Tag: New York

Another day, another big endorsement for Jon Powers.

Today, the Powers campaign announced that former U.S. Senator and 9/11 Commission member Bob Kerrey has endorsed Jon Powers in his race for Tom Reynolds’ seat in New York’s 26th congressional district:

“With the utter lack of accountability we’ve seen in Washington these past several years, Congress desperately needs more leaders like Jon Powers, “Kerrey said. “I’m endorsing Jon Powers for Congress because he leads by example, calls things as he sees them, and is dedicated to getting things done.”

“Throughout his exemplary service in the US Army, Jon Powers was recognized for his ability to solve difficult problems and achieve real results,” said Kerrey. “These days, it’s disappointingly rare when any of us can say the same of Congress or the federal government.”

“Especially in times like these, Washington needs – and New York will benefit from – Jon Powers’ refreshing style of leadership-by-example.”

More on the flip.

This comes nearly the same day as a story about Jack Davis was in the Buffalo News. Apparently, Davis is seriously considering a third run for the 26th district:

While many observers had expected Davis to bypass a third run at Reynolds, his consideration of another campaign looms as a major development in an increasingly crowded race. Iraq War veteran Jonathan Powers has been organizing a Democratic candidacy since early 2007, while Buffalo attorney Alice J. Kryzan has also been raising money and solidifying support.

Davis said he is aware of his two possible opponents in a Democratic primary but said he has no doubt that his considerable wealth would enable him to defeat both.

“If he wants to run a primary against me, it’s a free country,” he said of Powers. “But I don’t think I will have any trouble beating him.”

A few things here.

(1) Davis is essentially saying that he can beat Powers and Alice Kryzan with his pocketbook. This is true: He does have more money than these two. But his only problem is that he doesn’t campaign. In talking with members of the Davis team in 2006, Davis refused to get out and work. He didn’t go door-to-door and he certainly didn’t visit the rural counties.

(2) Anyone who knows anything about Western New York politics knows that Len Lenihan is self-serving and only cares about one thing: Len Lenihan. He made quite a reputation for himself with the rural counties in WNY when he (and the Erie County Republican chair) made the decision on who would run for State Supreme Court in the 8th Judicial District. The problem? There’s eight counties in this JD. So one county (one large county, I might add) made the decision for the other seven.

(3) Over the next seven days, I will have seen Jon Powers more than I ever saw Jack Davis (or Alice Kryzan for that matter). Jon is accessible. Jack Davis was never that way. I made three trips to Davis’s factory in Akron, NY and never saw him once. To be specific, I’ve never met Jack Davis.

Jon has worked hard – very hard. This is how I view the race:

Powers: He’s accessible and he’s truly campaigning. He’s raising money locally and nationally and he reaches out to the rural counties. He didn’t get the rural endorsements from Genesee and Orleans counties because he just sat in Erie County for the past six months. He got those endorsements because he visits regularly. He will be at a local Powers for Congress house party and I will be attending a fundraiser for Jon next Wednesday.

Kryzan: Two things that really turned me off with Kryzan from the start. She defended Hooker/Occidental Chemical in the “Love Canal” debacle and she contributed $250 to Tom Reynolds in 2000. Game. Set. Match.

Davis: Okay, he has a lot of money… but that’s all he’s got. He’s not a progressive. The story is that he turned Democrat because he was angry after not being able to meet Dick Cheney. I don’t know how true that is, but it would fit. He is, at best, a moderate Democrat. What he really is is a disgruntled Republican just looking to run on the other party’s line.

The 26th will be a madhouse. I thought we were supposed to be putting the best candidate forward to beat Tom Reynolds?  

Here in New York’s 26th congressional district, we have two interesting races developing: A Democratic primary which will decide who gets the right (and/or privilege) to challenge Rep. Tom Reynolds in the 2008 elections.

Those of you who attended YearlyKos know that Iraq War Veteran Jon Powers is one Democratic candidate. I met Jon at the Orleans County Democratic Party picnic in July. I conducted an interview with him at the time for the Journal-Register. It was at that time that I extended my hand and told him that I wanted to work on his campaign.

