By Colin Campbell 3/15/12 10:38pm

replacing gary

US-Israeli citizen accused of spying in

Grace Meng, Tony Avella Indicate Interest in Ackerman Seat

Only hours after Congressman Gary Ackerman indicated he was no longer seeking reelection, possible new candidates have already started showing interest in the Queens district he was previously running in.

In a statement sent out tonight, Assemblywoman Grace Meng, who is the only Asian-American elected official in Albany, made sure to note the new district where Mr. Ackerman was campaigning is plurality Asian and indirectly suggested she would be inclined to run if she received the Democratic establishment’s backing.

“This new congressional district is heavily Asian, and I will be sitting down with our Queens Democratic Organization Chairman, Congressman Joseph Crowley, our community leaders and activists to discuss how the coming months may shape out,” she said, while praising Mr. Ackerman. Read More

By Colin Campbell 3/01/12 9:02am

NY-9

Rory Lancman (Photo: Facebook)

Rory Lancman on Same-Sex Marriage and His Congressional Campaign

Queens Democratic Assemblyman Rory Lancman, a candidate against GOP Congressman Bob Turner, recently gave an interview to Jake Stern Radio Show of Yeshiva World News, and had a rather cute answer when pressed on his vote for gay marriage.

“Do you morally feel there is nothing wrong with same-gender marriage?” the interviewer asked. “If your son came to you, and said ‘Dad, I want to have this ‘same-gender marriage.’ Would you have no objection, would he have your blessing?”

“First I’d have to ask if the guy’s Jewish,” Mr. Lancman joked, pausing before saying he’d like any child to have the same rights and opportunities as other children. Read More

By Colin Campbell 2/15/12 1:35pm

the return of weprin

David Weprin (Photo: Facebook)

David Weprin: Not Ruling Out a Rematch Against Turner

Buried in a Jewish Week story on Israel potentially being a campaign issue during  Congressman Bob Turner’s reelection campaign, Mr. Turner’s former Democratic opponent from his special election last summer, Assemblyman David Weprin, said he might run again against Mr. Turner.

Mr. Weprin said in a Tuesday interview with the publication that he hadn’t “ruled anything in or out” regarding such a campaign. ”I do have the name recognition, although I would do certain things differently if I was going to run again.” Read More

By David Freedlander 9/15/11 12:44pm

NY-9

*Mar 21 - 00:05*

After Weprin Debacle, Parkside Plugs Its Victories

In the blame game going around Democratic circles in the wake of the loss of Anthony Weiner’s old Congressional seat, most of the finger-pointing has been directed toward Queens Democratic Party boss Joe Crowley and his hand-picked candidate, David Weprin.

But the masterminds behind the Weprin campaign–Democratic political consultants The Parkside Group– have been in for a little blame as well, since they managed to lose one of the most closely watched races in the nation  despite a 3-1 registration advantage.

So how are they handling the ignominy? By sending out a press release touting their victories, of course: Read More

By David Freedlander 9/14/11 12:52pm

NY-9

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Why Bob Turner Won

The finish line for political races is always the same, but the starting line is not. In the race to replace Anthony Weiner in the Congressional seat covering parts of Queens and Brooklyn, Democratic Assembly David Weprin began several paces ahead of his Republican opponent, retired businessman Bob Turner.  For one thing, Democrats outnumber Republicans three–to-one. For another, Mr. Weprin has one of the most famous names in Queens politics–his father, Saul was a former speaker of the Assembly. And finally, the machinery to win low-turnout elections–the labor unions and local political machines that actually get people to the polls–skews almost entirely to Mr. Weprin’s side. Read More

By David Freedlander 9/14/11 10:48am

NY-9

Weprin Concedes

David Weprin just sent out a statement announcing that he called Bob Turner and conceded the race for the 9th Congressional district.

I just called Bob Turner to congratulate him on a well-fought campaign.  He will now have the honor of representing Brooklyn and Queens in Congress, and I hope that he will work every day to represent all of the diverse communities that make up the 9th Congressional district. Read More

By David Freedlander 9/06/11 1:37pm

NY-9

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Joe Crowley: We Must Immediately Raise $25K for David Weprin

Joe Crowley is both the head of the Queens Democratic Party and the finance chairman of the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee, and he was wearing both hats this afternoon when he sent out in urgent mailer asking for donations to help David Weprin’s congressional campaign.

[Republican Bob Turner] is a radical right-winger ready to fight alongside John Boehner and the tea party. He has promised to push for drastic budget cuts and is even on record as rejecting the Republican’s budget and plan to end Medicare because it did not go far enough,” wrote Mr. Crowley in a DCCC email. “The election is just one week from today. We must immediately raise $25,000 in rapid response funds to help David fight Republican attacks in these final days.” Read More

By David Freedlander 9/06/11 11:18am

NY-9

Dem Mailer Whacks Turner on Zadroga, Cuts to Seniors

A Democratic source passed along the following mailer going out to homes in the Ninth Congressional District that takes aim at Bob Turner for comment he made to the editorial boards of the New York Daily News and The New York Post.

On on side is pictured a retiree and on the other a firefighter, and the mailer warns that “Tea Party Bob Turner” is an extremist who wants to cut social security and Medicare benefits and deny 9/11 first responders health benefits in order to protect “tax breaks for the ultra-rich.”

Both The Daily News and The Post endorsed Mr. Turner, and so the ad seems at least partly designed to neutralize those endorsements by using Mr. Turner’s words to the papers against them.

Take a look: Read More