And They’re Off: Councilman Recchia Enters 2014 Congressional Race Versus Grimm

By on February 18, 2013  Politics
Feb 182013
 
Domenic Recchia (second from left) with other City Councilmembers at the Masbia soup kitchen in 2011. (Photo courtesy of the Office of Domenic Recchia)

Domenic Recchia (second from right) with other City Councilmembers at the Masbia soup kitchen in 2011. (Photo courtesy of the Office of Domenic Recchia)

“When you play the game of thrones, you win, or you die.” Fans of the HBO television program or the Song Of Ice And Fire book series know well Cersei Lannister’s forecast for good guy/hero Ned Stark.

If the Queen Regent of the Seven Kingdoms were living in our world, she might point out that in the game of American politics, you play all the freakin’ time… and then you play some more. And keep playing. Win, lose, die, somebody is always running in the next election before the votes from the last one are counted.

And so it surprises no one that Congressman Michael Grimm (R-Staten Island/Bay Ridge) has drawn his first challenge to a third term, just three months after winning his second: City Councilmember Domenic Recchia announced his candidicy for Congress on Saturday through Tom Wrobleski of the Staten Island Advance.

Recchia, a Democrat, is a three-term Councilmember with a district centered primarily on Coney Island and Gravesend. He has serves as the Chairman of the Council’s Finance Committee since 2010. He is term-limited and not able to run for reelection to the City Council this November. Continue reading »

House Ethics Committee Defers Grimm Investigation To Justice Department

By on November 28, 2012  Politics
Nov 282012
 

Then-candidate Michael Grimm in 2010. (Photo by Brian Hedden)

Now that the 2012 election is over, it’s time to start talking about 2016, am I right?

At least, that’s the way it feels sometimes when reading news coverage, or especially watching cable TV news. Will Hillary run? Is Andrew Cuomo a viable candidate? Do Republicans still love Chris Christie? Since when did New York and New Jersey start hogging the potential Presidential limelight anyway?

But alas, there’s a lot more to how the government is run than speculating on who will become President over four years from now. Even beyond the national stuff like the fiscal cliff and filibuster reform, there’s movement at the local level, such as the leanings of Diane Savino and her Independent Democrat Conference in the State Senate, or the redistricting of City Council districts that may have an impact on 2013 municipal elections.

And of course, there’s also room to rehash stuff that happened in 2010.

WABC’s Sarah Wallace has reported on a newsworthy development in the probes of Staten Island/Bay Ridge Congressman Michael Grimm. Wallace reports that the House Ethics Committee has decided to defer an investigation into Grimm’s fundraising practices pending the conclusion of an ongoing probe by the Justice Department. Continue reading »

Local Bay Ridge Election Results

By on November 7, 2012  Featured story, Politics
Nov 072012
 

1:00am, November 7 – Declared winners in Bay Ridge so far are all incumbents – Representatives Michael Grimm and Jerry Nadler, State Senator Diane Savino, and Assemblyman Felix Ortiz.

1:30am, November 7 – State Senator Marty Golden and Assemblywoman Nicole Malliotakis have also been declared winners in their reelection bids.

1:55am, November 7 – Alec Brook-Krasny is the winner in the 46th Assembly district. All area incumbents held onto their seats.

Incumbent candidates are noted with an asterisk. Declared winners are underlined, where applicable.

Results as of November 7, 8:00pm, via WABC:

Congress – District 11 (with 100% reporting)

Republican Congressman Michael Grimm (left) defeats Democratic challenger, Mark Murphy. (Grimm photo: Brian Hedden. Murphy photo via Facebook/Mark Murphy campaign).

  • *Michael Grimm (R, C) – 94,102 (52.8%)
  • Mark Murphy (D, WF) -82,401 (46.2%)
  • Henry Bardell (G) -1,782 (1%)

Congress – District 10 (with 98.8% reporting)

  • *Jerrold Nadler (D, WF) – 145,381 (80.7%)
  • Michael Chan (R, C) – 34,848 (19.3%)

NY Senate – District 22 (with 100% reporting)

Democrat Andrew Gounardes (left) is defeated by Republican incumbent Marty Golden (right). (Photos: Andrew Gounardes/Flickr and Erica Sherman)

  • *Martin Golden (R, C, I) – 35,720 (58.1%)
  • Andrew Gounardes (D, WF) – 25,761 (41.9%)

NY Senate – District 23 (with 100% reporting)

State Senator Diane Savino (left) defeats her Republican challenger, Lisa Grey (right).

  • *Diane Savino (D, WF, I) – 43,440 (76%)
  • Lisa Grey (R, C) – 13,682 (24%)

NY Assembly – District 64 (with 100% reporting)

Democrat John Mancuso (left) has lost to incumbent Republican Assemblywoman Nicole Malliotakis (right).

  • *Nicole Malliotakis (R, C, I) – 19,252 (61.7%)
  • John Mancuso (D, WF) – 11,965 (38.3%)

NY Assembly – District 46(with 100% reporting)

Assemblyman Alec Brook-Krasny (left) leads his Republican challenger, Tom McCarthy.

  • *Alec Brook-Krasny (D, WF) – 13,224 (58.7%)
  • Thomas McCarthy (R, C) – 8,882 (39.5%)
  • Patrick Dwyer (G) – 404 (1.8%)

NY Assembly – District 51 (with 84% reporting)

  • *Félix Ortiz (D) -14,759 (86.1%)
  • Henry Lallave (R) – 2,385 (13.9%)

Congressional Redistricting: Who Are We Voting For Today?

By on November 6, 2012  Featured story, Politics
Nov 062012
 

Today is election day!

