Barack Obama has relatively strong support from local elected officials in and around the 11th congressional district in Brooklyn, the heart of his support in New York City.

But the district's newly-elected Congresswoman Yvette Clarke supports Hillary Clinton,  read more »

Tonight, I'm going on New York 1 News' reporters roundtable for, among other things, a look back at the major news stories of 2007.

I discussed this with a few readers at a bar not long ago, and there was some debate as to which was a bigger story: the ongoing problem of Alan Hevesi's financial indiscretion or Eliot Spitzer's eventful first year in Albany.

But there are other possibilities: Michael Bloomberg leaving the Republican Party, inciting speculation about a presidential campaign; Tom Suozzi's affection; Spitzer's quest for humility; Andrew Cuomo's investigations; Al Sharpton's continued relevance; a New York Post reporter quitting her job to cover the war in Iraq.

Personally, I'm still awed by Mathieu Eugene winning three elections in a single year.

So, what were the biggest, most memorable, must-remember stories of 2007?

Your nominees?

Here are unofficial results from the city Board of Elections:

In the Staten Island District Attorney's race , with 92 percent of the precincts reporting back, incumbent Republican Dan Donovan got 17,523 votes (67 percent). Democratic challenger Mike Ryan got 8,527 (32.7 percent).

In the City Council race in Brooklyn, with 100 percent of the precincts reporting back, incumbent Democrat Mathieu Eugene got 3,024 votes (90.4 percent). Republican challenger Clarence John got 322 votes (9.6 percent).

In the civil court judicial race in Brooklyn, with 100 percent of the precincts reporting back, Democrat Noach Dear got 7,634 votes (65 percent). Republican James McCall got 4,106 votes (35 percent).

There are a more local election results here and here.

And here are links to more results for races in and around Dutchess County, Erie County, Mt. Vernon, Nassau County, Syracuse and Westchester County.  read more »

Here's one of the pieces of literature being handed out by City Councilman Mathieu Eugene of Brooklyn, reminding voters to "re-elect" him tomorrow.

In case you forgot, he's running for his Council seat for the third time this year.

Eugene's latest opponent is a Republican named Clarence John.

Gotham Gazette just released a nice analysis of individually sponsored member items from this year’s city budget.

According to the group, the king of member items is David Weprin of Queens, who got $736,500 for his district by funding 31 projects there. Councilman Leroy Comrie, also of Queens, funded 80 projects for a total of $710,857.

The district with the fewest dollars brought into it is in Brooklyn, where the Council’s newest member, Mathieu Eugene funded 10 programs for a total of $46,500. Helen Foster of the Bronx funded just one project, but it was worth $102,187.

The full report is here.  read more »

The City Council has voted down a proposal to co-name four blocks of a street in Brooklyn after black nationalist Sonny Carson. The vote was 15 for and 25 against, with seven abstentions. Notable votes: Bill De Blasio, who worked on David Dinkins' mayoral campaign with Carson, voted no. Oliver Koppell, who voted no, said "we are not voting on the civil rights movement." Mathieu Eugene, in one of his first votes, abstained. Mike Nelson of Brooklyn voted no, and retold a story of how Carson came into the classroom where she was teaching and said he didn't want a white Jew teaching his children.

Mathieu Eugene's latest campaign finance numbers were just posted.

He raised $22,450, and spent $51,147. (Most of it on consultants.)

Which makes his June 4 fund-raiser a bit of a necessity.  read more »

I missed this at first, but shortly after the culmination of Mathieu Eugene's tortuous ascent to the City Council, he went up with a web site to promote a re-election campaign that will represent his third run for the same office in the space of a year.

The picture here of Eugene with Rep. Yvette Clarke and her mother, Una, is from Eugene2007.com, which was created on May 3rd. That's just a few days after, as his biography puts it, he "made history when he won two special elections to become the first Haitian-born elected official in the state of New York."  read more »

Someone who attended Speaker Christine Quinn’s press conference yesterday was kind enough to send over this transcription of her explanation of the new, voluntary certification process for incoming Council members. (Newly sworn-in member Mathieu Eugene, who couldn't take his seat the first time he won election because he couldn't demonstrate that he met residency requirements, opted not to participate in the voluntary certification.)

Here's Quinn:

“In an effort to make that determination, we created a process, a voluntary process, where an individual could sign a form that would basically serve as an affidavit. In that affidavit, you would swear and attest, by a punishment of perjury, that you meet the requirement of the State Public Officers Law. Also voluntarily, we asked that you provide us with documentation backing that up. We always, based on the requirement the Attorney General gave us, had - and have - the right and ability to conduct our own independent investigation to confirm whether or not an individual meets the requirement of that law. We had hoped - and hope whenever we have a new member - that they will voluntarily comply, sign the form, and give us the information.

More after the jump.  read more »

Mathieu Eugene was just sworn into the City Council, according to a reader who, unlike me, is at City Hall today.

Interestingly, though, Eugene still hasn't signed the Council's official paperwork affirming that he is eligible to hold office. Eugene, you'll remember, had some trouble meeting Council requirements after he first won election to the office.

"They're satisified he met all the requirements to hold office," Eugene spokesman, Scott Levenson, just told me, referring to the City Council.

Speaker Christine Quinn is expected to address the matter at a press conference before today's meeting of the full Council.

And for anybody keeping track, score one for Eugene's main adviser, Una Clarke.