Powers declared in June and has since traveled throughout the 26th congressional district spreading his message to people. Thanks to his hard work, he already has netted two local endorsements plus a huge national endorsement.  

ENDORSEMENTS

This week, Powers received two local Democratic Committee endorsements. First, on Tuesday, he received the Genesee County Democratic Committee endorsement.

Genesee County Democratic chair Charlie Mallow said of Powers: “I have no doubt that Jon is the most qualified candidate in this race, and the only candidate that is in touch with issues that are important to voters in rural based counties such as ours.”

Then on Wednesday night, Powers visited Orleans County where he was endorsed by the Orleans County Democratic Committee. (NOTE: I am a Democrat in Orleans County. Oddly enough, at the same meeting I was appointed to the Town of Ridgeway Democratic Committee. The Democrats in Orleans County will continue to support Jon and do everything we can to get him elected.)

(Pictured, from left: Orleans County legislator-elect Gary Kent, 26th congressional district candidate Jon Powers, Orleans County Democratic Party chair Sally Rytlewski and former Legislature candidate and newspaper columnist Thom Jennings.)

Orleans County Democratic chairwoman Sally Rytlewski said of Jon: “I’m convinced that Jon Powers will bring a new kind of leadership to Washington,” said Rytlewski in reference to the endorsement. “The career politicians have failed to do the job. The only way for everyday people to bring about change in Washington is by changing who we’re sending to Washington.”

Last month, the Powers campaign announced that General Wesley Clark had endorsed Powers in the 26th district. This is a huge national endorsement for Jon and should say a lot about Jon and the company he keeps. Gen. Clark is an admirable figure and perhaps the smartest military man of our time.

(Pictured, from left: General Wesley Clark with Iraq War Veteran and Democratic candidate in the 26th district, Jon Powers.)

PRIMARY CHALLENGERS

When Jon declared in June, he was all by himself. Jack Davis, who ran against Reynolds twice (2004 and 2006), wasn’t in the race. No one else was in the race either.

Then, Alice Kryzan entered the race. Kryzan (pronounced CRY-ZEN), is an environmental lawyer who is running on such a platform. She associated herself with the local StepItUp group and is pushing for changes in climate change and using alternative energy sources to improve the local economy in Western New York.

But Kryzan also has some “skeletons in her closet,” so to speak. As acknowledged in a recent Buffalo News article about her candidacy, Kryzan defended Occidental Chemical and Hooker Chemical in the Love Canal disaster. In fact, in a 1998 article about a conference held regarding Love Canal, Kryzan was quoted as saying the Occidental and Hooker waste-disposal policies  “were entirely legal and well-ahead of the industry standards of the times.” She also called the Love Canal situation “hysteria” later on.

The other “skeleton,” is the fact that in 2000, she contributed $250 to the Tom Reynolds campaign. (Note: She will be the forth name down in that link.) The question many of us are asking is why, in 2000, did she think he was deserving of her money but here in 2008, she wants to replace him as our representative?

There is also a possibility that the aforementioned Jack Davis may enter the race as well. He has said that in early 2008, he will make a decision. If he enters the race, Davis would have the money (he’s a millionaire) to run a primary and general election campaign. The downside to Davis is that he doesn’t campaign and people don’t really get to know him. He also is a single issue (trade) candidate who was pretty similar to Reynolds when it came to other issues.

If you’re a progressive, Powers is your candidate.

TOM REYNOLDS

Reynolds is a flawed (and beaten) candidate. In 2006, Jack Davis could’ve (and perhaps should’ve) won against Reynolds. Reynolds had the Mark Foley scandal, which really hurt him locally. Davis was also hitting him hard on trade issues, since Reynolds is a free trader.

Reynolds has given people a strong case not to vote for him in 2008. Without fail, Reynolds voted against the State Childrens Health Insurance Program (SCHIP) three times. He also voted against the Employment Non-Discrimination Act of 2007, which prevents discrimination in the workplace based on your sexual orientation. Most recently, he voted against the energy bill put forth by the Democrats, even though he tells people on his website how to save energy!

