A June 3 special election to fill the City Council vacancy in the 30th district in Queens will have five names on the ballot - among them Democrat Charles Ober, only the third openly gay candidate for government office in the borough's history; Tom Ognibene, an outspoken Republican with an anti-gay record who held the seat until term limits forced him out in 2001; and Elizabeth Crowley, whose cousin happens to be Joe Crowley, a congressman and the county's Democratic boss.
The 30th district, comprised of Ridgewood, Glendale, and Middle Village, is a conservative part of Queens, represented in the State Senate by Republican Serphin Maltese, who has sponsored a state Defense of Marriage Act, fortunately forestalled in Albany. His Assembly partner on that effort is Democrat Anthony Seminario, who represents a portion of the 30th.
According to GothamGazette.com, the district is 53 percent white, 32 percent Latino, seven percent Asian, and only two percent black. Just over half of the voters are registered Democrats, with only a quarter identifying as Republicans, yet the GOP has held the Council seat for the past 16 years.
At a candidate forum in Glendale in early April, strong opposition was voiced in the crowd and among some of the candidates to bilingual education and to Mayor Michael Bloomberg's congestion pricing plan, which shortly afterward went down to defeat in Albany. Only Ober said anything positive about the congestion plan, though he emphasized some reservations. Several mentions of the "Brooklyn border" during the evening indicated community anxiety about the proximity of Bushwick and East New York, two neighborhoods with predominately people of color populations.
In a race that includes three Republicans and two Democrats and will be decided in a nonpartisan vote, the divides among the candidates have played out as though two primaries were simultaneously being contested. Ognibene has been harshly critical of the GOP machine in Queens for supporting Anthony Como, a Maltese aide who just resigned his post as a Queens County elections commissioner.
Ober meanwhile has taken on the county Democratic establishment for endorsing Crowley, who also got the party's nod in 2001 when, at age 23, she garnered just 40 percent of the vote against Dennis Gallagher, the Republican. Gallagher's resignation after pleading guilty to two sexual abuse misdemeanor charges set the stage for the special election. Ober charges he was never given consideration by the Democratic organization.
Ober similarly complains that the Working Families Party ignored his candidacy at the time it made its endorsement. Crowley has racked up an impressive series of labor endorsements, with nods ranging from the Service Employees International Union (SEIU) Local 1199 to the Uniformed Fire Officers Association.
But the most surprising fault line - and also, at least temporary, alliance - emerged in late April when Ober, who is a longtime Ridgewood civic activist as well as the former president of the Queens Pride House, the borough's LGBT Center, became the target of a vicious anti-gay hate flyer mailed to district voters. Calling Ober "a faggot," the mailing asked, "What kind of message does it send to our children?," warned that Glendale and Middle Village could become "Queerville U.S.A. 11385 and 11379" if "a pedophile" were elected, and claimed, "God gave them all aids [sic] to die and rot in hell."
That was more than enough to garner Ober sympathetic coverage in newspapers and on TV, but there was a curious silence from the Crowley camp. Then, Ober teamed up with Ognibene - an ardent critic of the LGBT-inclusive, ultimately failed Children of the Rainbow public school curriculum 15 years ago and in 2005 a participant in a City Action Coalition rally denouncing a Manhattan judge's ruling in favor of same-sex marriage rights - in a press conference speaking out against the flyer.
Suddenly, the Crowley team became animated on the issue, her campaign manager issuing a statement saying, "It's outrageous that Charles Ober is allowing himself to be used by Tom Ognibene and the Republicans, since Ognibene's entire career has been an affront to everything Ober claims to stand for."
Michael Reich, executive secretary of the county Democratic Party, went so far as to say, "It looks like [Ober and Ognibene] manufactured an issue and tried to get press on it."
Ober is aware that many Democrats object to his having appeared with Ognibene; in fact the issue became contentious when he appeared last week before the Lesbian and Gay Democratic Club of Queens, which gave its endorsement to Crowley instead.
"He did not place any pre-conditions on his appearing with me," Ober said of his decision to stand with Ognibene. "He did not limit his remarks, he categorically condemned the flyer. Crowley didn't condemn the flyer, only the press conference."
But then, in a statement many Ognibene observers might find dubious, Ober added, "He also specifically said that things are different now." The Democrat said he could not reject out of hand the opportunity to lessen polarization on gay issues.
If Ober's decision to appear with Ognibene was puzzling, so too was the endorsement made by the Queens gay Democrats. Ober responded to the group's questionnaire and appeared at the endorsement meeting. Crowley did neither, and the representative she sent was unable to answer questions about her candidate's positions on gay marriage and transgender rights. Ober promises that, if elected, he will work to lobby state legislators representing the district on marriage equality.
