Can I Get A Squadron For Senate Sign?

A Team Squadron staffer hard at work, two days before election day:


from Daniel Squadron's Chinatown HQ

By the miracle of campaign staffers and volunteers, all those signs you see will be up across the district by Tuesday, reminding everyone in Lower Manhattan and parts of Brooklyn to vote for the strongly supported Daniel Squadron.

Connor And Squadron Get Together Again

With less than a week to go until primary day, state legislative candidates are going into full gear in their quests to either attain office or stay in office. One of those contested primaries is the 25th Senate District, compromised of Lower Manhattan and parts of Brooklyn. Marty Connor is the long-time incumbent and Dan Squadron is the young insurgent looking for change. They last butted heads at an event hosted by Democracy for New York City and both came out looking good (though Squadron looked a little green as well), this time around things have changed, Connor was on the defensive and the Brooklyn Heights live blog paints a picture of what went down.

From Brooklyn Heights Blog:

7:42pm: Wow, Connor on the defensive. Getting angry over voting against the smoking ban. Breathe, connor, breathe.
and he’s completely ignoring the question about voting against commuter tax.

7:47pm: Connor blaming commuter tax demise on Giuliani

7:52pm: Squadron defending his brooklyn bridge park position. Doesn’t want to stop the park, just the condos. And the crowd goes wild!

7:56pm: Connor: I got the funds for the park, me, me,me! And the crowd goes wild!

7:51pm: knitting lady update: she’s almost done. I think its a scarf.

8:05pm: talking about education. Really, these guys are on the same side. Connor taking shots at Squadron.

8:09pm: Oh, this is rich…Connor accusing Squadron of using too many posters and leaving around too much trash

Connor to Squadron: get off my lawn!

Oh no, not the "Get off my lawn!" mentality, that does not bode well for Marty at all. Two years ago he had some good competition in Ken Diamondstone, but this time Senator Connor is running scared. While Connor may be on the right side of many issues, this is a race about having the better Democrat in the State Senate and it is looking like a time for change. Whining about Republican control while your record shows compliance with them just isn't good enough.

Meet And Greet With SD-25 Candidate Dan Squadron Tonight

Do you have an interest in local New York politics? Do you like free drinks? Well then I have the perfect event for you, tonight down in the Lower East Side. Young Manhattanite is hosting a meet and greet with Dan Squadron, who is challenging Marty Connor for New York's 25th Senate District. As you know the primary is only one week from tomorrow, so if you live in the district, or are looking to help out some good candidates in the next week or so, then come check Dan out.

From the invite:

Dear Tumblrs, Bloggers, Manhattanites, Brooklynites, Young and Old, etc:

I’m hosting a casual “meet the candidate” reception with free drinks for NY State Senate candidate Daniel Squadron on Tuesday, September 2 at 9:30pm at The Magician on the corner of Rivington and Essex in Manhattan .

The District he’s running for covers Brooklyn Heights, Carroll Gardens, Cobble Hill, DUMBO, western Williamsburg and most of Manhattan below 14th Street other than Greenwich Village. Squadron is a great candidate who’s ready to fight the incumbent disease we know as Albany politics. He has been endorsed by the New York Times, lots of local organizations, Mayor Bloomberg, Senator Schumer and others. You can read more about him here:

http://www.danielsquadron.org/

With all the hoopla going on in Denver and Minneapolis, we have the opportunity to make change in our own neighborhoods here. This is an election where literally EVERY VOTE COUNTS. Corny? Maybe, but small increases in turnout can swing local elections.

Did I mention free drinks? Hope to see you there. Let me know if you have any questions. Sorry for the late start, he’s debating his primary opponent in Brooklyn earlier in the evening.

Thanks,
AK

I'm not sure if I'll make it tonight, but rest assured, I've met Dan and I like what I see in him and who is a Democrat that is intent on changing Albany, not ascribing to the status quo. He has the support of many prominent people in Brooklyn and Lower Manhattan. More importantly, he hopes to have your support next Tuesday, so come and get your questions asked in person tonight.

Diamondstone Out In Senate District 25?

