 points (up from two points), and in Amherst by three points (up a tick from two points).
Ranzenhofer has a 47-26 percent favorable rating, compared to 35-12 percent previously. Mesi's favorable rating is 46-37 percent, compared to 45-18 percent in the previous Siena poll.
While the race has shifted seven points from Mesi to Ranzenhofer, a reverse trend occurred on the question of who voters support to control the Senate. Previously, voters supported Republican control by a 44-38 percent margin, while now a slim plurality, 43-41 percent, support Democratic control. The presidential race also flipped, with McCain's 45-40 percent lead now becoming a 51-42 percent lead for Obama.
"This district is close in enrollment between Republicans and Democrats. The voters are close in their view on which party should control the Senate. The voters have switched their support from McCain to Obama over the last few weeks. And a small Mesi lead has turned into a slightly wider Ranzenhofer lead. Which party's voters turn out in larger numbers on Tuesday may well determine the outcome of this race. Either way, it figures to be a late night as the votes get counted in this race," Greenberg said.
This one may very well come down to Obama's GOTV operation as well. If his voters show in force, I think Mesi wins this thing. Mesi likes to remind folks that he is undefeated. If the Obama wave does indeed materialize in the manner that it appears to be, he'll be able to call himself undefeated still. Give him a hand.
Days after the campaign of Kemp Hannon began airing a truly misleading and dishonest ad using my heavily edited video to twist the words of challenger Kristen McElroy to make it appear that she was saying something that she most certainly wasn't, the McElroy campaign is going up with this rather simple ad in response:
The script:
My opponent Kemp Hannon is running a negative ad asking who I am.
Well, I'm Kristen McElroy. I'm a working mother of three, and, with my husband, I grew up in Garden City and have lived there my whole life
I know first hand how hard it is these days to make ends meet on Long Island.
I know property taxes are just too high.
And I know we can do better.
So now, Mr. Hannon, you know who I am, and why I'm running for State Senate.
Simple and to the point. And yeah, I think they may be feeling the heat.
The fact that Caesar Trunzo (R-FL) hasn't spoken a word into the record of the New York State Senate in over two years has become, rightly, an issue in the tight race in SD-3. When Azi asked GOP spokesman Joe Conway about this, his answer didn't make a whole lot of sense:
When asked for comment, Joe Conway, director of communications for the New York State Senate Republican Campaign Committee, didn't dispute the idea that Trunzo hasn't spoken on the floor of the State Senate for two years. But he attacked Foley for attacking.
In an email, he said, "When Brian Foley isn't raising taxes on his constituents, he engages in desperate negative attacks like this. In contrast, Caesar Trunzo has been hard at work cutting taxes, creating jobs, and ensuring quality schools and health care for his constituents."
OK, so he has been a non entity on the floor of the Senate. He hasn't even spoken in over two freaking years, but he's "hard at work" doing a bunch of things that actually haven't come to pass. Taxes have not been cut, at least not the taxes that most concern the residents of the 3rd SD, namely property taxes. Those have gone up. Considerably. There's not a lot of job creation out in Suffolk County at the moment either. Trunzo's record on health care is an abomination and he's one of the top recipients of HMO money in the state.
And besides, does Trunzo work so hard in some sort of other "secret" Senate? If he's not speaking for years at a time in the job we pay him quite well to perform, where exactly is he doing all of this hard work?
How can a man who hasn't uttered an official word in years be said to be "hard at work" doing anything? That's a serious question.
The folks of the 3rd SD desperately need an advocate, someone who really is "hard at work" fighting on their behalf, and they need that advocate now more than ever. Caesar Trunzo is long past being able to do that effectively.
Attorney General Andrew Cuomo endorsed Brookhaven Town Supervisor Brian X. Foley today. From the campaign release:
Farmingville, NY - Attorney General Andrew Cuomo today endorsed Brian X. Foley for State Senate in his race against 36-year incumbent Caesar Trunzo. Cuomo's endorsement comes on the heels of other positive developments in Foley's campaign including endorsements from Senator Chuck Schumer, Senator Hillary Clinton and Governor David Paterson.
"I'm supporting Brian X. Foley for Senate because he will be a senator who puts working families' interests over special interests," said Attorney General Cuomo. "In these uncertain times, we need Brian's integrity and common-sense approach to government in Albany. He turned around Brookhaven, and I look forward to working with him to turn around our great State."
Thanks to endorsements like Cuomo's and wide-ranging support from voters, the Foley for Senate campaign is picking up crucial momentum heading into Election Day. Voters are concerned with Caesar Trunzo's record of supporting special interests over the needs of Suffolk families. Trunzo has voted against making insurance companies cover mammograms and cervical cancer screenings, despite Long Island having the highest rate of breast cancer in the country. He has crowned himself the King of Pork Barrel spending, bragging about using his pork barrel slush fund to secure support from voters, even as New York faces record budget deficits and the country confronts an economic crisis.
"We need a fighter who will stand up to special interests' influence," said Foley. "I am running for Senate so we can change the broken system in Albany and make our government work for working families right here in Suffolk County."
Yesterday, Foley also picked up the endorsement of Islip Supervisor, Phil Nolan. This i significant because Foley's power base is in Brookhaven while Trunzo's is very much centered in Islip. Such visible support from the other of the district's twin cities is a very good sign.
