Challengers Rick Dollinger, Joe Addabbo, and Brian X. Foley, along with incumbents Malcolm Smith, Eric Schniderman, and Andrea Stewart-Cousins were endorsed by New Yorkers Against Gun Violence and GunFreeKids.org primarily because their Republican opponents' voting records in favor of gun policies that belong in Kansas instead of New York
"For nearly eight years, the leadership in the State Senate has blocked almost every piece of common-sense gun legislation passed by the Assembly," said Andy Pelosi, President of GunFreeKids.org. "It's time for good policy to trump politics in the State Senate."
This year microstamping and improved gun dealer regulations - both important law enforcement tools to help investigate and pursue crime guns and the criminals who use them - are at the top of the groups' agendas. In 2008, the State Assembly passed both bills, but the Senate refused to act.
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The Endorsed State Senate Candidates Are:
Brian Foley, Third Senate District (Long Island)
Senator Malcolm Smith, 14th Senate District (Queens)
Joseph Addabbo, Jr., 15th Senate District (Queens)
Senator Eric Schneiderman, 31st Senate District (Manhattan/Bronx)
Senator Andrea Stewart-Cousins, 35th Senate District (Westchester)
Rick Dollinger, 56th Senate District (Greater Rochester)
This should be a nice finger-in-the-eye of the rediculous argument that New York Republicans are more moderate than their national counterparts. They're not. And I believe this is a huge reason why New York's suburbs are trending Democratic. In fact, this week Nassau County officially became more Democratic than Republican:
For decades, voters in Nassau County elected no one but Republicans. The party machine was so powerful that President Ronald Reagan once said "when a Republican dies and goes to heaven it looks a lot like Nassau County."
The shift to Democratic began in 2001 with the election of County Executive Tom Suozzi.
As of Tuesday, Democrats outnumbered Republicans by 118 votes. In 2002, Republicans outnumbered Democrats by more than 66,000 votes.
Keep on going that extremist road, Sens. Maltese, Trunzo, and Robach- please. |
