CityHallNews.com

Sweeping up Albany,” the campaign slogan for this year’s Democratic effort to win back the State Senate, evokes a Democratic fantasy, with visions of brooms pushing voters to the polls. That might now be more realistic than ever: Democrats in control of every statewide office and both chambers of the Legislature.

To take control of the Senate, they need to pick up just four seats. But in Staten Island, Democrats have fumbled a rare opportunity to win a seat that has been in Republican hands for 50 years – the very kind of opportunity that, if missed, could erode any chance of a Democratic takeover.

Though two of its four Assembly members are Democrats, as is one of its state senators and one of its Council members, and the borough’s registration numbers favor the party substantially, Staten Island has traditionally been seen as a conservative, Republican stronghold.

“It has a lower percentage of black, Hispanic, and Jewish voters, who tend to vote more Democratic,” said political consultant Jerry Skurnik, explaining the electoral pattern.

Democrats have seen it flinching under the weight of a deflated national Republican Party and the surging strength of heavyweights like Sen. Hillary Clinton, who is running for reelection, and Attorney General Eliot Spitzer, who is running for governor.

State Sen. John Marchi, 85, has held the seat since 1957. He has been seen as so secure for so long that Democrats have often cross-nominated him.

But even as a rare and fractious primary struggle is emerging between two well-known GOP candidates, a sluggish Democratic campaign that not too long ago seemed suddenly viable has all but stalled.

Council Member Vincent Gentile (D-Brooklyn) represented a neighboring State Senate district for six years until 2002, and lives within the Congressional district that covers Staten Island. He expressed his disappointment that Staten Island Democrats could not find a stronger candidate to win back the Senate seat.

“We were not as prepared as we could have been,” he said. “We’ve had 50 years, and I’m not sure we’ve been grooming someone to run.”

The candidate they did find, local community activist and lawyer Matthew Titone, was asked to run when Marchi was still in the race as something of a sacrificial candidate, according to county Democratic leader Assembly Member John Lavelle.

Lavelle admitted he and others asked Titone to suspend those plans once the news broke of Marchi’s retirement.

“It became a different race” after Marchi’s announcement, Titone said, explaining his decision to briefly put his candidacy on hold to give whom he called “other, more viable candidates,” such as those with higher name recognition, the chance to run.

But according to Lavelle, none of the potential candidates approached by the party, including Council Member Michael McMahon and Assembly Member Michael Cusick, both prominent Staten Island Democrats, wanted the job.

Neither McMahon nor Cusick returned calls for comment.

As to whether his party was in danger of leaving Staten Island behind, Gentile said, “There’s a chance of that.”

Lavelle said gerrymandering in favor of conservatives had created a major disincentive for Democrats in already-safe positions to enter the race.

“The district was drawn for Marchi,” he said. “More Republicans and conservatives – not just in the sense of party registration, but conservative in the ways that people vote – are in Marchi’s district.”

According to Democratic Senate Campaign Committee Chair Liz Krueger (Manhattan) the party is counting on City Council Member Andrew Lanza winning the Republican primary. Lanza’s opponent, Bob Helbock, is the Conservative Party candidate, and a Lanza win could very well lead to a three-way race that would split the conservative vote. This, together with Spitzer and Clinton candidates propelling Democrats to the polls on Election Day and discouraging Republicans, could create circumstances favorable to Titone.

“We’re delighted that the Republicans have two candidates going against each other,” Krueger said, highlighting that Helbock, former Staten Island GOP chair, could not avoid a primary within the party he once ran.

As for how much of an impact what some are calling a looming Democratic “tsunami” could have on the race, Krueger admitted, “It doesn’t override what the locals decide to do.”

Doug Muzzio, professor of public affairs at Baruch College, agreed.

He said, “Bottom line is, politics is still local, still relates to the individual.”