By Colin Campbell 3/14/12 8:01am

ferry's leaving soon

Mark Murphy (Photo: Facebook)

Clock Running Out for Other Democrats Seeking Grimm Challenge

Last night, the executive committee of the Staten Island Democratic Party met to make formal endorsements for all of the 2012 races touching their borough. And, as reported by the Staten Island Advance, only Mark Murphy, a former aide to Public Advocate Bill de Blasio, interviewed for their endorsement to take on freshman GOP Congressman Michael Grimm.

A slew of other potential candidates have seen their names floated for the seat, including former Congressman Michael McMahon, Assemblyman Michael Cusick, Councilwoman Debi Rose, Councilman Vinnie Gentile, former President of the Staten Island Democratic Association Richard Reichard, and more, but they were all either uninterested in the race or declined to pursue the endorsement of the largest Democratic organization in the district. Read More

By Colin Campbell 1:40pm

running for congress

Congressman Grimm (Photo: Facebook)

John Gangemi: I’m Likely to Challenge Congressman Grimm

The Democratic primary to taken on Republican Congressman Michael Grimm might get a bit more crowded.

John Gangemi, a former City Councilman, told Politicker he’s probably going to run for Congress. He said “thinking about the economy and what’s going in Washington,” informed his decision-making process.

“I’m likely, you can tell, can’t you?” he responded when asked about the odds he’ll pull the trigger and run. “I’m very excited about it.”

If he runs, Mr. Gangemi, a 73-year-old Brooklyn lawyer who’s also served as Assistant District Attorney and Assistant Attorney General, would face off against Mark Murphy, a former aide to Public Advocate Bill de Blasio who launched his campaign earlier this week. Mr. Gangemi was elected to the City Council as a Republican but said he switched political parties during his term. Read More