This afternoon, Council Speaker Christine Quinn’s mayoral campaign officially announced Coney Island Councilman Domenic Recchia’s endorsement, presenting it as validation of her leadership in neighborhoods across the city that were devastated by Hurricane Sandy.
“I am thrilled to support her bid for Mayor,” Mr. Recchia said in a statement. Read More
Last year, Mark Murphy ran a sharply negative campaign against Staten Island Congressman Michael Grimm that focused on an ongoing federal investigation into the incumbent’s 2010 fundraising efforts. The drumbeat was relentless; Mr. Murphy held regular press conferences about the investigation, worked it into his everyday messaging and even sent out direct mail with a faux mugshot of Mr. Grimm’s face on it. Despite these intense attacks, Mr. Murphy went on to lose 46 percent to 53 percent to the Republican Mr. Grimm in a swing district narrowly carried by President Barack Obama.
Councilman Domenic Recchia, who is planning to take on Mr. Grimm next year, is charting a different course for his campaign.
“Listen, I don’t get involved with people’s private lives,” Mr. Recchia told us as we sat down outside his government office earlier today. “This is not about Michael Grimm and his personal life, what he might have done or might not have done. I don’t know. This is about myself running for Congress to support the people of Staten Island and southern Brooklyn so I can really help them.” Read More
The field for term-limited Councilman Domenic Recchia’s seat shrunk a little bit when redistricting recently forced at least one candidate to switch races, but politics abhors a vacuum and a new candidate has jumped into contention.
“Yes, I’m in,” Mark Treyger, a staffer for Assemblyman Bill Colton, told Politicker in a statement. “I’ll be formally announcing my candidacy for the New York City Council in the next several days.” Read More
In spite of the impact of Hurricane Sandy still being felt around the city, the New York City Marathon is still scheduled to proceed as planned on Sunday. However, you can now add Councilman Domenic Recchia to the growing list of critics who disagree with Mayor Michael Bloomberg’s contention the race won’t disrupt emergency workers from their vital post-storm duties. In a statement released a few minutes ago, Mr. Recchia, who represents Coney Island, Gravesend, Bensonhurst and Brighton Beach, which were all hit hard by the storm, called continuing with the marathon “just wrong.”
“To host the New York City Marathon in the middle of what is complete devastation and a crisis in parts of this City is just wrong. There are people in Coney Island, Sea Gate, and Brighton Beach who are without food, water, and electricity. This crisis is expected to continue through the weekend and into next week,” Mr. Recchia said. Read More
Coney Island, including its iconic amusement park and boardwalk, was hit incredibly hard by Hurricane Sandy along with the rest of Brooklyn’s southern coast. Politicker ventured into the area today, a journey that took us on sand-covered streets without working traffic lights, and saw broken rides and damage on Surf Avenue, which was flooded with waterthat reached a depth of at least four feet. Read More
Michael Treybich, an attorney and deputy legal director for the New York State Young Democrats, is looking more likely to formally enter the campaign for term-limited Councilman Domenic Recchia’s Council seat, at least if you believe a fundraising invite a reader forwarded to The Politicker.
“My good friend from law school, Michael Treybich is beginning what will be a historic political career, with a run for city council in 2013,” the email from fellow attorney Adam Roth begins. Read More
Mayor Michael Bloomberg revealed his preliminary budget plan for the final months of the current fiscal year and fiscal year 2013, which begins in July at City Hall today. While he touted the balanced 2013 budget that closed a $2 billion gap without tax increases, the mayor also warned of potential problems down the road if the pension system, which is not under city control, is not reformed.
“Right now, our pension system is fairly described as a ticking time bomb,” Mayor Bloomberg said. Read More
At last night’s State of the Borough address, Brooklyn Borough President Marty Markowitz took some time to reiterate his call for a new casino in the Coney Island neighborhood.
“I’m not talking about turning Coney Island into Atlantic City, that’s not what I’m not suggesting,” he said, before pivoting into one of his many jokes of the evening. “Although I look forward to setting my DVR to recording the smash HBO drama Coney Island Boardwalk Empire.” Read More
Two of the candidates vying to replace New York City Comptroller John Liu, who looks like to run for Mayor in 2013, will report raising hundreds of thousands of dollars for their campaigns at the close of the most recent filing period. This sets the stage for a spirited Democratic primary between two Councilmen seeking this citywide office.
Councilman Domenic Recchia, who’s term-limited out in 2013, reported raising over $275,000 with $540,000 in the bank, while Councilman Dan Garodnick sent out an email to supporters announcing $1,000,000 in total fundraising and $280,000 over the last six months. A source close to the Garodnick campaign said that his cash on hand will be about $940,000. Read More
The City Council’s powerful finance chairman — who is also one of the Council’s richest members — spent campaign cash to travel to Albany on the same day he conducted government business there, records show. Read More