Reynolds has served this district since 2003. In that time, he has had a very Republican voting record and has voted with the Republicans 91.7 percent of the time in this Congress.

WHY POWERS?

If you’re a progressive, Powers is a no brainer. He is an Iraq War veteran, he’s in touch with the netroots (he told me he wants to get a meeting of all the local bloggers so that we’re all in contact with each other, if we aren’t already) and he is a multi-issue candidate. It would be easy for Jon to be a single issue (Iraq) candidate, but he’s not. When Jon came online and conducted a Blue America chat on FireDogLake, he answered questions about alternative energy, health care, jobs and the economy, etc. In his first response in that chat , Jon said the following:

Thank you so much having me. I am excited to be here as I fully believe the netroots are returning our government to what Abe Lincoln explained as “of the people, by the people and for the people.”

Then, in his second response, he showed how versatile he is:

howieklein @ 6

Jon, welcome to FDL. It’s an honor to have you here. Can you tell us how you would have been different on specific votes than Tom Reynolds?

There are many votes that I would have voted differently than Tom Reynolds as he has voted with George Bush over 90% of the time. Reynolds for the pharmaceutical companies on reimportation of prescription drugs and he also voted against bulk rates for Medicare. Obviously we also stand on different ends of the spectrum over Iraq.

Powers won’t be the guy who is only an Iraq War candidate. He certainly has a lot to say about that issue, since he has seen it for himself, but he also has a lot to say about local and national issues that are affecting us.

Powers is the best candidate we could’ve dreamed of in New York’s 26th. He has been a superb fundraiser, but still could use your help. Club 26 is a group where if you pledge $26 per month until November 2008, you get the chance to take part in monthly conference calls and you get special campaign updates. You can join Club 26 here. If you don’t have deep pockets and want to pledge $5 or $10, go here to contribute.

Jon Powers will be a truly progressive candidate who will represent the ideals of the netroots very well in Congress. Please support him by contributing money to his campaign or by throwing your support behind his candidacy. He will need it for the primary and general elections next year.  

The GOP continues to hit brick walls when it comes to House recruitment.

First, uber-wealthy businessman Andrew Saul aborted his bid to topple frosh Dem Rep. John Hall after some light was shed on some very shady donations to his campaign.  Now, former Assemblyman Howard Mills, a moderate Republican who some thought could wage a competitive campaign, says that Team Red can count him out.

Just a wild guess: Mills probably didn’t want to be associated with the troglodytes in the House GOP caucus.

(H/T: The Albany Project)

Wow, this would be huge:

Multiple sources in Western New York politics have confirmed that there is a strong possibility that Cong. Tom Reynolds (R-Erie) will not run for a sixth term next year, opening up a race for the seat by State Sen. George Maziarz (R-Niagara), thus placing Maziarz’ seat up for grabs.

Rumors of a potential Reynolds departure and a Maziarz play for a congressional seat have been flying around political circles in Buffalo and Niagara Falls for months, though Reynolds spokesman L.D. Platt denies the rumors and says the congressman will run again.

Tom Reynolds?  He wasn’t even on the watch list!  I suppose barely winning a House race against a total crank last year amid news that he covered up for Mark Foley, all while losing the House under his tenure at the NRCC could be enough to seriously take the wind out of his sails.

This seat leans Republican on the Presidential level, with a PVI of R+3.5, but Democrats already have a challenger ready to go, Iraq Vet Jon Powers.  With Reynolds out of the picture, Powers would have an immediate (if perhaps temporary) fundraising advantage over the GOP successor, and spread the NRCC’s defenses even thinner.

Stay tuned.

(H/T: The Albany Project)

At first glance, of the three House Democratic freshmen from New York, Kirsten Gillibrand might seem like a compelling target for Republicans.  Her district, New York’s 20th, delivered its votes to Bush by an 8-point margin in 2004, and by 7 points in 2000.  And, with an advantage of over 80,000 voters in 2006, the 20th district has one of the most favorable voter registration balances for Republicans in New York.  However, as we’ve all seen for over 20 years (the last six especially), the definition of “Republican” has changed, and many of this district’s voters are in the midst of a fundamental identity change.

