ALBANY - New York's legislative primaries, usually not terribly exciting, will be different on Tuesday.
These intramural contests will help set the odds on whether Republicans will keep their decades-long rule in the Senate come November and show whether the state's longest serving Democratic leader can stave off a rare challenge.
Presidential campaigns dominating the airwaves could bring out voters demanding change in Washington and may color the chances of some longtime incumbents in the state Legislature.
Add to that the continuing new wave of term-limited Democratic New York City Council members - already armed with name recognition, money and political organizations - seeking new political life in Albany. Mix in a boxer named “Baby Joe” and some sex scandals and there is the potential for a pivotal primary.
“There's certainly a grumpy electorate out there and people are clamoring for change,” said Lee Miringoff of the Marist College poll. “So if you are a longtime incumbent, you have to be a worried a little bit.”
Two incumbent Republican Senators - Dale Volker and George Maziarz in western New York - face primaries.
But Republicans also had to put strong newcomers into two seats vacated by the GOP through retirement to protect its 31-29 majority. There are also two vacancies.
In the 61st District that includes parts of Erie and Genesee counties, the Republican is Michael H. Razenhofer, who hopes to succeed Sen. Mary Lou Rath who held the seat since 1993. On Tuesday, his Democratic opponent will be picked after a heated race involving a well-known boxer, “Baby Joe” Mesi, Amherst town councilman Daniel J. Ward and Michele M. Iannello, an Erie County legislator.
In the 43rd Senate District, Republicans Roy McDonald and Raymond Seney are vying to replace Joseph Bruno, who was Senate majority leader for 13 years.
Independent New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg has provided his important endorsement to two Democratic Senate challengers on Tuesday: Simcha Felder, a New York City councilman and Orthodox Jew, for the New York state Senate seat held by Democrat Kevin Parker of Brooklyn; and Daniel Squadron in the Democratic primary for the 25th Senate District in Manhattan and Brooklyn.
The seat has been held by Martin Connor, a former Senate minority leader, since 1978. Squadron is also endorsed by Democratic U.S. Sen. Charles Schumer, for whom Squadron worked as a top aide.
In the Assembly where Democrats have a 105-42 majority with three vacancies, five Democrats face primary challenges Tuesday, all but one of which are in New York City.
Senate Republicans enter Tuesday with a new political leader.
Bruno retired this summer after serving as majority leader and Senate GOP campaign leader since 1995. But Bruno will still play a role, giving $100,000 of his leftover campaign cash to the GOP Senate campaign committee and nearly $10,000 each to eight GOP senators so far.
In the Democrat-led Assembly, Speaker Sheldon Silver remains in his powerful position, but faces a rare challenge this year to his seat in the 64th Assembly District representing lower Manhattan. Encouraged by New York Post editorials critical of Silver, challenger Paul Newell raised more than twice as much as Silver in the last two months of fundraising.
But Newell had just $38,000 on hand as of last week and a third challenger, lawyer Luke Henry, had about $9,000 to spend as of last week's filings with the state Board of Elections.
Silver still has a large campaign fund - $2.9 million - and has the support of civic, religious and business leaders in his district.
And then there's the X factor in New York politics.
Billionaire philanthropist B. Thomas Golisano has promised to donate at least $5 million this fall to campaigns he feels will bring openness to the Legislature while cutting into its pay-to-play reputation built by powerful special interests led by unions.
One of his choices, Democrat Barbara Kavanaugh, faces incumbent Assemblyman Sam Hoyt, a Buffalo Democrat, in the 144th Assembly District.
Hoyt is fending off accusations posted on a local political blog that he had affairs with two legislative workers who once were interns nearly five years ago. The Assembly ethics committee is investigating. Hoyt blames his political opponents for the release of steamy e-mails related to the women.
Across the state, in the 99th district, first-term Assemblyman Greg Ball of Putnam County is denying a claim that he sexually harassed a woman and blames the accusation on supporters of his Republican primary opponent, former Brewster Mayor John Degnan. The Assembly is investigating.
Tuesday will set the table for a hotter November.
“What you are doing is setting up a really dramatic, serious election in November for Senate control,” said Maurice “Mickey” Carroll of the Quinnipiac University poll. “And that's going to be a good one.”
No local primaries
There are no local primary races on the ballot for the Tuesday statewide primary.
Neighboring counties such as Onondaga will have primaries on Sept. 9 but none of those races cover Cayuga County election districts.
Polling places have been consolidated in Auburn, Aurelius, Fleming, Moravia, Niles, Owasco, Scipio, Sennett and Sterling.
