The 34th State Senate district has to be one of the strangest gerrymandered districts of the 62 New York has. In my eyes, I see Walt Disney's Scrooge McDuck sitting at a sewing machine or i should say a typerwriter (actually the typewriter portion looks like a distorted drawing of NEW YORK STATE!)
The seat was designed to protect Guy Vellela from losing a Senate district that was held by a Republican for years. But Vellela chose to get indicted and after vacating the seat, it has flipped to Democrat.
2010 is a year where Republicans are going to want quality candidates in seats held maybe four to six years ago. The Vellala and Maltese seats are two in New York City that should interest chairman Ed Cox and the Senate Republican committee. I'd even say it would be worth throwing some chips at the old Goodman seat to at least provide a well versed effort throughout the NYC region.
A big concern is who to run for the 34-SD. Who could bring a strong campaign against Jeff Klein and potentially defeat him?I'd like to make the suggestion of Tony Colavita, a four-term Eastchester Town Supervisor. Colavita was re-elected on November 3 and if he runs, he won't have to give up his seat until he wins. Colavita has proven to be a popular Republican in Eastchester and it's likely his candidacy could help build the GOP in both Westchester and the Bronx.
So with 2010 around the corner, let's hope Colavita considers taking on a bigger challenge, a challenge that will be well worth taking.
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written by Stephanie , November 15, 2009
Dan, why can't Rockland County resident Jay Savino give it another try? He ran for the 34th Senate seat the last time.
Richard Nixon lost in 1960 for President, and lost in 1962 gor California Governor, but was successful in 1968 for President.
Jay Savino should give it another earnest try.
http://www.nydailynews.com/blogs/dailypolitics/2009/03/bronx-gop-seeks-financial-free.html
written by Jay Golub , November 16, 2009
nSeems that Colavita is a well accepted entity as he ran unopposed in this election. I wonder whether or not that is the case because he chooses to not run for the Senate seat...
written by Daniel Peterson , November 16, 2009
Stephanie, the biggest issue many reform-minded NY Republicans have is combining elected office with county leadership. For years, Queens was led by Sen Serphin Maltese, and though he excelled in conservative principles as a State legislator, his role as county chairman led to much infighting and turbulence in local politics.
Jay Savino has the challenge of leading his borough as state chairman and with the attacks against him and his family, to seek elected office again and win and still remain as county chairman would not hold well for many reform Republicans.
It's also a gerrymandered district that is in both the Bronx and Westchester and I do not see it as appropriate for a Senator who's in two counties to be the leader of one.
Also, I find it hard to believe you, who has called into question his residency, would even offer such a suggestion.
written by Stephanie , November 16, 2009
Dan, o'kay you got me there.
It gets confusing with various elected district lines, and those of counties or boroughs - where elected districts could overlap into neighboring counties/boroughs.
Case in point, the 13 C.D. - cover Staten Island and part of Brooklyn. The Brooklyn faction seems always to be alienated from the S.I. side, and vice versa. yada yada yada....
It gets convoluted.
A party chairperson is better off not also being an elected representative concurrently. Too much on the plate!
written by osher g. , November 16, 2009
You'll see... as soon as they think Klein is vulnerable, they'll give him a chairmanship or some sort of position of power, so that voters will be skeptical about voting out the incumbent.
written by Behold a Pale Horse , November 16, 2009
Ironically, osher, that's the case that downstate Senate Republicans often made. Re-elect us since we control the Senate and can deliver more goodies!
As for Klein, he is still deputy majority leader, so he won't need a new committee chairmanship.
But if he gets a tough race, I'm sure he'll peddle the old Republican talking point about how since he belongs to the party that controls the Senate, he'll deliver more. (Of course, the voters might want lower taxes and spending.....)
written by Behold a Pale Horse , November 16, 2009
There were reports that Velella, eager to stop Jay Savino from getting the nomination in 2006, was promoting Colavita to Joe Bruno and the Senate Republican Campaign Committee. When it looked like Colavita could get their support, Velella then began promoting Mario Biaggi Jr. as the candidate. Eventually, Bruno, et al threw their support behind Savino in 2006.nnThere is some tension between Colavita and Jay Savino, who is still Bronx GOP Chairman. Note the last comment at [(link removed - BAPH can repair link in following comment...]nnThe comment was originally posted on the old UE and reposted on other sites.nnThe question is if both put their differences behind them and realized it was Velella who was trying to set them against each other.nnIt wouldn't be unthinkable to have someone from Westchester represent a district that has a larger part of the Bronx. Sen. Ruth Hassell-Thompson, a Democrat from Mt. Vernon who was elected in 2000 in, does just that. Her district, the 36th, covers a much larger portion (geographically and population) in the Bronx than it does in Westchester.
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