Surrounded by hundreds of supporters and family members, and joined by a number of city and state lawmakers, City Councilman Joseph Addabbo Jr. formally announced on Saturday his highly anticipated run for state Senate in the 15th District against Republican incumbent Sen. Serphin Maltese.
[Left - Supporters cheer on City Councilman Joseph Addabbo Jr., center, after he officially announced his run for the District 15 state Senate seat. (P.J. Smith)]
Kicking off his campaign, Addabbo, traveling via school bus, made four stops throughout the district, which includes the communities of Glendale, Howard Beach, Maspeth, Middle Village, Ozone Park and Woodhaven, among others.
Addabbo shook hands with and spoke to supporters about his plans at each stop, which included a rally at Peter Charles Park in Maspeth and a visit to Myrtle Avenue in Glendale, where he plans to open a second campaign office.
Addabbo’s bus, which had departed at 9 a.m. from his Howard Beach campaign office, also stopped by a Sikh center in Richmond Hill before reaching its final destination: a campaign party at Danny’s Szechuan restaurant in Howard Beach.
“For too long, the families here have watched as their taxes have gone up and funding for our schools has gone down. Our local economy is suffering while politicians in Albany simply brush our needs aside,” Addabbo said. “I am running for state Senate to change the way business is done in Albany.It’s time to improve the way our government works for the people of this Senate district.”
The race is expected to be one of the hardest fought in the state, and the GOP is expected to spend millions of dollars to defend the incumbent, who is gunning for his 11th consecutive term. Maltese nearly lost the 2006 election to Democrat Albert Baldeo, a community leader who does not currently hold elected office.
Baldeo is running for the Senate seat again and will face off with Addabbo in the primary election. However, the Queens County Democratic Club has endorsed Addabbo, making him a prohibitive favorite.
Addabbo, however, recognizes that it won’t all be smooth sailing. “Make no mistake,” he said, “this will be a tough race. But my father taught me to never back down from a fight just because it was going to be difficult.”
His father and namesake, Joseph Addabbo, who was born and raised in Queens, served as a Democrat in the U.S. House of Representatives from 1961 to 1986.
“I stand with the people of Queens and I will be their voice, demanding that Albany finally ease our crushing tax burden, give our schools their fair share and make sure we can afford our healthcare,” Addabbo Jr. said.
New York State Democratic Chairperson June O’Neill joined Addabbo at the kickoff.“The state committee is 100 percent committed to winning a majority in the state Senate because it’s time for new leadership, new ideas and a state Senate we can count on to fight for our values,” she said. “From right here in Queens all the way to Buffalo, I look forward to welcoming new Democratic state senators to our new majority in January.”Senate Democratic Leader Malcolm Smith (D-St. Albans) is one of Addabbo’s greatest supporters. “I have known Joe and his family for years and am very excited that he has decided to take on this critical fight,” Smith said. “He grew up in a tradition of family service, and there’s no elected official who works harder or more effectively for their community.He’s going to be a true asset for the hard working families of Queens.”
So far, Addabbo has raised about $175,000.
