Originally published August 25, 2021
https://www.queensjewishlink.com/index.php/opinion/5045-new-yorkers-can-change-the-trajectory-of-their-city-and-state
As the summer dwindles down and the seasons start to change, school buses won’t be the only things kicking into gear. Fall means a renewed political cycle, and even though the President, Senate, or House of Representatives are not on the ballot, it doesn’t mean that you are not affected. In many ways, this November affects your life far more than 2020 did or 2024 will.
The most discussed election is, of course, the New York City mayoral race. Despite what the media wants you to believe, Eric Adams is not the Mayor Elect of New York; he is just the Democratic candidate. As Democrats out-register Republicans in New York City two to one, it’s a safe bet to say that Adams will be the next mayor. That doesn’t mean that voters shouldn’t vote for the far better option.
Curtis Sliwa is the Republican candidate for Mayor, and his election would see a turnaround in New York that would make 1994’s Rudy Giuliani green with envy. Sliwa is well known for his international group, the Guardian Angels, who risked their lives in the 1970s to ensure that New Yorkers can ride public transportation safely. He has spent the last 30 years as a radio host, so he has a strong command of the issues.
Eric Adams won the Democratic Primary because he was the toughest on crime from that large group. Sliwa’s proposals are far more effective on the issue of crime than Adams’ proposals, and he has the added benefit of not being beholden to the left-wing of the Democratic Party. Remember, it was a Democratic majority in the State that led to the bail reform laws that have correlated, if not caused, the massive increase in violent crime the city has seen. Sliwa also has better proposals than Adams regarding businesses, schools, the homeless, and other important issues that affect all five boroughs.
The Mayor is not the only power in the city. There are 51 City Council seats, and many of them are up for reelection this November. Currently, only three Republicans sit on the City Council. That is atrocious. Many City Council districts in the boroughs of Queens, Brooklyn, and Staten Island have a good shot for a Republican to win a seat on the City Council, but their voters do not show up. Now is the time to show up if you want the trajectory of the city to change.
A prime example of where the Democrats want to take the city is in District 22, with the candidacy of Tiffany Cabán. For those who remember, Cabán was the candidate who narrowly lost the Queens DA race in 2019 to Melinda Katz by 60 votes. She was endorsed by Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and Bernie Sanders, and was poised to be the most radical District Attorney in the nation. Unless the voters of District 22 in Queens turn out for her opponent, Felicia Kalan, she will take her radicalism to the City Council.
Other winnable Queens races for Republicans include (but are not limited to) District 19 with Vickie Paladino, District 23 with James Reilly, District 24 with Timothy Rosen, District 26 with Marvin Jeffcoat, and District 32 with Joann Ariola. The candidates would be well advised to make themselves known to the Queens Jewish communities in the coming weeks.
Long Island has some incredibly important races this year, as well. Hempstead Town Supervisor Don Clavin is up for re-election after his win in 2019. If he were to retain his seat, he would find his second term to be even more successful if he had a Nassau County Executive with whom he could work.
Bruce Blakeman is the Republican candidate for Nassau County Executive, and he is challenging the incumbent Laura Curran. Curran is most known as the face of the disastrous property evaluations that have caused taxes to skyrocket. She also has been the Executive during the crime spike in Nassau County. Blakeman’s platform focuses on those two key issues: taxes and crime. For Nassau County residents, those two issues are crucial.
Then there’s the Nassau County DA race. Anne Donnelly, a 32-year veteran of the District Attorney’s office, is running against Democrat State Senator Todd Kaminsky. Donnelly has the experience and drive to lead the office. Kaminsky, the architect of the disastrous bail-reform law, likely sees the office as a steppingstone to a Congressional run. That is the same progression that Kathleen Rice took when she went from Nassau County DA to representative for Congressional District 4.
New Yorkers have an opportunity. Off-year elections typically have a low turnout. If Republican, independent, and conservative Democratic voters are sick and tired of the direction of their city and state, this year is the perfect opportunity to make that change. Swamp the polls and show the Democrats in City Hall and Albany that this state is not as deep blue as they need it to be to continue pushing their failed policies over and over again.