UPDATE: Andrew Cuomo is going to headline a "Rally for Change" for Brian Foley on Saturday:
Attorney General Andrew Cuomo to Headline Rally for Change with Brian X. Foley
Date: Saturday November 1, 2008
Time:
10:30 am
Location:
95 East Main St.
Patchogue, NY 11772
Who:
Attorney General Andrew Cuomo
Supervisor Brian X. Foley
Congressman Tim Bishop
Assemblywoman Patricia Eddington
Attorney General Andrew Cuomo will join State Senate Candidate Brian X. Foley, Congressman Tim Bishop, Assemblywoman Patricia Eddington and hundreds of local voters at a Rally for Change on Main St. Patchogue.
That Caesar Trunzo and the Senate GOP has been pretty good to the Wizards of Wall St should go without saying. What really should be more of an issue this year is just how good those same folks have been to their champions in the New York State Senate. The Brian Foley campaign seems to get that.
Caesar Trunzo (Hearts) Wall St Trunzo and Senate Republicans give Wall Street Billions, Take in $1 million in campaign cash
Senate Republicans in Albany have worked overtime since 2000 to help Wall Street banks, brokerage firms, and other financial institutions secure billions in special tax breaks and to weaken state oversight and regulation of banks.
And in return, Wall Street interests have made over a million dollars in campaign contributions to the central Senate Republican Campaign Committees. To date, Senate Republicans have spent $921,651 of that money on 36-year incumbent Caesar Trunzo's reelection campaign.
"Caesar Trunzo and the Senate Republicans have been working for Wall Street, and they've been paid handsomely," said Foley, who's locked in a statistical dead heat with Trunzo. "It's the same old Albany story - Wall Street got the special deals, and Trunzo and the Senate Republicans got the money."
...
A review of 26 key votes in the State Senate reveals that:
* Senate Republicans passed special-interest tax cuts and subsidies for Wall Street banks, securities firms, and insurance companies that added up to more than $3.4 billion over the last decade. Caesar Trunzo voted "Yes" on each of these giveaways. (7 key votes)
* On top of that, Senate Republicans passed laws to give big Wall Street banks and finance companies over two-and-a-half billion dollars in special every-year property tax cuts. Caesar Trunzo voted "Yes" on each measure. (6 key votes)
* And Senate Republicans voted thirteen separate times to protect their friends on Wall Street from the strong regulation that could have prevented the crisis we're in. Caesar Trunzo voted "Yes" on each measure. (13 key votes)
In return, Senate Republicans received $1,082,499.00 in campaign contributions from Wall Street banks and big financial companies since 2000. $921,651of that money trickled down to Trunzo's campaign through the Republican Senate Campaign Committee.
"Caesar Trunzo gave Wall Street banks a two-and-a-half billion dollar property tax cut when families right here in Suffolk County got massive property tax increases," said Foley. Trunzo and the Senate Republicans gave over three billion dollars in state subsidies to Wall Street while regular families saw health care, energy, and food prices go up and up."
While Trunzo was saying "Yes!" to every handout request and favor asked by his Wall Street pals, he was voting "No" on protecting the health of Suffolk families. Trunzo voted "No" on making insurance companies cover mammograms for Women, despite the fact that Long Island has the highest rate of breast cancer in the country. Trunzo even voted to allow chemical companies to conceal cancer causing sprays on our lawns and parks.
It's a compelling case to be made against Trunzo, but it's also a case that can be made against pretty much the entire GOP caucus in the Senate.
Kristen McElroy racks up a big one, New York's senior US Senator:
U.S. Senator Charles E. Schumer Endorses
Kristen McElroy for State Senate
(Plainview, NY)- On Sunday, October 26th, U.S. Senator Charles E. Schumer will announce his endorsement of Democratic State Senate candidate, Kristen McElroy (SD-6). Schumer, Chair of the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee, engineered Democrats successful effort to retake the U.S. Senate in 2006, bringing Democrats back in the majority of both houses of Congress for the first time in twelve years.
McElroy, challenging Republican Senate fixture Kemp Hannon, has steadily gained momentum throughout the campaign and is proud to receive the support of New York's senior senator, Schumer. Every election year, the same Republican politicians make the same empty promises to keep their jobs, but after failing to meet the needs of working families for nearly four decades, their chance is over. Honored to be joined on this day by Senator Schumer, Kristen McElroy is a new leader, committed to taking the state in a new direction- toward the real economic change we need to get New York working again.
Here's some more video of the debate between Caesar Trunzo (R-FL) and Brookhaven Town Supervisor Brain Foley. In this clip, Caesar begins by threatening his own constituents, an interesting tactic to say the least. Next, he asserts that all th folks he doles out your money to ar firmly behind him. He then unwittingly admits that member items are simply money that he can "give away" before immediately backtracking and saying that it's really about "helping communities." And then...he just pretty much falls apart. It's petty obvious that he loses his train of thought and doesn't quite know what the hell he's talking about anymore. The clip ends with this gem, delivered in a somewhat confused voice:
I've been doing my job. I enjoy my job. And people really...have...never criticized me for it. They've always been thankful for what I have done. I hear it everyday no matter when...no matter what day it might be.