Politicians like Kirsten are at the forefront of this shift, and she has already made all the right moves to put herself in the strongest possible position for her first re-election campaign after defeating the scandal-plagued John Sweeney last November.  Aside from raising a very impressive $668,000 in the first quarter of 2007, she’s also been very successful in making headlines for all the right reasons: namely, an incredibly energetic delivery of services to her constituents.  Just take this remarkable letter to the editor in the Albany Times-Union, written by a former Sweeney aide.  Allow me to reproduce it in full, because it really captures the essence of the 20th’s new Democratic (big-d and small-d) representation:

As a former aide to John Sweeney while he was in the Pataki administration, I must say what a tremendous job Kirsten Gillibrand is doing. She is the most accessible politician in the region. Every weekend, she is somewhere in the 20th Congressional District, letting us know exactly where she stands on issues and why, which is a refreshing change. I’m sure we all have stories about experiences we have had dealing with Rep. Gillibrand, but I feel compelled to tell you about mine.

Last month, Rep. Gillibrand asked me to serve on her Veterans Advisory Committee. Being a veteran and still involved in politics, I decided to accept her invitation to a meeting at the State Military Museum in Saratoga Springs.

I figured I would see the usual political maneuver in which the politician walks through the room, shakes a couple of hands, gets a picture with a leading area vet, says how hard she is fighting for us in Washington and then is whisked out of the room, all in a matter of minutes.

What happened could not have been further from this. Rep. Gillibrand went to the podium, disconnected the microphone, walked to the vet seated nearest her, gave him the microphone, sat down, opened a notebook, got out a pen and asked, “What do you want me to do as your representative in Congress?” I have to tell you, I was astonished.

Rep. Gillibrand sat there for 2 1/2 hours, listening as we passed the microphone from person to person. She asked questions, gave opinions and answers, and took down personal contact information if she did not have an answer, promising to call us back.

Our district could not have asked for a better person to serve us. If she keeps this up, she will be our representative for life.

GREG MIHALKO

Stephentown

Yep, public service like that sure beats Sweeney’s frat boy antics of years past.

Race Tracker: NY-20

From a New York 1 poll:

In the General Election, New York remains a blue state with either Hillary Clinton or Barack Obama as the Democratic nominee. Hillary beats Rudy Giuliani by 14 points and John McCain by 16 points. Barack Obama beats Rudy Giuliani statewide by 6 points and defeats John McCain by 15 points.

Obama beating Giuliani is the most interesting thing to me. This deflates the notion that Rudy might carry New York State, especially when you consider that Hillary beats Obama 49-17 in a primary matchup. In other words, a Dem with low support among Dems (Obama) can still beat Saint Rudy.

There’s also this bit:

Mayor Michael Bloomberg is considered unlikely to enter the presidential race if the other formidable New Yorkers are the eventual nominees of their parties, and at 14% he hardly makes a dent in the support of either Hillary Clinton (46%) or Rudy Giuliani (32%) in a 3-way contest, and takes equally from both.

It’s that last line which jumps out at me, seeing as some recent polls have been touted showing Bloomberg pulling almost entirely from the GOP. However, there may be a local effect here, given that many NYC Democrats have gotten accustomed to pulling the lever for Bloomberg. Dems elsewhere might not be so inclined.

METHODOLOGY

This poll was conducted from April 4 through April 7, 2007, among 1,013 New York State registered voters, including 496 registered Democratic voters (with a margin of error of +/-4.5%); 274 registered Republicans (with a margin of error of +/-6%) and 500 New York City registered voters (with a margin of error of +/-4.5%).

Here’s the third Craig Johnson (D-WFP) for State Senate TV commercial.  Craig is running in a Feb 6 special election for an open New York State Senate seat in northwestern Nassau County.

Eliot Spitzer’s ad man Jimmy Siegel directed the ad; you can see Siegel’s first two ads for the Johnson campaign here and here.

In the ad, titled “How to Save,” five accountants from the Seventh Senate District take O’Connell to task for her record of raising taxes.

