After delaying the vote for a week, Queens Democratic district leaders in the 13th SD reconvened this morning and, as expected, officially voted to support Councilman Hiram Monserrate over incumbent Sen. John Sabini in the primary this fall.
There were 14 leaders in the room, 12 of whom voted for Monserrate. Two abstained out of respect for Sabini, according to party Executive Secretary Mike Reich. Both candidates spoke.
"It was a tough thing, I think, for most people," Reich said. "They have a warm spot in their hearts for John. This was not done lightly, and it's not done often."
"I don't think it reflects on the work John has done over the years," Reich added. "I don't think it reflects on John as a person. I think it reflects on the political reality of the district. We saw the handwriting on the wall that John was extremely vulnerable."
Reich noted that while it's unusual for the party to turn its back on an incumbent, it is not unheard of.
In fact, he said, Sabini himself came to his first elected post in much the same way when Councilman Joseph Lisa lost party support (he was rated among the seven least effective Council members in a 1987 Daily News poll) and faced a potential challenge from Sabini in the early 1990s. Lisa was appointed to a judgeship in 1991 to avoid a primary.
So what does this mean for Sabini and Monserrate, practically speaking?
First and foremost, Reich said, Monserrate is not only the designee of the party, but his name will be on the petitions that the party troops carry when petitioning starts June 3. Sabini will have to pay to print his own petitions and find his own volunteers to carry them.
The candidates need to collect 900 valid signatures to get on the ballot. The rule of thumb is you need to collect three times that number to provide a cushion to prevent getting tossed off the ballot.
Now that the Democrats have made their decision, it's like the Working Families Party will follow suit. The Queens chapter of the WFP already recommended Monserrate over Sabini when the party met last weekend to review candidates.
UPDATE: Sabini, does not appear to have any immediate intention of dropping out of the race. He released the following statement:
"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."