When asked for the gay Democrats' rationale, Daniel Dromm, a longtime leader in the club who is an elected Democratic district leader in Jackson Heights and a candidate for City Council next year, explained, "I don't know that everyone in Queens is up to par with gay and lesbian issues. We need to continue doing that education." Dromm noted that Crowley has a strong record on labor and immigrant rights issues, and said the club was confused by a written answer Ober gave regarding his commitment to a woman's right to choose.
Asked about that issue, Ober said he made clear he is pro-choice but also wrote that "the city should make sure that no woman has to have an abortion out of economic necessity." He said none of the club members asked him about the issue at the endorsement meeting.
According to Dromm, the club vote was 19 for Crowley, one for no endorsement, and zero for Ober.
Both Dromm and Larry Menzie, the club's communications chair, pointed to a long-festering issue regarding Ober's participation in a short-lived rival LGBT club in Queens, which Menzie said attacked the Lesbian and Gay Democratic Club for not being open to people of color. "He never apologized for that," Menzie said, adding that there was a strong sense among members of, "Where have you been?"
"We never agreed with the premise that we were attacking the other club," Ober said, responding to Menzie's charge. "Our club intended to reach out to people of color, not to criticize anyone."
Menzie also suggested that political viability was at play in his club's decision, saying, "It's more than likely if a Democrat wins it will be her and then we could have an open dialogue about our issues." Both he and Dromm noted that the Ridgewood Democratic Club, of which Ober is president, did not endorse him, due to the influence of local Assemblywoman Catherine Nolan, who is backing Crowley.
Campaign fundraising filings suggest that Crowley, in addition to her strong backing by the Democratic Party, will have a big financial advantage. She reported just over $100,000 in funds raised; Como and Ognibene each show a total slightly under $30,000; but Ober has collected just $14,000.
Pauline Park, a gender rights activist and Pride House co-founder, was harsh in criticizing the gay Democrats' endorsement, saying, "It's really hypocritical and extraordinary that they would not endorse a qualified gay candidate especially when they endorsed a candidate who has no apparent qualification for public office at all except that she's the cousin of the county boss."
Park also argued that Dromm's Council ambitions were behind the club's decision to endorse the county organization's choice, though he in turn cited a string of endorsements the club has made contrary to the party's pick - including City Councilman Hiram Monserrate in his first race and Mark Green in the 2006 attorney general primary.
Still, the one other LGBT club that has weighed in - the Stonewall Democrats of New York City - endorsed Ober, and its president Matthew Carlin confirmed the group is working to organize volunteers on his behalf.
The Empire State Pride Agenda, the state gay rights lobby, has not taken a position in the race.
©GayCityNews 2008
The 30th district, comprised of Ridgewood, Glendale, and Middle Village, is a conservative part of Queens, represented in the State Senate by Republican Serphin Maltese, who has sponsored a state Defense of Marriage Act, fortunately forestalled in Albany. His Assembly partner on that effort is Democrat Anthony Seminario, who represents a portion of the 30th.
According to GothamGazette.com, the district is 53 percent white, 32 percent Latino, seven percent Asian, and only two percent black. Just over half of the voters are registered Democrats, with only a quarter identifying as Republicans, yet the GOP has held the Council seat for the past 16 years.
At a candidate forum in Glendale in early April, strong opposition was voiced in the crowd and among some of the candidates to bilingual education and to Mayor Michael Bloomberg's congestion pricing plan, which shortly afterward went down to defeat in Albany. Only Ober said anything positive about the congestion plan, though he emphasized some reservations. Several mentions of the "Brooklyn border" during the evening indicated community anxiety about the proximity of Bushwick and East New York, two neighborhoods with predominately people of color populations.
In a race that includes three Republicans and two Democrats and will be decided in a nonpartisan vote, the divides among the candidates have played out as though two primaries were simultaneously being contested. Ognibene has been harshly critical of the GOP machine in Queens for supporting Anthony Como, a Maltese aide who just resigned his post as a Queens County elections commissioner.
Ober meanwhile has taken on the county Democratic establishment for endorsing Crowley, who also got the party's nod in 2001 when, at age 23, she garnered just 40 percent of the vote against Dennis Gallagher, the Republican. Gallagher's resignation after pleading guilty to two sexual abuse misdemeanor charges set the stage for the special election. Ober charges he was never given consideration by the Democratic organization.
Ober similarly complains that the Working Families Party ignored his candidacy at the time it made its endorsement. Crowley has racked up an impressive series of labor endorsements, with nods ranging from the Service Employees International Union (SEIU) Local 1199 to the Uniformed Fire Officers Association.
