Intrepid Liberal Journal sat down and did a podcast interview with State Senator Liz Krueger recently. After losing a close race to the incumbent in 2000, she won a special election after Roy Goodman (the incumbent) left for a position within the Bloomberg Administration in February of 2002. In the last five years, Liz has been fighting for her constituents (including me!) just as hard as when she was 'merely' a tireless social advocate.
From ILJ:
For the previous two election cycles, Senator Krueger served as the Chair of the Democratic Senate Campaign Committee (DSCC). Democrats have gained under her leadership and following the recent special election of Craig Johnson in Nassau County, the Republican majority is a mere two seats.
In recent weeks there have been persistent rumors two Republicans may switch parties and deliver the Senate to Democrats. Ironic, because in 2002, New York City Mayor Mike Bloomberg said casting a vote for Krueger was a waste due to the Republicans entrenched majority. Instead, Krueger’s efforts have the Democrats poised to assume one party rule in the state’s capitol. In five years the onetime outsider has increased her influence and remained an agent of change.
Senator Krueger agreed to a podcast interview with me and among the topics covered were: her experience as a reformist outsider and campaign leader of Senate Democrats; the possibility of future gerrymandering favoring Democrats in New York State; Governor Spitzer’s adversarial relationship with the legislature; the Governor’s proposed budget and whether New York might move up their presidential primary date to help the campaigns of Hillary Clinton and Rudolph Guiliani.
Link to ILJ's Podcast interview. The interview covers women in legislative politics, how she came to serve in the State Senate as a reformer, talking about taking back the legislature for the Deomcratic party and many other important issues.
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