Be sure to read about the O’Connell audit scandal and sign up to be part of the Johnson campaign GOTV push!

6 days until Election Day!

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The ad features Certified Public Accountants Ellyn Sosin and Lenny Kreigel of New Hyde Park, Mitch Beckerman of Great Neck, Larry Greenstein of Port Washington and Accountant Stephen Goodman of Great Neck.

Here’s the full script:

TITLE: “How to Save”

TEXT:
Here’s what you need to know to save on taxes this year.

Maureen O’Connell voted to raise taxes and fees over 80 times–a product of the same Republican machine that almost brought Nassau County to its knees.

It might have happened, if Craig Johnson hadn’t jumped in, working with Tom Suozzi to create a remarkable financial turnaround.

Bringing Nassau back to fiscal health.

So, on February 6, you can vote for someone who raises taxes–

Or, vote for someone who will lower them.

SUPER: Vote Craig Johnson for State Senate.

Special Election, February 6th.

6 days until Election Day!

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Newsday, a leading Long Island paper, has delivered a major endorsement to Craig Johnson (D-WFP).  This is a big endorsement because Newsday is widely read and respected, and it’s the only daily on Long Island, so it’ll get in the hands of the people most likely to vote on their own in the special.  Newsday boils it down to this: “Newsday endorses Johnson, who was willing to take a tough vote as a Nassau legislator and will do so again in Albany.”

Craig Johnson is running in a Feb 6 special election for an open New York State Senate seat in northwestern Nassau County.

Here’s another key quote on Craig:

“In the end, the choice should go to the candidate not with the most powerful backers – including admirable ones like Spitzer – but the one with the best skills, experience and policies. That is Johnson.”

and I thought this one on O’Connell was telling:

“[i]n 2003, this page called one of her Assembly votes on the budget a profile in cowardice and cynicism. She tried to have her cake, by overturning a veto of school-aid cuts, and eat it too, by not being willing to pay for it with an income-tax surcharge.”

6 days until Election Day!

See the press release and more endorsements at the WFP Blog.

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Caveat: this excellent post was written by MBNYC. I’m posting it with his permission.

There have been a number of diaries posted here recently about a special election (and a related fundraiser/blograiser) scheduled to take place in New York’s Seventh Senatorial District on February 6th. The contenders are Craig Johnson, the Democrat, and Maureen O’Connell, a Republican. A Democratic win in this election is considered predictive of whether the state Senate will flip to the Democrats for the first time, essentially, since 1932. The state Senate, which Theodore Roosevelt quipped was ‘constitutionally Republican’, is colloquially known here as ‘the place where good legislation goes to die’.

More after the jump….

The question that must present itself to people outside of New York State is this: what stake, if any, does someone in California or Michigan (for example) have in this race, and why should it matter to you that the Democrat wins?

There are several strategic reasons why this race is important, and why netroots interest and participation in the effort to elect Craig Johnson is critical.

New York Matters

New York State, the third-largest in the Union, matters. It matters because this state is the seat of a disproportionate share of Fortune 500 companies, who are subject – as former attorney general, and now governor, Eliot Spitzer proved – to the regulatory reach of our state government. The laws passed by the New York State legislature directly affect how your bank handles your money, your retirement funds, your college savings account. These laws also affect the nation’s largest media companies, insurers, law firms, advertising agencies, hedge funds, mutual funds, and the glittering crown jewel at the heart of it all, the New York Stock Exchange. If you’re interested in a Progressive economic framework, this race matters to you, because the policies made here will very likely affect how you work, what you watch, and what you buy.

Eliot Spitzer Matters

New York’s new governor, Eliot Spitzer, is one of the bright shining stars of the new Progressive movement. Governor Spitzer’s stated goal, the one that he won 69% of the vote with, is the Progressive reform of New York State. There is a national component to that, one that Eliot raised during the campaign: just as the New Deal began here, New York can again serve as a huge Progressive laboratory to demonstrate to the rest of the country that Progressive government works. It’s worth noting that New York is the largest state with a Democratic governor, and that Republicans at the national level have a vested interest in seeing Eliot fail. Successful Progressive reform in New York is the greatest long-term strategic challenge to conservative dominance of the basic discussion of what government can do and should do. If you’re interested in that discussion, this race matters to you.

