Greg Meeks Said to be Seeking Candidate to Run Against Ruben Wills by Chris Bragg - City Hall News

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When Council Member Ruben Wills placed his hand on the Bible and took the oath of office in mid-December, the moment seemed to be one of détente.

Rep. Greg Meeks, the man who had feverishly tried to block Wills' road to City Hall, stood beside the new Council member and applauded. In the four months since, Meeks has repeatedly promised to work with the incumbent as the Queens Democrat gears up to run for reelection in November.

In a hurried interview before Meeks boarded a flight to Colombia, the congressman denied having spoken to anyone about running against Wills.

"I have not talked to anyone about my support or my commitments in the race at all," Meeks said.

Yet a number of politically plugged-in Democrats in southeast Queens tell a very different story.

In fact, they say Meeks has been quietly looking for a candidate to run against Wills. This has created a lot of speculation about who will challenge Wills, who won a special election in November following the death of Council Member Tom White.

Nicole Paultre-Bell, who ran against Wills last year with Meeks' support, is said to be uninterested in another run; she will instead focus on the nonprofit she founded in memory of her slain fiance, Sean Bell.

Lynn Nunes, who lost to White by four votes in 2009, was considered a highly viable candidate. Meeks even met with Nunes about a month ago to discuss a potential run, knowledgeable sources say, though Nunes ultimately decided to take a pass on the race.

(Disputing that any such meeting occurred, Meeks insisted that he "must have a twin brother, because I haven't met with the guy.")

Clifton Stanley Diaz, chairman of the Rochdale Village board of directors, has also emerged as a potential candidate. Wills has grown so concerned about Meeks backing Diaz that the Council member and congressman are meeting to discuss the matter this week.

Other possible challengers could be 2010 candidate Harpreet Toor, and former Council member and longtime Wills nemesis Allan Jennings. District leader Albert Baldeo would also be a strong contender, though Wills said Baldeo told him he did not plan to run.

Meeks and Wills have been political foes since 2008, when Wills challenged the congressman in a primary, and sharply criticized him for alleged ethical misconduct. Last year Meeks recruited Paultre-Bell to run against Wills, who pulled out a narrow victory by gaining the support of the rest of the southeast Queens political establishment.

There are many reasons why this November's special election, which will choose a Council member to serve out the remainder of White's term, is attracting so much interest. All of them have to do with the vulnerabilities of the incumbent. In office less than a year, Wills has not had time to build a political base. Last month The Daily News reported the existence of two outstanding misdemeanor arrest warrants stemming from Wills' contracting work more than a decade ago.

Wills has also been dealing with other personal foibles, which include unpaid debts for child support and questions about a member item Wills secured for his nonprofit while working for the State Senate. Wills acknowledged being so poor at handling money that his wife gives him only $100 in cash a week in an attempt to curtail his spending habits.

With so many local politicians under a cloud of scandal or investigation, including Meeks and State Sens. Shirley Huntley and Malcolm Smith, Wills said that residents of the district blame the media for the news stories.

"To everyone in the district, this has caused them to come out and support me even more," Wills said. "It's actually a slap in the face for the people that voted for me."

Wills has spent his short time in office opposing the construction of a homeless shelter in his district and trying to help his constituents stem a tide of foreclosures that rate among the highest in the country.

But Wills' money issues are never far away. While the Council member talked over coffee at a deli near City Hall, an aide walked in and handed him a thin manila envelope before abruptly departing. Wills pulled out a crisp $100 bill and bought a sandwich, soup and a Pepsi, burning through a full 10 percent of his weekly allowance.

If Wills wins reelection, some of his financial burdens would obviously be lifted with the guarantee of an $112,500 salary. Still, Wills does not expect his wife to back off anytime soon.

"No way she's going to let me spend more," Wills said. "Then, we're going to have to get a house."

Wills Prepares His Council Agenda by Ivan Pereira - Queens Campaigner

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Ruben Wills campaigns outside PS 223 in southeast Queens on election day. Photo by Christina Santucci

In the week since he won the special election to the southeast Queens City Council seat, Ruben Wills said he has been hard at work at making sure his constituents’ voices are heard when he enters City Hall.

The councilman-elect for the 28th Council District, which includes the neighborhoods of Jamaica, South Ozone Park, Richmond Hill and Rochdale Village, said he has been visiting with community leaders and constituents to hear their concerns and work on his agenda.

“It is just starting to settle in because we have been working, working, working,” Wills said of his Nov. 2 victory in the non-partisan election. “I haven’t had the chance to absorb it and smile.”

Wills, 39, filled the seat that suddenly opened up when Councilman Thomas White died Aug. 27.

The Democratic former aide said he already has a plan to help the district and has starting working on implementing plans for the community. He has met with the borough president and Aqueduct Race Track developer Genting New York about the jobs that will be created by the racino project.

He is also talking with the principals and parents of PS 30 and PS 40 in Jamaica, PS 147 in Cambria Heights and IS 231 in Springfield Gardens, which are slated for closure by the city.

“The education agenda is something that I have been working out. This is not a one-sided thing. It’s not just about if you have a child in the school. You can have a nephew or neighbor in the school and it affects them, too,” he said.

Wills said he also has long-term plans for the other problems that have been crippling the neighborhood. He is looking into drafting legislation that would curb the foreclosure problems in southeast Queens and has spoken with the NYPD’s chief of community affairs to see what can be done to stop the growing cases of violent crime and murders in the area.