There have been a few changes to Congressional, State Senate, and State Assembly districts since the last election. This article reviews the new boundaries for Congressional districts that cover Bay Ridge, and lists the candidates that have their names on the ballot (* indicates incumbent candidate). Remember, you can locate your polling site through the Board of Elections web site, or text NYCVOTES to 877877.

Congress – District 11

Most Bay Ridge residents will vote in the 11th Congressional District. We’re looking forward to at least 10 years of Hunger Games references.

Most of Bay Ridge is represented by the 11th Congressional district. It covers much of the same ground as the old 13th district. In Bay Ridge, it is essentially unchanged, though there are changes to the boundary as it reaches into Bensonhurst. The candidates on the ballot are:

In Sunday Piece On Mark Murphy, NY Times Gets Real About Grimm Challenger

By on October 15, 2012  Politics
Oct 152012
 

While walking around Bay Ridge, I’ve witnessed some interesting combinations of political posters in store windows and in front of private homes.

I’ve seen signs for Marty Golden and Andrew Gounardes sharing space in a car service, Gounardes and Malliotakis posters hanging out together in the front windows of Greek-owned businesses, anti-fracking signs and peace symbols glued to front doors bearing Obama bumper stickers sitting next to homes owned by die-hard Grimm fans. However, I can’t recall seeing ANY evidence of the Mark Murphy campaign’s presence in Bay Ridge. No literature, no stickers, no buttons. Zilch. Nada.

While coverage of incumbent Congressman Michael Grimm by the New York Times has often involved attempts at political pile-on involving truth that can, at times, appear stretched, the Gray Lady seems to have finally published a story about the race for New York’s 13th Congressional seat that’s grounded in reality rather than some muckraker’s wet dream. Continue reading »

Retail Workers Union Endorses Mark Murphy, Accuses Grimm of Bilking Employees

By on September 28, 2012  Politics
Sep 282012
 

A Healthalicious restaurant on the Upper East Side of Manhattan, bottom right (Image source: Googlemaps).

Yesterday the Retail, Wholesale, and Department Store Union [RWDSU], which is currently trying to organize workers at a supermarket near you, endorsed Congressional candidate Mark Murphy in the race to represent New York’s 11th District in the U.S. House of Representatives.

The union claims that Murphy will make blue collar issues – such as increasing the federal minimum wage and ending corporate welfare for companies that outsource jobs to China, a priority.

“We are endorsing Mark because we know that he will prioritize the needs of working people and the middle class.  He will fight to increase the federal minimum wage, end subsidies for corporations that ship jobs overseas, and implement policies that help create more good jobs and reduce economic inequality,” announced RWDSU president Stuart Appelbaum in a statement sent to Bay Ridge Odyssey by the Murphy campaign.

According to the press release, RWDSU represents 100,000 workers in retail, food processing, and other industries in the U.S. and Canada, including 40,000 workers in the New York City area.

In addition to the usual business of talking up Murphy and associating Grimm with conservative Republican vice presidential candidate Paul Ryan, Applebaum went on to accuse the Congressman of committing “wage theft” by paying workers at a Manhattan restaurant he owned below minimum wage. Rep. Grimm founded the health food eatery, called Healthalicious, in 2006. Continue reading »

After Teen Arrested For Vandalism, Grimm Wags Finger At Media While They Wag Right Back

By on September 26, 2012  Politics
Sep 262012
 

Image source: Grimm campaign via Politicker.

After the Associated Press broke the news yesterday that a teen had confessed to smashing the windows at U.S. Rep. Michael Grimm’s Staten Island campaign office with a classmate, after it had already been revealed that the crime was being treated as an act of criminal mischief and not a burglary, the Congressman responded by releasing a statement saying he was “very relieved” that the attack wasn’t politically motivated, as reported by Politicker’s Hunter Walker and Colin Campbell.

“It is unfortunate that these young kids would commit such an act of vandalism, yet we are very relieved to know this is not politically motivated. At the time, when we saw three large window panes broken, following a consistent pattern of lawn sign thefts and after several locations with Grimm signs and posters were barraged with eggs, it was not hard to come to any other conclusion,” Mr. Grimm said. “In addition to that, the gentleman in charge of operating the main computer system, found the computer not functioning and a new operating system installed. Again, under the circumstances, it could very easily lead one to believe that this was all connected, which is why we contacted the NYPD.”

However, it didn’t take long for Grimm to lash out at the press for having the gall to report on things that actually happened, calling it “shameless spin.” Unfortunately for him, the media was more than happy to respond by going to the Michael Grimm blooper reel. Continue reading »

[UPDATED] Grimm S.I. Campaign Headquarters Vandalized

By on September 24, 2012  Politics
Sep 242012
 

Image source: Grimm campaign via Politicker.

The Staten Island campaign headquarters of Rep. Michael Grimm was allegedly vandalized and burglarized sometime on Saturday night, as reported by Politicker’s Hunter Walker. Continue reading »

Ed Koch Endorses Mark Murphy for Congress, Cites Danger to Middle Class Safety Net

By on September 24, 2012  Featured story, Politics
Sep 242012
 

Celebrated former mayor, kingmaker, and grumpy old man Ed Koch tossed his two cents into the District 11 Congressional race late last week, and no – it wasn’t to Eastwood a chair.

While Koch backed Republican Bob Turner in last year’s special election to replace Anthony Weiner in District 9, this time he’s throwing in his lot with fellow Democrat Mark Murphy.

The reason he’s backing Murphy over incumbent Michael Grimm?

Hizzoner says the policies of Grimm, along with Congressional colleague and Republican Vice Presidential nominee Paul Ryan, are “hostile” to long-standing social programs that benefit the middle class. Continue reading »

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