But the most surprising fault line - and also, at least temporary, alliance - emerged in late April when Ober, who is a longtime Ridgewood civic activist as well as the former president of the Queens Pride House, the borough's LGBT Center, became the target of a vicious anti-gay hate flyer mailed to district voters. Calling Ober "a faggot," the mailing asked, "What kind of message does it send to our children?," warned that Glendale and Middle Village could become "Queerville U.S.A. 11385 and 11379" if "a pedophile" were elected, and claimed, "God gave them all aids [sic] to die and rot in hell."
That was more than enough to garner Ober sympathetic coverage in newspapers and on TV, but there was a curious silence from the Crowley camp. Then, Ober teamed up with Ognibene - an ardent critic of the LGBT-inclusive, ultimately failed Children of the Rainbow public school curriculum 15 years ago and in 2005 a participant in a City Action Coalition rally denouncing a Manhattan judge's ruling in favor of same-sex marriage rights - in a press conference speaking out against the flyer.
Suddenly, the Crowley team became animated on the issue, her campaign manager issuing a statement saying, "It's outrageous that Charles Ober is allowing himself to be used by Tom Ognibene and the Republicans, since Ognibene's entire career has been an affront to everything Ober claims to stand for."
Michael Reich, executive secretary of the county Democratic Party, went so far as to say, "It looks like [Ober and Ognibene] manufactured an issue and tried to get press on it."
Ober is aware that many Democrats object to his having appeared with Ognibene; in fact the issue became contentious when he appeared last week before the Lesbian and Gay Democratic Club of Queens, which gave its endorsement to Crowley instead.
"He did not place any pre-conditions on his appearing with me," Ober said of his decision to stand with Ognibene. "He did not limit his remarks, he categorically condemned the flyer. Crowley didn't condemn the flyer, only the press conference."
But then, in a statement many Ognibene observers might find dubious, Ober added, "He also specifically said that things are different now." The Democrat said he could not reject out of hand the opportunity to lessen polarization on gay issues.
If Ober's decision to appear with Ognibene was puzzling, so too was the endorsement made by the Queens gay Democrats. Ober responded to the group's questionnaire and appeared at the endorsement meeting. Crowley did neither, and the representative she sent was unable to answer questions about her candidate's positions on gay marriage and transgender rights. Ober promises that, if elected, he will work to lobby state legislators representing the district on marriage equality.
When asked for the gay Democrats' rationale, Daniel Dromm, a longtime leader in the club who is an elected Democratic district leader in Jackson Heights and a candidate for City Council next year, explained, "I don't know that everyone in Queens is up to par with gay and lesbian issues. We need to continue doing that education." Dromm noted that Crowley has a strong record on labor and immigrant rights issues, and said the club was confused by a written answer Ober gave regarding his commitment to a woman's right to choose.
Asked about that issue, Ober said he made clear he is pro-choice but also wrote that "the city should make sure that no woman has to have an abortion out of economic necessity." He said none of the club members asked him about the issue at the endorsement meeting.
According to Dromm, the club vote was 19 for Crowley, one for no endorsement, and zero for Ober.
Both Dromm and Larry Menzie, the club's communications chair, pointed to a long-festering issue regarding Ober's participation in a short-lived rival LGBT club in Queens, which Menzie said attacked the Lesbian and Gay Democratic Club for not being open to people of color. "He never apologized for that," Menzie said, adding that there was a strong sense among members of, "Where have you been?"
"We never agreed with the premise that we were attacking the other club," Ober said, responding to Menzie's charge. "Our club intended to reach out to people of color, not to criticize anyone."
Menzie also suggested that political viability was at play in his club's decision, saying, "It's more than likely if a Democrat wins it will be her and then we could have an open dialogue about our issues." Both he and Dromm noted that the Ridgewood Democratic Club, of which Ober is president, did not endorse him, due to the influence of local Assemblywoman Catherine Nolan, who is backing Crowley.
Campaign fundraising filings suggest that Crowley, in addition to her strong backing by the Democratic Party, will have a big financial advantage. She reported just over $100,000 in funds raised; Como and Ognibene each show a total slightly under $30,000; but Ober has collected just $14,000.
Pauline Park, a gender rights activist and Pride House co-founder, was harsh in criticizing the gay Democrats' endorsement, saying, "It's really hypocritical and extraordinary that they would not endorse a qualified gay candidate especially when they endorsed a candidate who has no apparent qualification for public office at all except that she's the cousin of the county boss."
Park also argued that Dromm's Council ambitions were behind the club's decision to endorse the county organization's choice, though he in turn cited a string of endorsements the club has made contrary to the party's pick - including City Councilman Hiram Monserrate in his first race and Mark Green in the 2006 attorney general primary.
Still, the one other LGBT club that has weighed in - the Stonewall Democrats of New York City - endorsed Ober, and its president Matthew Carlin confirmed the group is working to organize volunteers on his behalf.
The Empire State Pride Agenda, the state gay rights lobby, has not taken a position in the race.
