Seeking To Settle Score, McCaffrey Will Challenge Crowley For Seat In Congress

After stewing for two years over not being given a chance to try for the 7th Congressional District seat that went to Congressmember Joseph Crowley at that time, City Councilmember Walter McCaffrey is following through on a threat he made then and will challenge Crowley for the seat in this year’s Democratic primary.

McCaffrey (r.), a 14-year Councilmember, will be trying to settle the score with Queens Democratic leader Thomas Manton, the former 7th CD representative, for letting Crowley, (l.), inherit the seat.

In his formal announcement on Monday, McCaffrey stated his decision to challenge Crowley was "not about personalities but rather about giving voters a choice of who can best represent the needs of this diverse and complex district."

But there can be no mistaking that the 14-year Councilmember will be trying to settle the score with Queens Democratic leader Thomas Manton, the former 7th CD representative, for letting Crowley inherit the seat without permitting anyone else the opportunity to go after it.

Manton and McCaffrey had been the closest of political allies, in fact McCaffrey had once served as Manton’s chief of staff. But when Manton decided to retire at the end of 1998, he timed the move so that there could be no primary and then annointed Crowley, then an Assemblymember, as his successor.

Shortly after, McCaffrey, Assemblymember Catherine Nolan and Councilmember John Sabini, who were also miffed at being denied a chance to succeed Manton, announced a pact to select one among them to challenge Crowley in this year’s election.

Apparently McCaffrey was the chosen one because Nolan, a Ridgewood Democratic leader, and Sabini, a Jackson Heights leader, both have given McCaffrey their endorsement.

"This year Democratic voters will have a real choice," McCaffrey declared.

The political muscle represented by the rival sides in this old-fashioned political fight portends a no-holds-barred campaign. It could be particularly vicious since McCaffrey and Crowley are both products of the Woodside/Elmhurst/Long Island City heavily Irish–American area. Loyalties will be sorely tested in this contest.

Shortly after McCaffrey issued his declaration to run for the Queens/Bronx seat, Crowley issued a statement saying the announcement "comes as no surprise."

"The election is still many months away," Crowley stated. "I intend to focus on my full-time job as a United States Congressman and I hope that my opponent will continue to fulfill his duties and represent the interests of his constituents on the City Council while conducting his campaign."

Crowley then summarized his legislative goals for the coming term and ended by stating, "I look forward to a spirited campaign that will fairly test my record of public service against my opponent."

McCaffrey, in his announcement also cited his "proven record of successfully fighting for our neighborhoods and city through my years of public service."

He continued: "My priorities in Congress would be clear: to fight for our senior citizens, for comprehensive health care, for a woman’s right to choose, for safer streets, better paid and trained teachers, and for tougher federal civil rights and anti-bias legislation.

"We must be unwavering in our commitment to the State of Israel, the Clinton–Mitchell policies in Northern Ireland must be pursued even more vigorously, and international human rights should not be sacrificed on the altar of corporate profits."

A past chairman of Community Planning Board 2 (Woodside/Sunnyside), McCaffrey has an established record of accomplishments both before and during his Council career.

In his latter role, he cited his sponsorship and passage "of the nation’s toughest ATM anti-crime law, the elimination of sex shops from residential neighborhoods, tougher fire safety laws, creation of programs to combat elder abuse" and other accomplishments.

In announcing her support for McCaffrey’s candidacy, Nolan said that in the 20 years that she has known him, he had demonstrated that "his integrity and intelligence are first class, and I feel confident that he will be a first-rate Congressman. He represents everything our community wants in a representative—an effective, hard-working, independent hands-on leader."

Sabini, who has served for many years with McCaffrey in the council, declared that his colleague had "a strong record of getting things done for our neighborhoods and our city." Sabini stated, "He will be a great Congressman who will represent all of the people in our district."

In his response to McCaffrey’s announcement, Crowley said he intended to continue pursuing goals and issues that have occupied him in his first year as a Congressman. Among these are "to strengthen Social Security, pass prescription drug coverage for Medicare recipients and improve the quality of life for working families in Queens and the Bronx, and rebuild and reduce class sizes in our overcrowded schools."n