Wills said the best solution was for law enforcement and residents to work together to combat crime.

“We want to let people know what’s going on with the gangs so we can discuss ways on the best possible solution to deal with it,” he said.

Wills won with 31.17 percent of the total vote and beat out Nicole Paultre-Bell, Albert Baldeo, Allan Jennings, Charles Bilal, Harpreet Singh Toor and Martha Taylor Butler, who had 436 votes, or 4.06 percent, according to unofficial results from the city Board of Elections.

Wills said that as of Monday the only challengers who had contacted him were Toor and Baldeo, both of whom congratulated his victory. He did, however, get congratulatory phone calls from U.S. Rep. Gregory Meeks (D-Jamaica) and Councilman James Sanders (D-Laurelton), who both endorsed Paultre-Bell during her campaign.

Wills, who was endorsed by former bosses state Sen. Shirley Huntley (D-Jamaica) and Councilman Leroy Comrie (D-St. Albans), said his years of work and trust with the community is what led to his victory.

“I had the confidence of the most important people in the community: the voters,” he said.

Wills Wins Way into City Council by Tonia N. Cimino - The Queens Courier

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"Ruben Wills beat out six other candidates in the non-partisan Special Election and will now serve the 28th City Council District, a seat left open with the passing of Thomas White Jr.

“We intend on getting to work right away,” Wills told The Courier on Tuesday evening, November 2.

With just over 31 percent of the vote, Wills, a former aide to Councilmember Leroy Comrie, won over challengers Nicole Paultre Bell, widow of Sean Bell, 25 percent; Albert Baldeo, 14 percent; Allan W Jennings Jr., 10 percent; Charles Bilal, nine percent; Harpreet Singh Toor, seven percent and Martha Taylor Butler, four percent.

Wills’ agenda, he said, will focus on foreclosures, affordable health care, job creation and education.

“Despite the negativity, the community voted me in,” he said. “I’m a little choked up right now.”

White, a Democrat who represented the 28th District, passed away on Friday, August 27 after battling cancer.

Wills will serve until 2011, at which point there will be another primary and general election for the remainder of White’s term, through 2013."

Baldeo Offers More Detailed Plans than the Others by AnnMarie Costella - Queens Chronicle

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Albert Baldeo, an attorney from Ozone Park, says he’s not running for City Council because he wants a new job, but because he has the skills to effect change and the experience to understand the community and its problems.

"We share common issues — a lack of city services, jobs and resources,” Baldeo said. “We all suffer similarly. And just as we have common issues, we have common dreams and goals. There is more that unites us than divides us.”

Baldeo will face off against Ruben Wills, Allan Jennings, Charles Bilal, Nicole Paultre Bell, Harpreet Toor, Martha Butler and Victor Babb for the 28th District seat formerly held by the late Tom White Jr.

Among his top priorities are job creation, healthcare, crime and seniors and he has plenty of ideas on how he will improve those areas if elected. Implementing his plans will take additional funding, and with a looming budget deficit, Baldeo says he will get the money by curbing Medicaid fraud, eliminating ineffective programs, increasing taxes on big corporations and cutting “unnecessary bureaucracy.”

To improve education, Baldeo says parents must be more involved in shaping policies and the way their children learn. He plans to fight for more funding to increase after-school programming, reduce class sizes and ensure that more quality teachers are hired. He believes that every pre-kindergarten student should have access to free all-day programming to increase the likelihood of long-term academic success. And he is advocating for added security measures to keep students safe.

“I want to make sure that all children get an equal opportunity to improve their quality of life,” Baldeo said. “I want to lift children out of poverty and give them a chance to reach their full potential. I have the ideas and the vision to make that happen.”

With the recent closures of three hospitals in Queens — Mary Immaculate, St. John’s, and Parkway, access to affordable, quality healthcare is on many resident’s minds. Baldeo hopes to partner with private agencies, doctors and medical volunteers to find out how to bring new hospitals and clinics into the district.

He would also like to expand health insurance coverage by getting more individuals to enroll in programs like Child Health Plus or Medicaid. He believes more people should be encouraged to purchase long-term care insurance by making matching funds, subsidies, tax credits and other incentives available.

Baldeo also supports the Paid Family Leave Act, which would let employees take up to six weeks off a year with limited pay to care for a new child or a sick relative.

Baldeo would combat Medicaid fraud by sponsoring legislation that would grant city enforcement agencies increased access to insurance files and expand their ability to prosecute cases to serve as a deterrent to other criminals.

Baldeo plans to expand the powers of the attorney general to investigate and prosecute more cases, providing extra staff if necessary. But that’s not the only type of illegal activity Baldeo plans to aggressively fight — sex crimes and gun violence are also high on his list.

“We need to build a better relationship between the police and the community,” Baldeo said. “We need to form neighborhood watch groups. People should feel comfortable going to the police and they should know that the information will be kept confidential.”

To curb gun violence, Baldeo says there should be more police officers patrolling the district, but in addition to that he would ban convicted felons from obtaining firearms, expand the ballistics identification data bank to assist law enforcement officers in tracking down guns used in crimes and require law enforcement officers to enter data regarding guns, bullets and shell casings found at crime scenes into the system.

