News

-A A +A

LOVETT: Donald Trump is Democrats’ new weapon in battle for control of New York Senate

Aug
29
2016

ALBANY — In the fight for control of the state Senate, Democrats have begun aggressively using Donald Trump as their bogeyman to help raise money for their candidates in crucial Long Island races.

The new fund-raising emails and digital ad campaigns seek to tie Nassau County's Republican Senate candidates to Trump, who polls show is extremely unpopular in New York.

Democratic candidates Ryan Cronin, Adam Haber, and James Gaughran all sent emails to donors last week trashing Trump and tying their opponents to Senate GOP Majority Leader John Flanagan's comments that he is "passionately supporting" the bombastic billionaire.

Cronin, who is facing long-time incumbent Sen. Kemp Hannon, wrote that "it's so disheartening to hear all of this hatred, divisiveness, and...| read more ››

Make the Road Action endorses Democratic candidates on LI

Aug
29
2016

A political advocacy group representing Long Island’s Latino communities has endorsed Democrats in a range of competitive local congressional and state legislative races.

Make the Road Action, the political action arm of the 19,000-member Make the Road New York organization, said in a statement that it will back incumbent Rep. Kathleen Rice (D-Garden City) in Nassau County’s 4th Congressional District, Democrat Thomas Suozzi in the open 3rd Congressional District — which covers parts of northern Suffolk, Nassau and Queens — and Democratic challenger Anna Throne-Holst in the 1st Congressional District in Suffolk’s East End.

It also endorsed State Sen. Todd Kaminsky (D-Long Beach), as he seeks to retain the 9th District seat that he won in a special election in...| read more ››

Marcellino files for ballot line, but Dems say he fell short

Aug
28
2016

Republican state Sen. Carl Marcellino, embroiled in a heated re-election fight, has filed petitions to get an extra ballot line, dubbed the Tax Revolt Party, for the fall election.

But backers of his Democratic opponent James Gaughran said the Syosset lawmaker filed only 1,218 signatures, nearly 2,000 short of the 3,000 he needs for the ballot line and they are filing objections with the state Board of Elections.

A spokeswoman for Marcellino declined to comment.

Marcellino, and freshman Sen. Michael Venditto both filed signatures to get an extra ballot line as a hedge against potential fallout from an ongoing corruption scandal in Oyster Bay. Both men already have the Conservative, Independence and Reform Party lines. Gaughran, meanwhile, has the Working...| read more ››

Democratic Senate candidate targets Marcellino over education issues

Aug
26
2016

ALBANY- Democrat Jim Gaughran is working to make education policy a key issue in his State Senate campaign against Republican Carl Marcellino, who chairs the Senate Education Committee.

Gaughran, the Suffolk County Water Authority chairman, is hosting listening tours on community education concerns and is calling out Marcellino, who has represented the 5th District since 1995.

"I firmly believe that elected officials should provide support to our state's educators and have a responsibility to listen and be respectful of parents and public education stakeholders," Gaughran said in a news release provided to POLITICO New York.

He further claimed Marcellino, who was on the education committee as the state rolled out the Common Core learning standards, has "refused" to address issues...| read more ››

What Trump means for the NY down-ballot races

Aug
15
2016

Hillary Clinton’s strong lead in the Siena College poll of New York voters released Monday has many down-ballot Republicans worried that their voters will stay home in November. She’s leading Donald Trump among registered voters 57 percent to 27 percent — the biggest Empire State gap since the two emerged as their parties’ leaders.

What’s more, Trump is significantly down among GOP respondents, with just 52 percent supporting him. That’s causing more than the usual presidential election year concerns that the State Senate GOP can hold onto its majority coalition.

One shaky Republican seat is the open race in 7th SD, which is being vacated by Sen. Jack Martins. Democrat Adam Haber, an East Hills businessman and Roslyn school-board member,...| read more ››

Pages