Given the corrupt and dysfunctional Legislature that burdens New Yorkers, the instinct to throw the bums out in Albany is welcome.
So it is a good thing that a number of incumbent Democratic state senators have real contests in Thursday’s primary. Without such challenges, they coast to reelection.
To many voters, this year is a referendum on the Independent Democratic Conference, a caucus that broke away from mainline Dems to align with the Senate Republicans. Not a terrible move, the IDC formed when the Democrats were led by actual criminals. In any event, the splinter group is now dead, buried in April.
We do not advocate reflexively ousting these incumbents just because of their maneuver. For all candidates, whatever their labels, it is their record, vision and capabilities that matter most.
Today, we look at the Bronx, Queens and Manhattan. Tomorrow, Brooklyn.
THE BRONX
In the 34th district, (Pelham, Morris Park and the East Bronx), incumbent Jeff Klein faces a strong challenge in Alessandra Biaggi — a Fordham Law grad well-versed in balancing politics with pragmatism, having helped oversee Sandy recovery in the Cuomo administration and helped run the Clinton presidential campaign.
As founder of the IDC, Klein can point to legislative achievements that include the $15 minimum wage, marriage equality and the SAFE Act. But he has helped Republicans block progress on critical issues like lengthening statutes of limitations for victims of sexual assault, shining light on police disciplinary records, and ethics reform.
Klein has also been accused of forcibly kissing a female staffer. He hardly absolved himself by asking the far-from-independent ethics board JCOPE to investigate. How’s that going?
His opponent has the mind of a solid but not wide-eyed reformer on essential issues: closing Rikers, opening up police records, and, most important, ethics. As a new voice for transparency and reform, Biaggi is the better choice.
QUEENS
In the 13th district, (Jackson Heights and Corona), Jose Peralta parachuted into the line of fire of anti-IDC activists when he joined just days after President Trump’s swearing-in.
Peralta’s a good legislator. He was a vocal early supporter of the Move NY congestion pricing plan to raise urgently needed funds to upgrade the subways. He was instrumental in crafting a school zone speed camera pilot program expansion, drumming up majority support, only to see the measure denied a vote.
Jessica Ramos, a former union organizer and de Blasio administration media liaison, is good at pounding tables and peddling aspirations, but she lacks the proven pragmatism of the incumbent.
Go for Peralta.
In the 11th district, (Bayside), former City Controller John Liu is challenging incumbent Tony Avella in a rematch.
Four years ago, the Daily News endorsed incumbent Avella over Liu. Today we reverse that recommendation.
Avella, while a competent public servant who honorably declines to take bonus payments from Senate leadership known as lulus, has become too fond of obstruction on pressing matters for New York City. Avella remains a staunch foe of congestion pricing, even though it would also lower tolls on the two bridges with landings in the district. He refuses to rescind harmfully tight strictures on the release of disciplinary records of police officers.
His challenger is a smart and energetic public servant who’s better on the issues. Time for Liu to take a turn.
MANHATTAN
In the 31st district, stretching down the West Side, Marisol Alcantara is a one-term incumbent. She has not used those two years well.
While Alcantara is justifiably proud of her Dominican heritage as a successful immigrant, she has been less successful at expanding her base of support. Former Councilman Robert Jackson, who lost a close race two years ago, is seeking, and winning, backing from all parts of the district.
Having aligned with the IDC, Alcantara as a freshman got the honor of chairing the Senate’s Labor Committee, but then failed to use that powerful post to advance a cause she’d said was important: equal rights for farm workers. Tellingly, her predecessor, Adriano Espaillat, who pushed hard for her election, is refusing to back her reelection.
Go with Jackson, who ably represented all his constituents for a dozen years in the City Council and knows the community well.