Baldeo is in favor of life sentences for those who have perpetrated sex crimes against multiple victims and for those who have a previous felony sex crime conviction. He would prohibit offenders from working in all jobs that involve contact with children.

Seniors are an important group that Baldeo believes should not be neglected. He says he will work to keep senior centers open and offer more elder programming. “These people have spent a lifetime working and giving to the community,” he said. “They deserve improved access to services.”

Though a federal issue, Baldeo also weighed in on the St. Albans Veterans facility redevelopment plan, stating that he stands with those who oppose letting a developer build private housing on part of the site in exchange for modernizing the medical center there.

“People who have fought for our country should be treated with dignity and respect,” Baldeo said. “They need affordable housing, healthcare and hot meals.”

Baldeo is no stranger to politics. In addition to being an attorney he is a community advocate, democratic district leader, delegate to the Judicial Convention and county committeeman. He lost a Democratic primary challenge to White in 2005 and was defeated again the following year in a race against then-state Sen. Serphin Maltese, but he is confident that he will be victorious this time around.

“I am a breath of fresh air, because my candidacy is not controlled by special interests and lobbyists, but by a passion to serve our district,” Baldeo said. “Our district has been neglected for too long, and I will work hard for everyone in this district, so that we can have a better standard of life, and everyone can truly live the American dream.”

Seven Candidates Vying for Queens Council Seat by Isabel Vincent and Melissa Klein - NYPOST.com

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And you thought the governor's race was crazy!

Meet the crew running for City Council from Queens: a deadbeat dad who allegedly threw a punch at a rival; a lawyer accused of drawing a gun on a rival's wife; an imam who filed for seven bankruptcies; a former city worker with $70,000 in judgments; two candidates with past campaign-finance violations; and four who don't live in the district or moved in so recently they're still unpacking their carpetbags.

Seven are vying for the seat left vacant when Councilman Thomas White Jr. died in August. It is one of only two council contests this year and the only one contested.

The candidate with the most name recognition is Nicole Paultre Bell, whose fiancée Sean Bell was gunned down by police on their November 2006 wedding day.

Bell lives outside the district, which covers Jamaica, South Ozone Park and Richmond Hill. She has said she will move in by Election Day, according to her lawyer.

Ruben Wills says he is in the process of moving into a rental in the district from his home in St. Albans.

Wills owes $27,147 in child support, according to state records. He says the bill is for back payments for a teenage daughter he didn't know he had until she was 14.

Wills, a former chief-of-staff for state Sen. Shirley Huntley, was accused last year of throwing a punch at rival Allan W. Jennings during a Board of Election hearing. Wills denies the incident and no arrests were made.

Jennings is also running.

He served on the council from 2002 to 2006 and was censured by his colleagues in 2005 after two female staffers accused him of sexual harassment. A probe found him guilty.

Jennings also owes $45,775 to the city Campaign Finance Board.

Immigration lawyer Albert Baldeo was accused of pulling a gun on an opponent's wife in a 2005 council campaign. The charges against him were dropped.

Harpreet Toor owns a home on Long Island but says he rented an apartment in the district last month.

Toor, who worked for the city's Human Resources Administration until 1999, racked up nearly $70,000 in judgments against him from collection companies.

Toor said the bills amassed when his late wife became sick with cancer and he wasn't working full time.

Charles Aziz Bilal, an imam who works at Rikers Island, unsuccessfully filed for bankruptcy protection seven times since 2000.

"You do what needs to be done to protect your property," he explained.

He owes $14,764 to the Campaign Finance Board for irregularities in a 2005 City Council race.

Also running is Martha T. Butler, the chief-of-staff for state Assemblywoman Michele Titus. Butler, an Air Force veteran, has raised no money in the race as of Oct. 1.

Wills Outraises Paultre-Bell by Ivan Pereira - YourNabe.com

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Ex-Huntley staffer nets near $51K in race for White council seat

Ruben Wills has a major financial lead over Sean Bell’s fiancee, his chief rival for late City Councilman Thomas White’s vacated seat, who has raised roughly $6,000 for her bid, campaign finance records show.

Although major groups and other elected officials, such as the Rev. Al Sharpton, City Councilman James Sanders (D-Laurelton) and U.S. Rep. Gregory Meeks (D-Jamaica), have been throwing their support behind Nicole Paultre-Bell, only 15 individuals have given her money for her campaign, according to the city Campaign Fiance Board.

Wills — who has the backing of his former boss, state Sen. Shirley Huntley (D-Jamaica); Councilman Leroy Comrie (D-St. Albans); and state Assemblywoman Barbara Clark (D-Jamaica) — has the financial backing of 157 contributors and is the only candidate in the race to receive matching public finds, campaign finance records show.

So far, he has collected a total of $50,921, with the largest donation of $1,375 from Local 1182, the union that represents traffic enforcement agents, according to campaign finance records. Wills has spent more than $7,000 on his campaign, with the largest outlays going to former state Sen. Martin Connor, who has been paid $1,500 to act as his attorney, according to the records.

Paultre-Bell, was given the green light to appear on the Nov. 2 ballot by a city Board of Elections judge last week, following a challenge to her petitions by Wills.

So far, she has received more than $6,000 in contributions, with the largest donation coming from New Jersey physician Christopher Kyriakides, who gave her campaign $1,350, Campaign Finance Board records show. All of her other donations are from single individuals and her attorney, Sanford Rubenstein, so far, according to the records. Paultre-Bell has spent $3,185 for her bid as of this week, including $3,000 to Oakland Gardens resident Jesus Ocasio to help with her signature petitioning, according to the Campaign Finance Board.