The county board is reminding voters that one-third of them will have a new polling place in November. Yellow postcard notices have been mailed to every county voter indicating their polling place.
Call the Board of Elections at 253-1285 with any questions.
Presidential campaigns dominating the airwaves could bring out voters demanding change in Washington and may color the chances of some longtime incumbents in the state Legislature.
Add to that the continuing new wave of term-limited Democratic New York City Council members - already armed with name recognition, money and political organizations - seeking new political life in Albany. Mix in a boxer named “Baby Joe” and some sex scandals and there is the potential for a pivotal primary.
“There's certainly a grumpy electorate out there and people are clamoring for change,” said Lee Miringoff of the Marist College poll. “So if you are a longtime incumbent, you have to be a worried a little bit.”
Two incumbent Republican Senators - Dale Volker and George Maziarz in western New York - face primaries.
But Republicans also had to put strong newcomers into two seats vacated by the GOP through retirement to protect its 31-29 majority. There are also two vacancies.
In the 61st District that includes parts of Erie and Genesee counties, the Republican is Michael H. Razenhofer, who hopes to succeed Sen. Mary Lou Rath who held the seat since 1993. On Tuesday, his Democratic opponent will be picked after a heated race involving a well-known boxer, “Baby Joe” Mesi, Amherst town councilman Daniel J. Ward and Michele M. Iannello, an Erie County legislator.
In the 43rd Senate District, Republicans Roy McDonald and Raymond Seney are vying to replace Joseph Bruno, who was Senate majority leader for 13 years.
Independent New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg has provided his important endorsement to two Democratic Senate challengers on Tuesday: Simcha Felder, a New York City councilman and Orthodox Jew, for the New York state Senate seat held by Democrat Kevin Parker of Brooklyn; and Daniel Squadron in the Democratic primary for the 25th Senate District in Manhattan and Brooklyn.
The seat has been held by Martin Connor, a former Senate minority leader, since 1978. Squadron is also endorsed by Democratic U.S. Sen. Charles Schumer, for whom Squadron worked as a top aide.
In the Assembly where Democrats have a 105-42 majority with three vacancies, five Democrats face primary challenges Tuesday, all but one of which are in New York City.
Senate Republicans enter Tuesday with a new political leader.
Bruno retired this summer after serving as majority leader and Senate GOP campaign leader since 1995. But Bruno will still play a role, giving $100,000 of his leftover campaign cash to the GOP Senate campaign committee and nearly $10,000 each to eight GOP senators so far.
In the Democrat-led Assembly, Speaker Sheldon Silver remains in his powerful position, but faces a rare challenge this year to his seat in the 64th Assembly District representing lower Manhattan. Encouraged by New York Post editorials critical of Silver, challenger Paul Newell raised more than twice as much as Silver in the last two months of fundraising.
But Newell had just $38,000 on hand as of last week and a third challenger, lawyer Luke Henry, had about $9,000 to spend as of last week's filings with the state Board of Elections.
Silver still has a large campaign fund - $2.9 million - and has the support of civic, religious and business leaders in his district.
And then there's the X factor in New York politics.
Billionaire philanthropist B. Thomas Golisano has promised to donate at least $5 million this fall to campaigns he feels will bring openness to the Legislature while cutting into its pay-to-play reputation built by powerful special interests led by unions.
One of his choices, Democrat Barbara Kavanaugh, faces incumbent Assemblyman Sam Hoyt, a Buffalo Democrat, in the 144th Assembly District.
Hoyt is fending off accusations posted on a local political blog that he had affairs with two legislative workers who once were interns nearly five years ago. The Assembly ethics committee is investigating. Hoyt blames his political opponents for the release of steamy e-mails related to the women.
Across the state, in the 99th district, first-term Assemblyman Greg Ball of Putnam County is denying a claim that he sexually harassed a woman and blames the accusation on supporters of his Republican primary opponent, former Brewster Mayor John Degnan. The Assembly is investigating.
Tuesday will set the table for a hotter November.
“What you are doing is setting up a really dramatic, serious election in November for Senate control,” said Maurice “Mickey” Carroll of the Quinnipiac University poll. “And that's going to be a good one.”
No local primaries
There are no local primary races on the ballot for the Tuesday statewide primary.
Neighboring counties such as Onondaga will have primaries on Sept. 9 but none of those races cover Cayuga County election districts.
Polling places have been consolidated in Auburn, Aurelius, Fleming, Moravia, Niles, Owasco, Scipio, Sennett and Sterling.
The county board is reminding voters that one-third of them will have a new polling place in November. Yellow postcard notices have been mailed to every county voter indicating their polling place.
Call the Board of Elections at 253-1285 with any questions.
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