ELECTION DAY!

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There’s a Bunch of Elections Thursday, Which Ones Should You Care About?

It’s Election Day in New York next Thursday! But instead of a titanic battle between ideologies–your Mitt Romneys vs. Barack Obamas, if you will–the options on the ballot will be little-noticed state legislative contests between candidates of the same party, often with few policy differences.

However, that doesn’t mean that there aren’t some exciting races happening. From “Who Gets Arrested for Raping a Grandmother?” to “Assemblywoman Caught Up in Sex Scandal with Two Young Men,” there’s been no shortage of nasty drama and mud slinging as voters head to the polls.

Here’s a breakdown of who’s running and why it might matter who wins. The list below focuses on Democratic races because the few Republican primaries in this staunchly blue city tend to have clear favorites or are taking place in such Democratic territory that the victor is reasonably likely to be irrelevant. Read More

State Senate

(photo: jasonotano.com)

Jason Otaño Launching Campaign Against Martin Dilan Next Week

Jason Otaño, currently the General Counsel to Brooklyn Borough President Marty Markowitz, will launch his state senate campaign against Martin Dilan next Thursday with the backing of Congresswoman Nydia Velázquez and Councilwoman Diana Reyna. The move sets up yet another match between the county’s Democratic organization, led by Assemblyman Vito Lopez, and those who oppose his rule.

This reoccurring theme most recently played out when Mr. Dilan’s son Erik challenged Ms. Velázquez, resulting in an election last week where he was soundly beaten. Ms. Velázquez performed well even in Dilan territory, which surely emboldened Mr. Otaño and his supporters. However, defeating an incumbent is never an easy task, and he starts out as the underdog in the race. Read More

brooklyn

Towns

Smaller Towns Takes On The Big Borough

Ed Towns didn’t bother to show up at the Stars and Stripes Regular Democratic Club in Bensonhurst on a drizzly Wednesday night last week, when party leaders gathered at the Brooklyn storefront to snack on pizza and doughnuts and decide whether to welcome him into their ranks.

He sent an aide instead, who gamely passed Read More