Albert Baldeo, who ran unsuccessfully for White’s seat in 2005, has more than $46,000 in his campaign coffers, with $27,000 coming from loans and nearly $4,000 coming out of his own pocket, according to the board. So far he has spent more than $19,000 on his current bid for office, including $3,350 to a political voter file vendor known as Prime New York for voter data, campaign finance records show.

Alan Jennings, who held the seat until he was censured by the City Council and forced out in the 2005 Democratic primary, has raised more than $7,000, with the largest contribution coming from a retired Jamaica resident named Norma Taylor, who gave him $1,375, campaign finance records show. He has spent more than $4,276 on his bid, including $590 that was given to Omar McClain for help in gathering petition signatures.

Harpreet Toor has raised more than $9,000 for his campaign, including a $1,001 donation from South Richmond Hill resident Prem Singh, based on the records. He has spent more than $6,000 on his campaign, including a $2,000 expenditure for voter data from the New York Public Affairs Group.

Charles Bilal has raised a total of $370 from $10 donations from 37 individuals, according to campaign finance records. He has not listed any expenditures for the race, campaign finance records show.

Although the city Board of Elections lists Martha Butler as a candidate for the race, there are no campaign finance listings for her as of press time Tuesday.

Baldeo Announces Council Run by Ivan Pereira - Queens Campaigner

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Albert Baldeo is joining the growing list of candidates who are vying to fill the Council seat vacated by Thomas White, who died two weeks ago.

Baldeo, an Ozone Park attorney who has run for several elected offices in the past decade, said he is collecting signatures to meet Monday’s deadline to be on the ballot for the Nov. 2 special election for the 28th Council district.

“This is taking my advocacy and community leadership to a new level,” he said.

The 28th Council district includes the neighborhoods of Jamaica, Rochdale Village, Richmond Hill and South Ozone Park. Other candidates officially in the running for the non-partisan election include Leroy Gadsden, the president of the Jamaica NAACP, Nicole Paultre-Bell, Ruben Wills and Allan Jennings, who held the seat from 2001-2005.

Baldeo was defeated by White in the 2005 Democratic primary and the next year he came within 900 votes of defeating state Sen. Serphin Maltese. He was slated to take on Joseph Addabbo in the 2008 Democratic primrary for Maltese’s seat, but dropped out of the race and endorsed his opponent, who went on to win the seat.

Last year, he collected funds for a shot at the seat left open by indicted state Assemblyman Anthony Seminerio, but the Queens Democrats chose Michael Miller to run the special election.

Huntley Challenger Lynn Nunes And Sister Apply For Matching Funds In Back-Up Council Campaign For Tom White's Seat by Chris Bragg - City Hall News

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Lynn Nunes’ primary race against State Sen. Shirley Huntley does not seem to be the only campaign on his mind.

Nunes is one of 10 candidates who applied for matching funds with the City Campaign Finance Board on Tuesday in the race for the Council seat of the late Tom White.

Also on the list: Nunes’ sister, Elaine.

With petitions due next Monday—the day before the primary—this creates several different scenarios: if Lynn Nunes wins the Senate primary, his sister could capitalize on the Nunes high name identification to run her own campaign. Or if Lynn Nunes loses the Senate primary, Elaine could use her committee on vacancies to give the spot to her brother. Or, if both petition, they could run against each other.

Candidates looking to run must submit 899 valid signatures by Sept. 13.

Reached by phone, Nunes initially offered only that “someone related to me is most likely to get involved in the race,” but eventually confirmed that the person was his sister. Nunes did not return a subsequent call for clarification. A Nunes campaign aide declined to comment.

Candidates are not allowed to form vacancy committees to get CFB matching funds. Those who do apply will eventually be listed on the Campaign Finance Board’s website. The Board had received 10 applications on Tuesday, but more can be received provided they are postmarked Sept. 7.

The other candidates whose applications the CFB received included Martha Taylor Butler, the chief of staff for Assembly Member Michelle Titus; Nicole Paultre-Bell, the widow of Sean Bell; Ruben Wills, the former chief of staff for Huntley; Albert Baldeo, a former State Senate, Assembly and Council candidate who is running for district leader; Hettie Powell, a Forest Hills attorney; Charles Bilal, an imam from Jamaica; Vishnu Mahadeo; and Harprett Toor.

The race has already produced a split between two local powerbrokers: Assembly Member Vivian Cook is backing Wills, while Rep. Greg Meeks is backing Paultre-Bell

Though Nunes’ campaign has been building momentum with endorsements from both theNew York Times and Daily News over the weekend, his decision to simultaneously apparently wade into the Council race also gave Huntley fodder to hit the 25-year-old making his second—and perhaps third, if the Council race goes through—run for office for being overly ambitious.

“Excuse me while I laugh,” Huntley said, snickering upon learning about Nunes’ plans. “He talks about all these reforms in the Senate, but this just tells me he wants to get elected to something, no matter what the office. I guess I’d have to say he’s an opportunist.”

Meet Cricket Legend Clive Lloyd Live @ Villa Russo on September 7th - Sponsored by United Communities Alliance Hosted by Albert Baldeo...

Click on image to enlarge...