The Netroots Matter

Kos wrote a book on Crashing the Gate. In this state, the gates have been crashed. To put it very bluntly: not very many bloggers can call the Chair of their local state party whenever they see fit, or the Executive Director, and get those calls taken. I can. So can Lipris, so can NYBri. The point here is not to brag about influence, but to make a very simple observation: the New York State Democratic Party is listening to us, to you, and paying attention to our, your concerns. Your support is critical to making something work that’s never been tried before: an alliance between the established party, the grassroots, and the netroots. What’s happening in New York is unprecedented in scope and depth and, for want of a better term, intimacy. New York has a thriving local blogging scene, it should be mentioned, pioneered first on Liza Sabater’s The Daily Gotham, an infrastructure which is fully involved in this effort. If you believe in the transformative power of the Progressive netroots and grassroots, you have a stake in this alliance, and a stake in this fight.

The Issues Agenda Matters

Maureen O’Connell is one of those republicans that seem to pop up in unexpected places; on the one hand, they affect ‘moderation’, on the other, their voting record skews hard to the right. In her case, she’s strongly anti-choice, going so far as to vote for legislation that would jail abortion providers, a position which is deeply alien in this state. Unsurprisingly, she’s proven unwilling to debate on choice (or, for that matter, workers’ rights, also an area in which she’s anything but moderate). Her web site mentions neither issue. Considering that New York has the most liberal laws in the entire nation safeguarding a woman’s right to choose, making this a destination state for women constrained in their reproductive freedom elsewhere, if you care about a woman’s right to choose, this is your fight.

You Matter

We – myself, NYBri, Lipris, Liza, all the other New York Kossacks involved here, Eliot Spitzer, the New York blogs, the state party, the grassroots, everybody – want you involved in this fight. We’re asking for your support, not just because we need it, but because we want you on board. We want you to be able to go to your own state party, your own Democratic representatives, and say “This is happening in New York, and it works. Why not here?”

The state Dems, the grassroots, and the netroots are conducting several ambitious efforts to get Craig Johnson elected. If you’re in New York, your help is needed on the ground. Details are here and here.

If you’re outside of New York, you can take part in something very exciting that we’ve all put together: A blograiser for Craig Johnson we’re calling Raise New York. Modeled on NYBri’s own blograiser (in itself a sign of how things have changed in New York), the basic idea is to bring the fundraising power of the netroots to bear to elect Craig Johnson, who would, by the by, be NYBri’s colleague when the latter gets elected next year, and he will be.

Even if you can’t physically be there on February 1st, you can still take part, because we’re going to liveblog the thing on Dailykos, on The Albany Project, and on my own blog, The Daily Gotham. A special treat: it looks like that will be Eliot’s first direct engagement with the netroots, because he’s going to be there. We’re going to make this the most networked, most open, most on event we can, and get all those social networks we have here in New York – including ten of the top one hundred bloggers – into one physical or virtual space.

So here’s the closer: we need your help, because this is your fight, too, no matter where you live. Can we count on you?

Craig Johnson (D-WFP) has the momentum in the Feb 6 special election for an open New York State Senate seat in the Seventh Senate District in northwestern Nassau County.  Adding to his momentum, the New York Times has just endorsed Craig for State Senate:

The New York Times
Sunday, January 28, 2007
A State Senate Endorsement

The sudden vacancy in the 7th State Senate District has caused both parties to leap in with guns blazing.  When the Republican incumbent, Michael Balboni, quit to join the Spitzer administration as chief of homeland security, the race to succeed him became instantly negative and hugely expensive.

That’s because so much is at stake beyond just control of a single seat in northwest Nassau County – control of the Senate, for instance, where the Republican majority has been nearing the vanishing point, as well as the reform agenda of Gov. Eliot Spitzer, who broke with a tradition of gubernatorial nonaggression in such races to appear in an ad hailing the Democratic candidate, Craig Johnson, as an ally in the crusade to fix Albany.

