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Archives: June '06
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The Modern Political Machine - Some things have changed, some have not Staten Island for Democrats? - Registration says yes, but Marchi race raises doubts McFarland Volunteers Seek Jobs, Security Connor-Diamondstone Court Case Comes to a Close Diamondstone Making It Rough for Martin Connor Race For Dollars in 74th Assembly Battle Connor Seeks to Knock Primary Challenger from Ballot Quinn’s Budget Reforms Called Good First Step Farrell’s Future Uncertain Search for Campaign Finance Board Director Underway Pasta with Helen Marshall The Congressional Race No One Wanted
The Rangel Wannabees Marty Connor’s Long, Hot Summer State of the Unions Wooing and Winning in the AG’s Race Stop Knocking the Opportunists Letters to the Editor A Modest Proposal to Avoid the Albany Infighting Pataki Blowing Smoke on Cigarette Tax In the Chair Troubled Youth no Trouble for Sara Gonzalez The Hairpiece For Those Who Top the City Council Rug, Quinn’s Locks Make the Cut The Notepad: Marcia Kramer Imagemakers Full Court Press from Knickerbockers Elsewhere The Problems and Promise of Citywide Wireless Where Are They Now? — Carol Bellamy In the Trenches A Lawnmower Ride to Borough Hall Crystal Ball On the Agenda Hall-Way Eating: Reach for Ruben’s A Missed Opportunity to Expand by Paula Gavin Poverty is the Problem, Not Public Schools by Amy Stuart Wells Focus on Students and Teachers Before Charters by City Council Member Robert Jackson Performance, Not Politics, Should Dictate Charter Expansion by Peter Murphy
Assembly Member Herman “Denny” Farrell has a lot of powerful positions in New York politics. In Albany, he has been the chairman of the Ways and Means Committee since 1994. In Manhattan, he has been Democratic county chairman since 1981. And from Manhattan to Oneonta to Buffalo, he has been state Democratic chairman since 2001.
That last position may not be his for long, however. Many assume Attorney General Eliot Spitzer, whom polls show to be en route to a victory in the governor’s race, will want to clean house and install a choice of his own into the position.
“I believe that it will be a position which may be open, because we’re going to have a new leader in the statehouse,” said Assembly Member John Lavelle, the Staten Island Democratic chairman. “I would not be surprised.”
This is far from a unanimous assessment. Many people praise Farrell for his work, and do not see it as a coincidence that the state party resurged during the time he served as state party chair. Democrats seem poised to hold all six statewide offices and capture a majority in the State Senate very soon.
This has won Farrell many close ties and strong friends, said former Council Speaker Peter Vallone, Sr. (D-Queens).
“I think Denny’s very well liked—I don’t know anyone who dislikes him, which is rare,” he said. “I think it would be nuts not to keep him there.”
But even among those fans, there are those who say things are so much in flux these days that having any certainty about future party structure is impossible.
As to what the future may bring, said State Sen. Eric Schneiderman (D-Manhattan), “I have no idea. I think [Spitzer] is focused on what he’s doing now.”
Spitzer has remained mum on the topic. Moreover, those thinking about a Farrell successor see so many possibilities that they are not even prepared to guess whom Spitzer might turn to as an alternative, if he turns to anyone.
Meanwhile, Farrell himself has been carefully seeding just enough doubt to feed the speculation.
“The most important thing right now for me is to get to Nov. 7 to make sure that we elect Democrats everywhere—statewide, citywide, wherever people are running,” he said. “The future will be determined on Jan. 1, and when that happens I’ll make my decision.”