What:

 Community Event - Meet Cricket Legend Clive Lloyd

When: 

September 7th, 2010 - 8pm

Where: 

Villa Russo

118-16 101st Avenue

Richmond Hill, NY

Hosted by:

 Albert Baldeo

Sponsored by:

 United Communities Alliance

Names Circulate For Race To Fill Tom White’s Council Seat by Chris Bragg - City Hall News

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The funeral is not until Thursday, but the jockeying was well underway by the weekend.

Until Tom White is buried, at least, the potential candidates for his Council seat covering southeast Queens seat are reluctant to go on the record about their ambitions. But though they will not speak publicly, the consensus on who is on the list of potential candidates has already begun to take shape, as has the consensus that Assembly Member Vivian Cook—who is herself suffering from health problems that kept her out of Albany and had some questioning her own plans for a re-election run—will play the kingmaker in the non-partisan special election set for Nov. 2, the day of the general election.

Of the dozen names floating around, the most serious possible contenders are seen as Martha Taylor Butler, the chief of staff for Assembly Member Michelle Titus, and Anthony Andrews, the director of student activities at York College, who came in just behind Allan Jennings in the 2001 race for the seat. Andrews was extremely close with White, and is also close with Cook.

Reached by phone, Andrews declined to comment on his plans out of respect for White.

“I’ve certainly been involved in the community in the past, and certainly would like to be in the future, but for now it’s too soon to discuss anything like that,” Andrews said.

Butler did not return a phone call seeking comment.

Ruben Wills, the former chief of staff for State Sen. Shirley Huntley, who ran for the Council last year—and reportedly threw a punch during a dispute at the Board of Elections last year with Allan Jennings, who was trying to reclaim the seat he lost to White in 2005—is also seen as a potentially strong candidate.

Others who may run include Jennings, who was censured for sexually harassing staffers while on the Council, and Albert Baldeo, a perennial candidate who ran for the seat in 2005 and is now running for district leader with the county party’s backing.

Jennings and Baldeo also declined to comment out of respect for White. Wills did not return a phone call seeking comment.

Others being talked about as potential candidates include Taj Ramjkumar, a local district leader and professor at Borough of Manhattan Community College; political consultant Patrick Jenkins (though his candidacy appears less likely after his appointment Monday as deputy director of Andrew Cuomo’s campaign for governor); Elizabeth Goldsmith, the president and founder of Mothers Against Guns; and Charles Bilal, an imam at the Masjib Al Hamdul Lillah mosque in Jamaica.

One potential wildcard: if State Senate candidate Lynn Nunes loses the Sept. 14 primary against Huntley, he would technically have enough time to switch gears and mount a campaign for the Council seat. Nunes came within four votes of beating White last year, and his name recognition has only increased since then in a Senate campaign in which he has already raised more that $175,000.

Reached by phone, Nunes declined comment.

Were Huntley to lose the primary, she could also end up in the Council race.

Cook, president of the Queens County Democratic Committee, is a key powerbroker in the area who helped put Senate President Malcolm Smith, Rep. Greg Meeks, Titus and others into office.

But Cook has been sidelined with an unspecified illness and has not attended an Assembly session since Mar. 23, according to Assembly records. Still, she is running for re-election and controls some 40 percent of the district leader votes in the Council district.

The Queens Democratic Party’s decision will likely be a bellwether of whether Cook still holds the same sway over local politics as she did before her health began to decline.

Though the election is non-partisan and candidates will be able to win matching funds, the county party’s endorsement will still be a major boon, given the condensed time frame to petition onto the ballot and to fundraise.

Update 12:20 p.m.
A reader wrote in to point out that the deadline to apply for Campaign Finance Board matching funds is Tuesday, Sept. 7. That makes it unlikely that either Nunes or Huntley would be able to join the program in the case of a possible Council race, since applying for matching funds in advance of their Sept. 14 State Senate primary would be very politically difficult.

Former Opponents Join Forces In Immigrant Primary Challenge To Mike Miller By Chris Bragg - City Hall News

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When Gov. David Paterson reversed course last summer and decided to call a special election to replace now-jailed Assembly Member Anthony Seminerio, three candidates who wanted to run in a Democratic primary for the seat were forced out of the race.

The special election instead allowed the Queens Democratic Party to get its favored candidate for the seat, Mike Miller, on the Democratic line and avoid a contested primary. Miller went on to easily win a special election victory in the southwest Queens district over a Republican opponent.

Now, two of the Democratic candidates who could not run last year are teaming up to try ousting Miller in the fall. And Miller is not the only person who has raised their ire: they claim that the circumstances surrounding the special election were all part of a political deal to help Council Member Elizabeth Crowley.

Nick Comaianni, president of Community Education Council District 24, will announce his primary challenge against Miller at a meeting of the newly-formed Southwest Queens Democratic Club on May 6, he said.

Comaianni said he would draw on support of the parents he has come to know as the local school board president, as well as the sizable Indian and Latino communities who he says felt disenfranchised by the special election maneuvering last year.

“They don’t like it when a few people out of 125,000 get to determine who represents them in Albany,” Comaianni said.

In January, Comaianni founded the Southwest Queens Democratic Club with Farouk Samaroo, a young Afghan war veteran who, like Comaianni, wanted to run to replace Seminerio. The club had some 45 people at their first meeting, a number they attributed to anger over the special election.

