Democratic Party officials in Queens voted today not to endorse State Senator John D. Sabini, a Queens Democrat who has been in office six years. Instead, they voted to back his challenger, City Councilman Hiram Monserrate.
The decision represents an unusual move by a party organization to deny an incumbent its endorsement. And it was a significant blow to Mr. Sabini, a former city councilman and onetime Queens Democratic party chairman.
For much of the last two years, Mr. Monserrate has put intense pressure on the party officials to gain their support. Two years ago he challenged Mr. Sabini and came within 250 votes of beating the senator.
In interviews on Friday, several Queens Democratic officials said that the party’s leadership committee in the district switched its support in part because of the strength Mr. Monserrate demonstrated in the 2006 election and because also because the ethnic politics of the district are increasingly favoring the challenger.
Some Democratic leaders have charged that Mr. Monserrate has put pressure on the party organization by threatening to challenge incumbent district leaders in his section of Queens.
Mr. Sabini made clear that he has no intention of dropping out of the race. He issues a statement saying: “It is ultimately up to the district’s voters to decide whom they want as their state senator. I will fight for the privilege to continue to serve them.”
Today’s decision came five days after the Democratic leaders in the Queens first met to discuss whom to endorse in the State Senate race. The decision, however, was postponed until Friday. In the end, Mr. Monserrate won the support of 12 of the 14 leaders who voted on the endorsement. Two leaders abstained.
Mr. Monserrate said he was thrilled with the decision. “This is a historic moment for the Democratic Party in Queens,” the councilman said. “It speaks to the work we’ve done in the community.”
The 13th State Senate District was configured after the 2000 Census, with the goal of electing a Hispanic candidate. Eight years ago, the population of the district was about 56 percent Hispanic, 20 percent Asian, 12 percent non-Hispanic white and 9 percent black. And many Queens Democratic leaders insist that the Hispanic population has likely grown sharply since that Census.
In 2001, Mr. Monserrate was elected as the first Hispanic council member from Queens. And almost since then, he has been rumored to be interested in offices in the Legislature and even in Congress. Because of the city’s term-limit laws, Mr. Monserrate cannot run for his current Council seat next year.
Mr. Sabini, who is of Italian descent, served for a short time as the Queens Democratic Party chairman and in the City Council.
