Special Election Legacy
Balboni, and one of his Republican predecessors, Michael Tully, both won the seat in special elections held on Election Day. (The years were 1997 and 1982, respectively, according to living encyclopedia Jerry Skurnik and state Board of Elections spokesman Lee Daghlian. After Tully but before Balboni the seat was held by Republican John Camera.) So in that respect, history seems to be on the GOP's side. [updated]
Then again, the current voter registration in the district favors Democrats according to figures here and here.
So far, officials from both parties still sound very much as if they're still coming to grips with the impending vacancy.
Senate minority leader Malcolm Smith said on Fred Dicker's show today the he learned of Balboni's appointment after the press conference yesterday, and released a mild statement saying that the move "presents the senate Democratic Conference with an opportunity to increase its numbers."
-- Azi Paybarah
Correction - Balboni's predecessor was John Kiernan who replaced Mike Tully.
That's a footnote? Everyone knows the history of Long Island politics-used to be Republican, now gone Democratic. What's new here?
Kiernan never held the Senate seat. Mike Tully beat out Kiernan for the Republican nomination in the 1982 special election after John Caemmerer dies in office. Balboni got the nod when Tully dies in office. At least Balboni is leaving of his own volition.
I am a flawed encyclopedia as 5:46 is correct. My apologies.
I refreshed my non-encyclopedic memory and here's what happened. John Kiernan was Senator Caemmerer's top aide and wanted to succeed him when the Senator died. Mike Tully was North Hempstead Supervisor. The GOP powers decided that Tully was a stronger candidate in the Special Election and ran Tully. As a consolation, Kiernan was given Tully's job as Town Supervisor.
The Tully-Banks special was on the Nov. General election date in 1997. I was there. We spent over $750,000 on Banks. Gullota was still an amazingly popular County Exec. candidate and Dem Lou Yevoli disappeared from th campaign trail. A year later, the county was bankrupt, Gullota's name was mud and Doreen Banks (former county clerk) would have killed Balboni--just ask Balboni.
John Cammerer died in early 1983 and the special election was in the spring of '83. Jerry (as revised)has the Kiernan-Tully story right. The Dem was Barbara Blumberg. Ohrenstein had all the troops and money in Rochester for the Senate race between Steinfeldt(R) and Virgilio(D), two former Assembly Members. Virgilio led all the way in the polls and his campaign was run by Fred's the-main man, Dick Brevoort, who esconced hinself in Rochester for 5 weeks. With little to do with NYC people, Marty Solomon, Don Halperin and I approached Fred Ohrenstein and asked if we could help Blmberg. He said ok but no money or troops who were movable to Rochester. We patched together a campaign, did our own printing in a garage, were joined by Frank Sanzillo who had been relieved of his responsibilities in Rochester by Brevoort. Tully and the Nassau Repubs slept through the race and Blumberg lost by a few hundred. Virgilio got killed and Brevoort was on his way out the door.
My memory slipped. Sen. Caemmerer died in February 1982. The Tully-Bluimberg special election was in May 1982, I believe.
As a Nassau resident, im impressed with the " behind the scenes" history lesson.