In fact, Samaroo said the club will try to run a candidate not only for Assembly this year, but for every district leader, state committee, judicial delegate and county committee seat in the 38^th Assembly district, which covers Glendale, Ozone Park, Richmond Hill, Ridgewood and Woodhaven

Samaroo asserted that the minority populations who make up the majority of the primary electorate were left behind last year by a deal cut between the Queens Democratic Party and a small group of mostly white, conservative Democrats in Glendale, who wanted Miller to replace Seminerio.

In exchange, according to Samaroo, these conservative Democrats promised to support Council Member Elizabeth Crowley—who was running for re-election against Republican Tom Ognibene—and who is the cousin of Queens Democratic Party chair Joe Crowley.

“The Hispanic and Indian populations got sacrificed for a little political deal for Liz Crowley,” Samaroo said. “Frankly, we’re a little upset about it.”

A source close to the Miller’s campaign last year echoed the idea that the special election had been called in order to help Elizabeth Crowley.

But Miller said that the accusations were false and part of a personal vendetta Comaianni has against Crowley.

“Nick has a problem with Elizabeth Crowley and every waking moment seems to think Elizabeth is doing things against him,” Miller said.

Miller said that the leadership of the South Asian community was, in fact, backing him and that he had brought on a part-time staffer to serve as an envoy to the Hispanic community.

He also said that if Samaroo and Comaianni had truly wanted to run in the special election, they could have petitioned onto the ballot and run as independents.

“The only people who were upset about the special election were Mr. Comaianni and Mr. Samaroo,” he said.

Elizabeth Crowley and Miller recently formed their own club, the 38th Assembly Regular Democratic Club, in order to mobilize a base of grassroots support.

If Albert Baldeo, another candidate knocked out by the special election last year also decides to run against Miller, it could cut into Comaianni’s support. Samaroo, however, said he had privately gotten Baldeo’s assurance several weeks ago that he would not run. Samaroo said he expected Baldeo to instead run for a district leader spot.
Reached for comment, Baldeo said he was not sure if he would run for the Assembly district, and declined to elaborate on his thinking.

If Miller makes it through the primary, he will also face a general election challenge. Republicans are running Donna Caltabiano, a party state committee member and senior center director, for the seat. Caltabiano lost the 2009 special election to Miller by 30 points.

Comaianni acknowledged that beating Miller now would be more difficult than last year, when Miller was not an incumbent.

But at the least, voters will a choice this year, he said.

“What I’m looking for is a fair election,” Comaianni said. “You’re going to have to earn it this time.”

Woodhaven Residents Block Association Meeting - September 15th...

The Woodhaven Residents Block Association September meeting was held at the Woodhaven-Richmond Hill Ambulance Corps headquarters on Jamaica Avenue on September 15th...

Newly elected New York State Assembly member Michael Miller (photo above) was congratulated and spoke briefly to the Association members...

Among the visitors to the meeting were Assemblyman Michael Miller (D-38th AD), City Councilman Eric Ulrich, City Council candidate Frank Gulluscio, Albert Baldeo, Farouk Samaroo and City Council candidate Tom Ognibene...and representatives from state Sentor Joe Addabbo's office and Kate Mooney of City Council member Elizabeth Crowley's office...

Woodhaven Residents Block Association Executive Board with from left to right - Farouk Samaroon, Frank Gulluscio, CM Eric Ulrich, Tom Ognibene, AM Michael Miller and Albert Baldeo

38th AD Race Loses Two Candidates by Lisa Fogarty - Queens Chronicle

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Democrats Lourdes Ventura, left, and Nick Comaianni will run in 2010 for a full term in the 38th District Assembly seat.

The list of candidates running for the 38th District Assembly seat dwindled further this week when Lourdes Ventura, former counsel to state Sen. Malcolm Smith (D-St. Albans) and counsel for Latino and Immigrant Affairs, and Nick Comaianni, Community Education Council of District 24 president, announced they are taking a rain check on campaigning until next year’s election for the full-term seat.

Ventura and Comaianni sought the Democratic endorsement in the Sept. 15 special election to fill the seat left vacant when former Assemblyman Anthony Seminerio resigned and pleaded guilty to fraud charges two months ago. When Democratic Party leaders chose Mike Miller, who has also received the Conservative and Independent Party endorsements, both candidates joined fellow Democrats Albert Baldeo and Farouk Samaroo and bowed out of the race.

All four contenders have said they will run in November 2010 for a full term, when they will face Miller or Republican candidate Donna Marie Caltabiano.

“I’m a resident in the district, have a young child and wanted to make a difference,” Ventura explained as her motivation behind running.

Prior to joining the Senate staff, Ventura worked as an associate at Ahmuty, Demers & McManus, a civil litigation firm. In addition, she served as an assistant attorney general for the Civil Rights Bureau of the New York State Attorney General’s Office from 2002 until 2006, where she investigated complaints and prosecuted cases involving allegations of unlawful discrimination in housing, education and places of accommodation, such as hotels.

In addition to heading CEC 24, Comaianni is a United States Navy veteran and chairman of Community Board 9’s education committee. He’s also a member of the board of directors at his Forest Park condominium complex, where he said he has witnessed firsthand the struggles seniors face fighting to maintain homes they worked hard to buy but can no longer afford to keep.