Mr. Johnson, who was elected to the Nassau Legislature in 2000 after the death of the incumbent – his mother, Barbara – is challenging Maureen O’Connell, who became the Nassau County clerk a little over a year ago and now wants to return to Albany, where she served as an assemblywoman since 1998.  With very little time to campaign – the special election in Feb 6 – both sides are running at a frantic pace.

Their ads are studies in negativity, with Mr. Johnson’s campaign accusing Ms. O’Connell of being as anti-choice extremist on reproductive issues, and Ms. O’Connell running a preposterous spot showing a woman tied to railroad tracks about to mowed down by a train.  The train represents taxes, taxes, taxes, specifically the 19-percent increase that County Executive Thomas Suozzi pushed through the Legislature in his first term as part of his utterly sensible – and successful – effort to rescue Nassau’s finances from decades of Republican misrule.

Of the charges being burled back and forth over the airwaves, we find Mr. Johnson’s the more persuasive. Ms. O’Connell does have a troubling record on choice, having taken stands in Albany – like voting against as emergency contraception bill when it was in committee – that infringed on women’s reproductive rights.

Ms. O’Connell’s claims that Mr. Johnson’s taxing madman are, by contrast, unfounded.  The Suozzi tax plan he voted for was a prudent and responsible response to a fiscal mess. He has also assembled a credible record on other issues, including open space preservation.

The race is, though, about something larger – which is the reason the eyes of the whole state are on it.  Governor Spitzer will need the cooperation of the Republican-dominated State Senate if he is going to make progress on the ambitious reform agenda that he has laid out.  Mr. Johnson has vowed to be his ally in the coming battles, while Ms. O’Connell is likely to give reinforcement to the Albany status quo.

For voters who have hopes that Mr. Spitzer will succeed in fixing Albany, as we do, Mr. Johnson is the obvious choice.  We enthusiastically endorse him.

We can’t let up.  You can help.

Sign up to hear about daily volunteer opportunities.

The WFP is running the door-to-door and election day GOTV operation for the Johnson campaign.  Make a donation to help pay for the GOTV program.

Here’s the press release:

MOMENTUM BUILDS: NY TIMES ENDORSES CRAIG JOHNSON
Newspaper Challenges O’Connell’s Credibility on Taxes and Choice

Momentum is building for independent Democrat Craig Johnson’s campaign for State Senate as The New York Times endorsed Johnson over his right-wing Republican opponent, Maureen O’Connell.  An editorial in Sunday’s Timessays:

“Governor Spitzer will need the cooperation of the Republican-dominated State Senate if he is going to make progress on the ambitious reform agenda he has laid out. Mr. Johnson has vowed to be his ally in the coming battles, while Ms. O’Connell is likely to give reinforcement to the Albany status quo.

“For voters who have hopes that Mr. Spitzer will succeed in fixing Albany, as we do, Mr. Johnson is the obvious choice.  We enthusiastically endorse him.”

The Times editorial also debunks O’Connell’s campaign claims:

• Ms. O’Connell negative spot on Craig Johnson’s record on taxes is called “preposterous”
• “Ms. O’Connell claims that Mr. Johnson is a taxing madman are, bycontrast, unfounded”
• Ms. O’Connell, who has tried to deny an anti-choice voting record in the legislature has a record on reproductive health services that the Times calls “troubling”

The 7th Senate District encompasses the entire town of North Hempstead.  It also includes the communities of Elmont, Floral Park, South Floral Park, Stewart Manor, Bellerose, Franklin Square, and part of Hicksville.  Craig Johnson, a member of the Nassau County Legislature, is currently running for the open Senate seat as the Democratic and Working Families Parties candidate.

Johnson has also been endorsed by Governor Eliot Spitzer, U.S. Senator Charles E. Schumer, U.S. Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton, Lt. Governor David A. Paterson, Nassau County Executive Tom Suozzi, State Assemblyman Tom DiNapoli, People for the American Way, SEIU Local 32BJ, Communication Workers of America District 1, Retail, Wholesale and Department Store Union (RWDSU) and Union of Food and Commercial Workers, Local 1500.

10 days until Election Day!

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