State Senator Tony Avella recently announced his intent to seek re-election, but contenders vying for his 11th District seat plan on giving him a run for his money. Republican challenger Joseph Concannon has entered the race, while Elio Forcina — who ran for State Assembly in 2010 — said he’s “strongly considering” it. Concannon, a [...]
Members of the city council donned hoodies and stood on the steps of City Hall recently in a show of support to the family Trayvon Martin in the wake of the teen’s death. Around the country, residents — from lawmakers to citizens — have worn hooded sweatshirts to bring awareness to the shooting of the [...]
Recent redistricting may return one Long Island representative back to his childhood. Congressmember Steve Israel currently serves the state’s 2nd Congressional District, which is located entirely on Long Island. But come November, newly-redrawn lines mean portions of northeast Queens will be added to the district. For incumbent Israel, winning re-election would mean gaining a slice [...]
Councilmember Dan Halloran has officially joined the race to vie for the newly-redrawn 6th Congressional District seat. The Republican runner announced his intent to run on March 26 at Flushing’s Bowne Park. “I am running for Congress because the president and the Democrats’ policies have failed, and New Yorkers need a new voice,” Halloran said. [...]
U.S. Senator Kirsten Gillibrand recently picked up the endorsement of the New York State Democratic Committee for her try at re-election. The senator, whose term expires this year, is running for her first full six-year term. Vying for her seat, George Maragos — the current elected comptroller of Nassau County — gained the support of [...]
Following 15 terms in the House of Representatives, Congressmember Gary Ackerman has announced he will not run for re-election – providing an unanticipated conclusion to a 34-year political career. Ackerman decided not to seek a 16th term despite the likelihood that his seat would be spared under the Congressional redistricting process. His announcement has reportedly [...]
With his seat potentially KO’d, Congressmember Bob Turner has thrown his hat into a different ring. Turner, whose district was recommended for elimination as part of Magistrate Roanne Mann’s proposed congressional maps, announced on March 13 that he plans to run for Senate. The congressmember will seek both the Republican and Conservative nominations to challenge [...]
Republican City Councilmember Peter Koo rang in the Chinese New Year, the Year of the Dragon, by becoming Democrat City Councilmember Peter Koo. This might seem very appropriate as Dragons are said to be highly ambitious, driven and unafraid to take risks. That is good, because this just may be the biggest gamble of Koo’s [...]
BY CITY COUNCILMEMBER MARK WEPRIN The news that New York City students’ scores on the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) are basically flat may come as a blow to those who are still under the illusion that the Department of Education (DOE) has brilliantly revolutionized public education in recent years. But it is no [...]
When is a temporary measure, even with a set expiration date, not temporary? When it’s initiated by government, of course. How many times have we been confronted with the supposed risk of major calamity due to state and local government budget shortfalls? How many times were these supposed impending disasters staved off by “temporary” tax [...]