AD38 Special Election is On - Again by Dan Jacoby - The Daily Gotham

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When Assemblymember Anthony Seminerio resigned in disgrace, the stage was set for a very interesting election to replace him, but all hopes for a true election were dashed today when Govenor Paterson issued a proclamation for a special election to be held on September 15.

Without that proclamation, there would have been a primary on Sept. 15, followed by a general election in November. Four Democrats, including Albert Baldeo, had petitioned to be on the ballot. For the special election, however, there is no primary, and the Democratic insiders can pick their nominee. That nominee will be Mike Miller, who also has the Conservative Party line. That's right - Conservative!

Baldeo has been a thorn in the side of the Queens County Democratic machine for a few years. In 2005, he ran for City Council in a race that included a claim (unverified) that he pulled a gun on an opponent's wife. In 2006, Baldeo ran for state Senate on the Democratic line (despite the opposition of the Democratic machine) and came within several hundred votes of knocking out Serph Maltese. In 2008, he ran again, going up against Joseph Addabbo, Jr. in a primary, until he was persuaded by, among others, now-Senate Democratic Caucus Chair John Sampson, to drop out; Addabbo won that election.

In theory, someone (such as Baldeo) could still petition to get on the ballot for the special election as an independent candidate. The problem is that Baldeo apparently moved into the district sometime between Sept. 15 and Nov. 3 of last year. That means he would have satisfied the one-year residency requirement for a general election, but won't for the special, and is therefore ineligible to run.

The winner in this mess is the Queens Democratic Party. They don't have to worry about Albert Baldeo upsetting their plans, at least this year.

The losers are: Sampson, Malcolm Smith and Rep. Greg Meeks, all of whom are supporting Baldeo; DC37, which endorsed Baldeo this week; Baldeo himself (at least for now); and the voters of the 38th AD, who won't get a real opportunity to cast a meaningful vote.

There is one more loser: David Paterson. Last Friday his office issued a proclamation for a special election, only to have him retract it a few hours later. Now he issues - or reissues - another proclamation? I'm still not sure who did what, and why it all got screwed up, but if Paterson can't make a decision, stick with it, and get his office to follow his lead, what chance does he have to resurrect his sagging popularity? In addition, Paterson has now pissed off the current Senate President Pro Tempore (Smith), the presumptive Senate President Pro Tempore for next year (Sampson), a Congressman (Meeks), and most likely many others.

Fasten your seat belts, it's going to be a bumpy year.

Queens Dems Pick Miller in Controversial Race to Replace Seminerio by Howard Koplowitz - Queens Campaigner

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After a false start, a special election to replace disgraced former state Assemblyman Anthony Seminerio (D-Richmond Hill) is back on, and the Queens Democratic Party was quick to announce its pick to run on the party’s line.

Michael Reich, executive secretary for the Queens Democratic Party, said the organization chose to endorse Community Board 5 member and Glendale resident Michael Miller for the seat, up for grabs in a Sept. 15 special election — the same day borough voters will cast ballots in primaries.

Seminerio resigned from his seat in June after pleading guilty to corruption charges in Manhattan federal court. An indictment charged him with setting up a fake consulting company he used to take in more than $1 million in illegal payments.

Earlier this month, Gov. David Paterson sent out a news release announcing a special election, but recalled the announcement just hours later, attributing the gaffe to an error in his office, according to Paterson spokeswoman Marissa Shorenstein.

Paterson announced the special election again — this time no error — Friday.

“Although there were concerns raised about [the first] announcement, after a comprehensive review of the issues at stake, I have determined that a special election on Primary Day is the most cost-effective, expeditious way to ensure that the people of the 38th District are appropriately represented in the Assembly,” the governor said in a statement. “I urge all eligible voters to go to the polls Sept. 15 to elect their next Assembly member.”

When voters do go to the polls, they will see Miller’s name on the Democratic line after the party and district leaders in the 38th District selected him Monday.

“I’m honored to receive the support of the Queens Democratic Party for my candidacy for the 38th Assembly” district, Miller said in a voicemail message.

“I’m running for the state Assembly to strengthen our neighborhoods — from improving our schools to continuing my efforts to protect our families,” he said. “I will work hard every day to earn the trust of the people of our communities and to make them proud.”

The Queens Democratic Party’s endorsement of Miller was a blow to Ozone Park attorney Albert Baldeo, who led a six-candidate field in fund-raising before the special election was called.

“It’s a sad day for democracy in our district that the vote was taken away from the voters,” Baldeo said.

Baldeo repeatedly told TimesLedger Newspapers he expected to be the party’s choice because of his loyalty to the organization and his help in getting some of their candidates elected.

Last year, Baldeo bowed out of a primary race in favor of then-City Councilman Joseph Addabbo (D-Howard Beach), who went on to defeat then-state Sen. Serphin Maltese (R-Glendale) in November.

In 2006, Baldeo came within 800 votes of defeating Maltese in a close election that shocked the borough’s political establishment.

Dems Pick Miller In 38th AD by Elizabeth Benjamin - The Daily Politics - NY Daily News

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As expected, the Queens Democrats have tapped Mike Miller as their candidate to run in the Sept. 15 special election for the seat vacated by scandal-scarred former Assemblyman Tony Seminerio.

The decision was made by three of the four district leaders in the 38th AD. Seminerio, who remains a district leader despite the fact that he pleaded guilty to, and is awaiting sentencing for, influence-peddling, did not show up at the party HQ to vote.

