Behold the political musical chairs caused by term limits.
Nowhere is the scramble more urgent than in Queens, where 13 of the 14 City Council members are being forced to seek other jobs because their terms run out on Dec. 31, 2009.
That 93% turnover rate - the largest of any borough delegation - has spawned a crowded field of candidates seeking higher office, and many have already amassed robust war chests for their campaigns.
Three Council members - Peter Vallone Jr., Helen Sears and Leroy Comrie - are gunning for the borough president's office, as is Assemblywoman Audrey Pheffer. John Liu and Eric Gioia are likely candidates for public advocate. And David Weprin and Melinda Katz have both declared their bid for city controller.
Races for the state legislature will be particularly competitive, said Doug Muzzio, a political science professor at the Baruch College School of Public Affairs.
"The pressure of term limits forces Council members to challenge incumbent members of the state Assembly and state Senate," Muzzio said, noting that term limits have also produced more competitive primaries.
And in a city dominated by Democrats, winning the primary is often tantamount to winning the general election.
Senate races - in particular the battle between Councilman Joseph Addabbo (D-Howard Beach) and incumbent state Sen. Serphin Maltese (R-Glendale) - will be especially hard-fought, as Democrats and Republicans duke it out for control of the upper house, said Evan Stavisky, a Democratic political consultant.
"It's no longer a question of if, but when, the Democrats are going to take control of the Senate," Stavisky predicted.
If so, another Queens Democrat - Senate Minority Leader Malcolm Smith - would supplant upstate Republican Joe Bruno as majority leader.
As for the 36 new members of the Council, not all will be fresh faces. The other major trend in 2009 will be the return of former Council members to their old seats.
Current law allows a Council member to serve a maximum of eight years consecutively. But it doesn't preclude someone returning to office after a hiatus.
Such is the hope for Deputy Borough President Karen Koslowitz, who plans to run for her old seat in Forest Hills, and Tom Ognibene, who has expressed interest in running for his old seat in Middle Village.
Council District | Name | Party affiliation | Declared or possible candidate for |
19 | Tony Avella | D | Mayor |
20 | John Liu | D | Public Advocate |
21 | Hiram Monserrate | D | State Senate |
22 | Peter Valone Jr. | D | Borough President |
23 | David Weprin | D | Controller |
24 | James Gennaro | D | State Senate |
25 | Helen Sears | D | Borough President |
26 | Eric Gioia | D | Public Advocate |
27 | Leroy Comrie | D | Borough President |
28 | Thomas White | D | Not term-limited in 2009 |
30 | Dennis Gallagher | R | Undeclared |
31 | James Sanders | D | Undeclared |
32 | Joseph Addabbo | D | State Senate |
