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Where Are the Challengers?

by: jmcbride

Tue Feb 23, 2010 at 16:38:27 PM EST

( - promoted by NYBri)

---------------------------------------------------
RebootNY has launched its website! There are several cool things to check out. Perhaps best of all is our senate district map.

But where are all the challengers? (Check out SD-1.) Well if you are a challenger, campaign committee, exploratory committee, drop us a line. Lets us know something about the challenger and how to contact him or her. The idea is to clean up the house that is called the New York State Senate, but it won't happen without good challengers.

Our map is really great fun. There is a ton of information. Like why do we have a 13 year Republican incumbent in a district with a 19% Democratic enrollment advantage? Can you find which district it is?

And while you are checking us out, Contribute to RebootNY

jmcbride :: Where Are the Challengers?

Tags: NYS Senate, RebootNY, (All Tags)

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Where Are the Challengers? | 18 comments

Also Check out Senate: Long Island (4.00 / 3)

Other than SD-1 and SD-2, Republicans are either even with Democrats or have a slight registration advantage.

Where are the challengers?

by: CaseStreet @ Wed Feb 24, 2010 at 00:00:15 AM UTC

by: you @ soon

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I think some of this (4.00 / 2)

was the result of political calculation. Given the dysfunctional way Albany works in each house, it made sense to have a Republican Senator, while having a Democratic Assemblyman/woman

by: Norbrook @ Wed Feb 24, 2010 at 00:23:12 AM UTC

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by: you @ soon

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You got it (4.00 / 3)

The old "arrangement" made Democrats in the Senate and Republicans in the house virtually useless as reps-- they couldn't move any legislation, get any member items, even find out what the heck was going on. So, a savvy district got themselves a matched set of Majority legislators, no matter what the enrollment, and then put in their various member item requests....

by: robinia @ Wed Feb 24, 2010 at 02:52:29 AM UTC

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by: you @ soon

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The only problem is (4.00 / 1)

that's still the case in the Assembly. I hate to say it, but I really have thought at times that the best thing in the world would have been for the Republicans to win the Assembly and the Democrats to take the Senate. That was before the Democrats did take the Senate, and proceeded to demonstrate how inept they were.

Right. Back to the drawing board. First get decent, competent Democrats elected, then take over. (sigh)

by: Norbrook @ Wed Feb 24, 2010 at 05:50:05 AM UTC

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by: you @ soon

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And just in case anybody gets ideas... (4.00 / 1)

...the districts are hopelessly gerrymandered, as bad as I've ever seen a district map. One question - why do we even need a State Senate that is functionally the same as the Assembly? Can't we revamp that body somehow so that each county gets one senator, or something like that? I guess you'd need a constitutional convention for that, and I see little chance of that ever happening.

by: Steaming Pile @ Wed Feb 24, 2010 at 17:42:38 PM UTC

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That was how the State Senate was originally designed. (4.00 / 1)

That's why we have 62 Senators: because there's 62 counties in NY. However, it was deemed illegal under constitutional provisions for majority rule, since it would mean a handful of counties with a population under a quarter million could have as much influence as the entirety of New York City.

by: Adama D. Brown @ Wed Feb 24, 2010 at 21:50:15 PM UTC

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Trust me (4.00 / 1)

You don't want the handful of people from Herkimer County to have one Senator, and Brooklyn one, as well.

by: robinia @ Wed Feb 24, 2010 at 22:45:36 PM UTC

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That's strange (4.00 / 1)

considering the U.S. Senate is set up the same way. Not that I'm complaining, but why is it unconstitutional for NYS but not the US?

by: CaseStreet @ Thu Feb 25, 2010 at 00:25:54 AM UTC

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I would imagine it's the NY Constitution (0.00 / 0)

that it's against. Of course, if you look at NYC's districts, it's a gerrymandering clinic.

by: Norbrook @ Thu Feb 25, 2010 at 01:47:13 AM UTC

[ Parent ]

It's against the 14th Amendment of the Federal Constitution (0.00 / 0)

That 'ol pesky thing called equal protection of the law.

The key case is Reynolds v. Sims, where some voters in Alabama challenged the apportionment of the state legislature in 1961 because the state had not re-apportioned the state's legislative districts since 1900, despite a requirement in the Alabama Constitution that it be conducted decennially. The problem was that in the intervening 6 decades, the population in some counties exploded, and others remained stagnant, so that the weight of a vote in counties with a smaller population was significantly higher than the weight given to a voter in a county with a much higher population.
The Supreme Court held that it was a dilution of the right to vote for states to have voting districts significantly unequal in population.

It's not unconstitutional for the US, because it's enshrined in the Constitution.

by: Ryan @ Thu Feb 25, 2010 at 04:29:55 AM UTC

[ Parent ]

I hope we've learned that three men in a room (4.00 / 2)

isn't democratic and won't cut it any more.

by: CaseStreet @ Wed Feb 24, 2010 at 14:57:47 PM UTC

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Anyone know LI politics? (4.00 / 1)

What are the chances of picking up some Senate seats there?

by: CaseStreet @ Wed Feb 24, 2010 at 15:04:02 PM UTC

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good (4.00 / 3)

click the map go to LI and check SD-1. Regina Calcaterra, she's one of the best candidates I have met in a while.

by: jmcbride @ Wed Feb 24, 2010 at 16:02:24 PM UTC

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After seeing what she did on Fox News (4.00 / 3)

I'm sold.

http://mediamatters.org/mmtv/2...

by: CaseStreet @ Wed Feb 24, 2010 at 17:29:16 PM UTC

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Regina Calcaterra is a VERY exciting candidate (4.00 / 3)

Sean Cooney out in Erie County is another.

by: Andrew C. White @ Wed Feb 24, 2010 at 17:45:42 PM UTC

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Reboot gets some press (4.00 / 2)

See here: http://www.nydailynews.com/blo...

by: sabachi @ Wed Feb 24, 2010 at 21:31:23 PM UTC

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Someone needs to primary Ruben Diaz (4.00 / 1)

We need to get rid of Ruben Diaz. Is there anyone planning to challenge him in the primary? I only know that he has a Green Party challenger Rosa Clemente.

I think if a well organized progressive challenges Diaz in the Democratic primary, they can win. In fact, Diaz ousted Espada in a primary to win his seat.

by: stevenman5000 @ Thu Feb 25, 2010 at 16:45:55 PM UTC

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Add Carl Kruger To The List (0.00 / 0)

by: ROSALIE907 @ Fri Feb 26, 2010 at 04:33:43 AM UTC

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Where Are the Challengers? | 18 comments

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