The decision on Miller, a Community Board 5 member who has never held elected office, was not unanimous.

He got two votes, while Nick Comaianni, a member of Community Board 9 and Community Education Council of District 24 president, received one.

A Queens tipster says the vote was 2-1 for Comianni a few weeks ago. No word on who flipped.

Queens Democratic Party Executive Secretary Michael Reich confirmed Miller's selection and the fact that Seminerio was a no-show. ("We weren't surprised," Reich said of the erstwhile lawmaker's absence in selecting his potential successor).

Miller has been cross-endorsed by the Conservative Party (they formally nominated him last Friday after Gov. David Paterson changed his mind and re-issued a proclamation for the 38th AD special election).

Seminerio regularly ran with the Conservative line - and sometimes the GOP line, too. But the demographic of the district has been changing, with a lot of minorities moving in (it was only 42 percent white after the 2000 Census), supplanting the right-leaning, Caucasian conservative Democrats.

I asked Reich if he's worried Miller's cross-endorsement could hurt him since the special election is being held concurrent with the primary, which tends to draw hard-core Democrats. That would be a big problem for Miller if the WFP, which hasn't picked a candidate yet, decides to nominate someone to his left.

"It's going to be up to us to put the Democratic candidate forward," Reich said. "I believe we can do that. Mike is a guy who has been active in the community for a long time. Honestly, he has not been that active in Democratic politics, but he's a life-long Democrat and he demonstrated to us that he has a great deal of community support."

"...We're trying to add something new and different to the mix here. We're looking to build the party and Mike will help us do that. I don't know what the Working Families Party will do. I hope they'll support our candidate, but we haven't spoken to them as of yet."

It's worth noting that the labor-backed party and its allies have bucked the Queens Democrats in several Council races this year. On the 38th AD question, WFP spokesman Dan Levitan was non-committal, saying only:

"WFP members will look at all the candidates in the race and endorse the one who will best represent working people in Queens."

Of course, letting the 38th AD contest go forward as a regular election was a dangerous proposition, too, because there's not much of a mayor's race to pull voters and the one person who will be spending a lot on GOTV is a certain billionaire whose name will appear on the GOP line.

(Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver, who wants to keep the seat in Democratic hands, was worried about this, and pushed Paterson to reinstate the special election he had called off).

Meanwhile, one of the three other Democrats who petitioned their way onto the ballot and are now being denied a run by Paterson's special election decision - is filing a federal lawsuit against the governor this afternoon.

No word yet on what Albert Baldeo is going to do.

The Republicans are expected to Donna Marie Caltabiano, who also filed petitions and got on the ballot, to run.

Queens City Council Candidate Ruben Wills Throws Punch at Rival in Board of Elections Office by Brendan Brosh

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A Queens City Council candidate took the brawl for City Hall literally on Friday, throwing a punch at a rival in a wild argument over election rules, witnesses said.

The brouhaha broke out at the borough's Board of Elections office, witnesses said.

Ruben Wills - who's running for the 28th Council District seat - took a swing at former City Councilman Allan Jennings, but missed and socked an aide, Jennings said.

Wills, 38, is challenging Jennings' petitions to get on the ballot for the upcoming Democratic primary in September.

"He leaped up and came after me," said Jennings, 42, who held the seat from 2001 to 2005. "He wanted a signature off, and I disagreed."

Jennings campaign worker Frank Perero said he was sitting in front of a computer when Wills' fist hit him and knocked him to the ground.

"All of a sudden, Mr. Wills pops with an angry look on his face, and I find myself on the floor," said Perero. "My back is killing me."

Wills, who told the Daily News he is withdrawing his petition challenge, accused Perero of "buffoonery to act like he was assaulted."

He also accused Jennings of "using the F-word used for homosexuals. He used it 10 or 11 times. He kept going with it."

Wills and Jennings are running against incumbent Thomas White for the seat that represents Richmond Hill, South Ozone Park, Jamaica and Rochdale Village.

A Board of Elections employee restrained Wills, who then left the building. Cops found him in a nearby store, Jennings said. He was not arrested.

"I can confirm that an incident happened," said Board of Elections spokeswoman Valerie Vasquez-Rivera. "A police report was filed."

Wills - who used to work for state Sen. Shirley Huntley - tried to run for Congress against Rep. Gregory Meeks in 2008, but was kicked off the ballot.

He vowed at the time to march on Washington if he was not allowed back in the race.

Wills also had a number of judgments and liens against him for not paying child support, taxes or his student loans, public records show.

Jennings is no stranger to controversy either.

The erratic former councilman made national news when he threw a metal object at a reporter on live TV.

Jennings also placed ads in Chinese language newspapers proclaiming his love for a folk dancer he was dating and his dislike for his wife.

He was accused of threatening a fellow Council member with biblical verses and used Council envelopes to promote his real estate business.

He was also censured in December 2005 for making sexual advances toward two female staffers and forcing them to remain quiet.

The women, who sued in federal court, received a $300,000 settlement from the city.

In 2005, Albert Baldeo, a candidate for the same Council seat was accused of aiming a gun at rival Robert Mahadeo and demanding that he drop out of the race. The charges were later dropped.

"We should be getting away from this type of politics," said Lynn Nunes, who is also running for the seat. "People need to be focusing on issues in the community."