The race against Senator Marty Connor in Lower Manhattan/Brooklyn is about to change shape again, as Ken Diamondstone (who lost to Connor in the primary two years ago) is about to drop out, leaving the primary challenging ground solely to up and coming Dan Squadron. Ken did look to be in good spirits at DfNYC's Meet and Greet for Council candidates Josh Skaller and Steve Behar. Though he wasn't making any speeches, he was still announced as a candidate. Now according to press reports, that will be a thing of the past as the community organization wagons begin to close around Squadron.

From Gay City:

One nagging concern for Squadron and Working Families, however, has been the possibility that WFP's 2006 candidate, Ken Diamondstone, an out gay housing developer from Brooklyn, might once again enter the contest. Defeating an incumbent is difficult enough without having to split the opposition vote in two, Connor's opponents reason. In 2006, Connor beat back Diamondstone's challenge by more than ten percent.

According to Dan Cantor, who heads up WFP, Diamondstone, who did not respond to Gay City News' request for comment, was prepared as of April 9 to formally announce he would not make the race. Though his reasons are not known, Schumer's decision to back Squadron may not have been the only factor.

As he considered a run, Diamondstone sought indications of support from the Lambda Independent Democrats, a Brooklyn gay political club on whose board he sits. His efforts were opposed, however, by Daniel Tietz, a former LID president. Late last week, in an email that ran to nearly 1,900 words, Tietz laid out his rationale for why the club should support Squadron and not Diamondstone. Noting that Squadron is a serious candidate who is mounting a strong challenge - having already raised in excess of $200,000 from more than 350 donors - Tietz alluded to the fact that Diamondstone has run unsuccessfully in three past races. He also presented data from other primary contests demonstrating that even incumbents who lose typically don't fall below 40 percent of the total vote.

So if the Working Families Party endorsement and Chuck Schumer's non-endorsement endorsement weren't enough, this adds even more pressure for Diamondstone to step aside. Ken is still a great asset to the community and does a lot for New York City, but ultimately we want to take back the Senate....not only from Republicans but all long-term cronies like Marty Connor.

UPDATE (4/10 4:35PM): That non-endorsement endorsement is now officially an endorsement.

Dan Squadron Gets Big "Chuck" Time Support Against Connor

In New York state politics or any state for that matter, running against an incumbent is a challenge of that requires overcoming immense odds. The power of incumbency in New York has enabled many legislators to stay in their seats for many years and decades. Though if you are going to fight the status quo in Albany, going in with a good message and powerful friends is a smart way to go. Dan Squadron has the message and now the support of New York's senior Senator, Chuck Schumer.

From The NY Daily News:

Veteran Brooklyn State Sen. Marty Connor said he was shocked when Schumer informed him during a rural Democrats' event in Saratoga Springs on Saturday that Schumer will back his former aide and political neophyte, Daniel Squadron, against Connor this fall.

According to Connor, Schumer, speaking in "a cold voice," informed the former state Senate minority leader: "You weren't there when I needed you; I owe you nothing."

At issue was Connor's 1998 endorsement of then-Rep. Schumer's U.S. Senate primary opponent, Geraldine Ferraro. Schumer went on to win the primary that year and oust Republican Sen. Alfonse D'Amato in the general election.

"Chuck's so powerful now he thinks he can go back and get even with everyone who slighted him over the last 10 years," said a miffed Connor, whose encounter with Schumer was seen by several Democrats and independently confirmed by one of them.

Damn! Now that is playing hardball New York style. Connor may be miffed by Schumer's broadside against him, but in the Empire State favors do go a long way and vice-versa. This encounter certainly complicates Schumer's support of Squadron in political circles but if he comes through with the cash that Chuck is known for, that outburst of contempt won't amount to much.

Of course we still have another man throwing his hat in the ring as he did two years ago, Mr. Ken Diamondstone. Ken can certainly throw his weight in as well for the primary and contest Connor as well. The only problem is that the two challengers can complicate the anti-Connor vote. The question is, can either one get the other to bow out to put up a formidable challenge to Connor?