Martin Connor

State Senate candidate Dan Squadron, trying to unseat Marty Connor, is framing the race as one between two wings of the Democratic Party, progressive and establishment--and he made his first issue the politics of Albany. In doing so, he drew attention to some of the vagueness of those terms.  read more »

State Senator Marty Connor responded to his opponent, Dan Squadron, after Squadron made an early campaign attack this morning by recalling Connor’s 2004 tax lien.

Connor said, “I think it’s really pathetic they begin a campaign in April with such a negative attack.” Squadron, Connor says, "has no record in the community, never served on a community board, and all he does is attack, attack, attack.”  read more »

With Schumer-esque intensity, Dan Squadron, who is running to unseat State Senator Marty Connor, just released a “helpful note” to his opponent, incumbent state Senator Marty Connor just now, reminding him to pay his taxes today.

The election is in September.

The release, which is clearly intended to be more of a reminder for the likes of me than for Connor, refers to a 2004 tax lien filed against Connor which he explained at the time was due to his reporting error related to the Alternative Minimum Tax. “I screwed up figuring out how to deal with the AMT,” he said at the time.

When I asked Squardon’s campaign manager Mary Cooley why they were dredging up an issue from 2004, she said, “Obviously taxes are something that’s important, and we just thought it would be important to remind him.”

When asked if Squadron would make his own tax information public, Cooley said she unsure and will get to me with an answer.

A spokesman for Connor did not immediately have a response.

UPDATE: Squardon's campaign manager emailed to say, "Daniel will release his taxes, as soon as Senator Connor gets around to doing and releasing his."

Squadron’s campaign memo follows.  read more »

Here’s Chuck Schumer endorsing Dan Squadron yesterday in lower Manhattan. Squadron, a former Schumer aide, is trying to unseat State Senator Marty Connor.
 read more »

Dan Squadron is trying to unseat fellow Democrat Marty Connor for state Senate, in the district that represents lower Manhattan and Brooklyn.

But more interesting than the people on the ballot are how Demoratic power brokers are lining up in that fight. Schumer is supporting Squardon, his former aide, against Connor, who didn’t support Schumer in his 1998 primary for Senate.

But as the invitation for Connor’s May 8th fund-raiser at the Ritz Carlton shows, he's got a good chunk of the rest of the party establishment.  read more »

Charles Schumer made his endorsement of insurgent Democratic state senate candidate Dan Squadron official today, siding with his former aide over the incumbent Democrat, Marty Connor.

In statement released by his spokesman's private email account, Schumer said Squadron “is a true blue Democrat; I am proud to endorse him and look forward to working with him as he builds to victory."  read more »

The crowd at Dan Squadron's kick-off state Senate campaign fund-raiser at a bar in NoLita last night was full of young professionals, and had the feel of an insider's party.

Squadron's friends and family were heavily represented--his brother and at least two former classmates from Fieldston High School (class of '98) were there. Also, a number of the partygoers were employees of elected city officials and declined to be identified by name. (One of those I spoke to mentioned that he was there as a personal friend of Squadron's, but did not want to give the impression that his boss was supporting Squadron’s primary bid against incumbent Democratic legislator Marty Connor.)

More after the jump.  read more »

You know things have gotten weird in a small local primary when Republicans start putting images of Charlie Rangel on their literature.

This piece, which I heard is circulating in Queens, is linking the Queens County Republican Chairman, Phil Ragusa, to Rangel, who thinks Dick Cheney has mental problems.

The mail piece references a 2002 donation of $1000 that Ragusa made to Rangel’s committee and notes that Rangel help engineer the Democratic takeover of congress in last year’s election.

Ragusa, a CPA, is running this year for a male-designated state Republican committee post in the 26th Assembly District. The only other candidate for that slot is Peter Boudouvas, an aide to Republican state Senator Frank Padavan.

The mail may not derail’s Ragusa’s election to that position tomorrow, but it’s certain to fuel the seemingly endless fight for control of the Queens G.O.P. county organization, which has been going on for years and involves technical election law stuff I don't entirely understand. (Critics like John and Bart Haggerty--with the help of Democratic election lawyer Martin Connor--say the way the county counts votes is screwy.)

Credit for kicking off this latest skirmish goes to former congressional candidate-turned-blogger Jun Policarpio, who wrote about the Rangel donation about a week ago.  read more »

"He's setting a great example," said state Senator Martin Connor of Eliot Spitzer's self-imposed campaign contributions limits and attendance at fund-raisers.

But the great example, Connor made clear, isn't for him.

"This doesn't apply to me. No, we'd have to change the law. None of this applies to legislators," Connor said.

"Realistically, this executive order doesn't even apply to the state comptroller or attorney general."

Connor, who was in a tight primary race this year, did say that he'd happy to adhere to a $10,000 campaign contribution limit, which would be an increase from what state Senators and Assembly members can currently accept.

-- Azi Paybarah

"He's setting a great example," said state Senator Martin Connor of Eliot Spitzer's self-imposed campaign contributions limits and attendance at fund-raisers.

And by great example, he means for other people.

"This doesn't apply to me. No, we'd have to change the law. None of this applies to legislators," Connor said.

"Realistically, this executive order doesn't even apply to the state comptroller or attorney general."

True.

When asked, incoming AG Andrew Cuomo's people sent the following statement:

"It is essential that we restore the public trust in our government with comprehensive campaign finance, ethics, redistricting, and legislative reform and I look forward to partnering with Governor-elect Spitzer and Lt. Gov.-Elect Paterson to get these and other aggressive reforms enacted into law so that all statewide candidates and office holders are held to account."

To clarify, Cuomo's spokeswoman Wendy Katz said yes, Cuomo will adhere to Spitzer's campaign contribution limits.

A message left at comptroller Alan Hevesi's office was not immediately returned.

Connor, who was in a tight primary race this year, said he'd happy to have a $10,000 campaign contribution limit since, that would be a raise from what state Senators and Assembly members can currently accept.

-- Azi Paybarah

On Room 8, Yoda beat me to the punch in writing about how a statewide elected official - like a comptroller for example - is replaced if he steps down in mid-term.

Here, with an assist from election law expert Martin Connor, is the deal:

Replacement candidates are selected by the both houses of the state legislature, where Democrats currently have enough votes to pick who they want. (That would make for some interesting negotiations between the Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver and Eliot Spitzer.)

The leading candidate in the rumor mill to replace Alan Hevesi, should a scenario ever come to pass that would force him out of office, is city comptroller Bill Thompson. (His office hasn't returned calls on this since yesterday.)

The legislature has already picked statewide officials before: when H. Carl McCall was elected to finish state comptroller Edward Regan's term in 1993; and when Oliver Koppell was elected to fill the remainder of Attorney General Robert Abrams's term in 1994.  read more »

-- Azi Paybarah

Ken Diamondstone was reinstated to the ballot today in the race for Brooklyn's 25th senate district after a week's worth of court appearances. He will face Marty Connor in the primary September 12.

Stay tuned for more as we hear back from both candidates.

—Nicole Brydson

UPDATE: Diamondstone press release after the jump.  read more »