Peralta Set To Challenge Monserrate Next Year

Queens Democratic Leader Joseph Crowley was the first of many to call for state Senator Hiram Monserrate to give up his senate seat after he was found guilty of assaulting his girlfriend in mid-October.

Last week, Crowley followed up his dump Monserrate demand with another announcement: he and the Queens Democratic organization will be supporting Assemblymember Jose Peralta, both in a special election if and when Monserrate is bumped from his seat and also in next year’s primary election for the seat presently held by Monserrate.

Peralta, who since 2002 has held the Jackson Heights/Corona 39th Assembly District seat, which is part of Monserrate’s 13th senate district, following Crowley’s announcement said that he is ready to challenge Monserrate if there is a primary and/or a special election.

In a prepared statement, Peralta declared: “For months, the critical issues facing working families in my community have taken a back seat to criminal trials and political tribulations. I am running for the state senate to build upon the years I’ve spent fighting on behalf of working people as a legislator, organizer, and advocate. As our next state senator, I will always put the needs and concerns of working families first.”

On Friday, the day after Crowley’s bombshell announcement, Peralta reported in a news release that he had been endorsed already by five labor unions, representing retail and construction workers, painters, social workers and sanitation enforcement agents.

At the same time that Crowley called on Monserrate to quit the senate following his misdemeanor assault conviction, Peralta joined Crowley in demanding that Monserrate should give up the senate seat. It appeared that at that moment that Crowley and Peralta were already planning to challenge Monserrate for the seat, so last Thursday’s announcements from Crowley and Peralta were somewhat expected.

Last week, Crowley followed up his dump Monserrate demand with another announcement: he and the Queens Democratic organization will be supporting Assemblymember Jose Peralta, both in a special election if and when Monserrate is bumped from his seat and also in next year’s primary election for the seat presently held by Monserrate. Monserrate did not give up his post, as demanded by Crowley, Peralta and many others, but he does face the possibility of being booted out of the job by a senate committee that was formed soon after his conviction to consider whether he should be expelled because of the misdemeanor assault conviction.

If he were to be expelled, he would be eligible to run in a special election that would be called by the governor to fill the vacancy. However, Monserrate is scheduled to be sentenced on the assault charge on December 4, so the possibility exists that he may not be around for the special election, if he’s sentenced to serve jail time.

As for the primary election for Monserrate’s seat, Crowley’s endorsement of Peralta in that election will likely make it difficult for Monserrate to raise sufficient campaign funds to permit him to wage an effective campaign. The organization candidate in a contentious primary fight, Peralta in this case, would likely grab the lion’s share of the funds.

Besides, Monserrate is already having money problems resulting from his trial. According to media reports, the embattled senator has only about $100,000 in campaign funds on hand and owes about five times that amount to his attorneys.

Other reports say Monserrate is not permitted to use any

campaign contributions to pay legal debts and there are also restrictions on accepting gifts without disclosing the amounts or sources of the funds. Monserrate must tread very carefully in these dangerous financial waters where other problems could easily arise.

Monserrate’s ability to solicit funds to face an election challenge may be hampered by his high legal bills. His problem could be further complicated by having an announced opponent who could get first crack at what money is out there. This could possibly be why Crowley moved so quickly to put Peralta into the arena against Monserrate. The situation has all the makings of a furious battle.

REFORM PROJECT TARGETS HIRAM: An organization based in Albany whose mission is to reform the state legislature, has taken aim at Monserrate and wants him banished from the state senate. The group, called the Albany Project, has set up a Web site called FireMonserrate.com, according to this week’s Crains’ New York Business. So far, the site has received about 1,200 signatures on an online petition calling for Monserrate’s ouster.

Project Co-Founder Brian Keeler, said the group plans to deliver the petitions to Monserrate’s office and to the senate majority and minority leaders to try to spur some movement. Keeler worked for senate Republicans when they ruled the senate, but states the Albany project is non-partisan. “We have no political agenda other than to make sure we have better quality senators,” he is quoted as saying.

Peralta also announced that his Queens colleague, Assemblymember Michael Gianaris of Astoria has agreed to serve as finance chairman for Peralta’s campaign against Monserrate. Gianaris has previously served in that role for the New York state Democratic Committee.

Peralta noted that as finance chair, Gianaris “helped make critical victories possible with his fundraising prowess”.

Gianaris said Peralta’s election to the senate was “of critical importance not just to our community, but to the entire state”.

NOTES ON RACE FOR GOV: According to a report out of Albany last week, Governor David Paterson has told close aides that one factor that would change his mind about seeking re-election wold be if his polling numbers do not improve. Paterson is also concerned about what the next campaign financial report due in mid-January might show. He would be devastated if New York Attorney General Andrew Cuomo’s numbers are so much higher than his, the source said.

Meanwhile, one of President Barack Obama’s cabinet members praised Cuomo’s creation of a $100 million database of “out of network” healthcare payments.

Speaking of the new database, Nancy Ann DeParle, director of the White House Office of Health Reform, praised Cuomo for giving consumers a new tool providing them the ability to make informed decisions when purchasing health insurance.

DeParle’s praise was the third favorable comment sent Cuomo’s way since the Obama administration told Paterson it would prefer he didn’t run for governor next year.

Meanwhile, there were reports recently that if Rudy Giuliani decides he doesn’t want to run for governor next year, one possible candidate Republican party officials might turn to is Erie County Executive Chris Collins, rather than former Long Island Congressmember Rick Lazio.

Collins has caught the state GOP’s eye, according to a recent Crains New York report, because “he’s new, he represents the kind of change the state needs, and he’s actually doing it,” not just talking about it.

Collins, the report said, spent 35 years in business, including 10 years rescuing bankrupt companies and for the 22 months that he’s been Erie County Executive, he’s reduced government bloat and produced budget surpluses. He also defeated a Democrat by 30 points to win the office and has since garnered favorable ratings.

BRUNO TRIAL STARTS: Former state Senate Republican Majority Leader Joseph Bruno, who quit the senate in June 2008, went on trial Monday in an Albany federal court on charges that he used his official leadership position as “a political powerbroker “to pocket millions”, according to a federal prosecutor. Bruno, now 80, is alleged to have pocketed $3.2 million from major financial firms to help them to get contracts to manage labor union pension or benefit funds. Bruno denies the charges.